Tucked into central Alberta’s rolling landscape, this small community sits along Highway 28 in Smoky Lake County, roughly 150 kilometres northeast of Edmonton. The area surrounding Vilna offers natural appeal as well, with Bonnie Lake Provincial Recreation Area just 6 kilometres to the north, resting on the shores of Bonnie Lake.
The roots of the community trace back to 1907, when central European settlers began arriving and putting down roots. By 1918, residents had begun calling the broader district Vilna, taking the name from Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania, known historically by its Latin name Vilna. The settlement gained real momentum in 1919 when the railroad arrived and the first grain elevator was constructed. The following year, the post office previously known as “Villette,” located two miles to the east, was relocated to the growing townsite and the name Vilna was made official. A schoolhouse was also built in 1920, and on June 13, 1923, Vilna was formally incorporated as a village. One of the more remarkable chapters in the community’s history came on February 5, 1967, when a meteor air burst with a yield estimated at 600 tonnes of TNT lit up the sky above the area. Two small meteorite fragments were eventually recovered, weighing 48 milligrams and 94 milligrams respectively, and both are now kept at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Today, the village is home to around 268 residents, according to the 2021 census, with a land area of 0.96 square kilometres and a population density of approximately 279 people per square kilometre. Visitors to the community may also spot its claim to fame: a large metal sculpture mushroom that the village considers the world’s largest of its kind.