Breton/ˈbrɛtən/ is a village in central Alberta, Canada. It is located roughly 95 kilometres (59 mi) southwest of Edmonton.
History
Originally called Keystone, it was established in 1909 by a group of African-American immigrants as a block settlement.[4] The new Black Canadian homesteaders arrived from Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas, just four years after Alberta became a province in 1905.[5]
A Canadian Northern Railway line went through Breton. Breton had several grain elevators and a station.[6]
It has one High School (grades 7–12) and one elementary (K-6) school. It has a Paid on call Fire department operating with the Brazeau county fire services, one grocery store, one golf course, 2 restaurants, 1 hair parlors, a police station with three officers and one secretary.
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Village of Breton had a population of 567 living in 259 of its 296 total private dwellings, a change of -1.2% from its 2016 population of 574. With a land area of 1.72 km2 (0.66 sq mi), it had a population density of 329.7/km2 (853.8/sq mi) in 2021.[3]
In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Village of Breton recorded a population of 574 living in 252 of its 292 total private dwellings, a 15.7% change from its 2011 population of 496. With a land area of 1.72 km2 (0.66 sq mi), it had a population density of 333.7/km2 (864.3/sq mi) in 2016.[9]
The Village of Breton's 2012 municipal census counted a population of 581,[10] a 0.3% increase over its 2007 municipal census population of 579.[11]
^Heritage Community Foundation; Black Pioneers Descendants' Society (2007). "Alberta's Black Pioneer Heritage - Keystone". Heritage Community Foundation and Black Pioneers Descendants' Society. Archived from the original on 2009-11-09. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
