County of Northern Lights
municipal district in Alberta, Canada
The County of Northern Lights is a municipal district in northwest Alberta, Canada. Located in Census Division 17, its municipal office is located in the Town of Manning.
The municipality recently changed its name from the Municipal District (M.D.) of Northern Lights No. 22 to the County of Northern Lights. The Province of Alberta officially approved the name change on February 3, 2010.
On April 1, 1995, the M.D. of Northern Lights No. 22 was formed through the incorporation of the former Improvement District No. 22 as a municipal district.
Geography
Communities and localities
The following urban municipalities are surrounded by the County of Northern Lights.
Towns:
Manning
Hamlets:
Deadwood
Dixonville
North Star
Notikewin
Métis settlements:
Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement
Localities:
Other places:
Carcajou
Twin Lakes
Demographics
As a census subdivision in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the County of Northern Lights had a population of 4,152 living in 1,559 of its 1,864 total private dwellings, a change of −1.1% from its 2016 population of 4,200.
The public source identifies “County of Northern Lights” as municipal district in Alberta, Canada. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around County, Northern and Lights.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “County of Northern Lights”, the useful work is to connect “municipal district in Alberta, Canada” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 19, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7058655. Authority coordinates are 57.468, -118.000. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2010, 1995, 2021 and 2016.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “County of Northern Lights”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow County of Northern Lights primary sources, County of Northern Lights archive and County research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “County of Northern Lights”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “County of Northern Lights” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.