Valleyview, a charming town nestled in northwest Alberta, Canada, is surrounded by the Municipal District of Greenview No. 16 and lies within Census Division No. 18. Situated at the junction of Highway 43 and Highway 49, between the Little Smoky River and Sturgeon Lake, Valleyview serves as the gateway into the Peace Region, earning it the town motto, "Portal to the Peace".
The area around Valleyview has been a hub of human activity for thousands of years, thanks to its abundant hunting and fishing grounds. The local Cree population has called this region home since at least the 18th century. The early 1800s saw the arrival of the first visitors, who sought to trade goods for furs with the natives. This led to the establishment of a Hudson's Bay Company post on Sturgeon Lake in 1877 and the Bredin and Cornwall Trading Post nearby.
The area was surveyed in 1900 for potential settlement, but it wasn't until 1916 that the first pioneers settled in the area, attracted by its fertile soil. The community that formed was initially named Red Willow Creek, but it was renamed Valleyview in 1929 when the first post office was opened. The discovery of oil near the hamlet in the late 1950s led to a boom, and Valleyview was incorporated as a village in 1954 and then a town in 1957.
Valleyview is located in the southern Peace Region, between the Little Smoky River and Sturgeon Lake. True to its name, the town is elevated and offers breathtaking views of the surrounding valleys. Sturgeon Lake, located approximately 15 km west of the town, is home to Young's Point Provincial Park, a popular destination in the area. Valleyview is also located in an active geothermal area and lies on the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, known for some of the world's largest coal and oil deposits.
Valleyview experiences a humid continental climate, with warm summers and cool nights. Winters in Valleyview are long and can be severely cold.
As per the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Valleyview had a population of 1,673 living in 661 of its 782 total private dwellings, a decrease of 10.2% from its 2016 population of 1,863.
Valleyview hosts the annual Crocus Hill Stampede, a rodeo and agricultural show held at the Valleyview and District Agricultural Society grounds. Each summer, a fair is held on the town's Main St. (50th Ave).
Valleyview is home to the Greenview Regional Multiplex, a recreational centre that opened in February 2018. The multiplex features aquatics, a fieldhouse, a play area, a commercial kitchen, and a fitness centre. The town's main recreational activity is found at the Polar Palace ice rink, home to the Valleyview Jets hockey team. The nearby Sturgeon Lake provides a setting for outdoor activities, with two provincial parks on its shores: Young's Point Provincial Park and Williamson Provincial Park.
Valleyview is situated on the junction of Highway 43, leading to British Columbia and Alaska via Grande Prairie, and Highway 49, which stretches south towards Donnelly and Alberta Highway 2 towards Peace River. The town is served by the Valleyview Airport, which primarily provides air ambulance flights and serves as a hub for recreational pilots and charter flights in the area. As of 2022, a capital upgrade initiative is underway to improve infrastructure at the Valleyview Airport.
