Vegreville, Alberta, a town in central Canada, is a unique blend of history, culture, and community. Located approximately 103 km east of Edmonton, Alberta's capital city, Vegreville was incorporated as a town in 1906. The same year marked the founding of the Vegreville Observer, a weekly newspaper for the region. With a significant percentage of its population of Ukrainian Canadian descent, Vegreville is home to the world's second-largest pysanka (Ukrainian Easter egg), known as the Vegreville egg.
Vegreville experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb). The town is bisected by the Canadian National Railway's Vegreville Subdivision, a rail line connecting Vegreville to Edmonton in the west and to Lloydminster in the east.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Vegreville had a population of 5,689 living in 2,463 of its 2,735 total private dwellings. This represented a slight decrease of -0.3% from its 2016 population of 5,708. With a land area of 14.08 km2, Vegreville had a population density of 404.0/km2 in 2021.
Vegreville's close relationship with the 41 Combat Engineer Regiment, a Canadian Forces Reserve unit based in Edmonton, is a significant part of the town's culture. The Regiment is the only Canadian Forces unit with Freedom of the Town and parades held on Remembrance Day in the town.
The Pysanka Festival is an annual cultural event in Vegreville, Alberta, that celebrates the region's rich Ukrainian heritage. Established in 1973, the festival has evolved into a significant event, drawing thousands of visitors from across Canada and beyond. The 50th edition of the Pysanka Festival is set to be held July 7, 8, and 9, 2023.
The Vegreville Agricultural Society holds an annual five-day "Country Fair" in August. The fair was extended from previously being a three-day event to five days following the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2022 119th Annual Country Fair welcomed Gord Bamford for a "Special Event Concert" with Dean Brody announced for the upcoming 2023 edition of the fair in August.
Vegreville's pysanka, the second-largest Ukrainian Easter egg in the world, was created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1974 and to celebrate Vegreville's ethnic heritage. On July 6, 2009, the pysanka was one of four attractions featured on the first set of the Canadian Roadside Attractions Series of stamps issued by Canada Post.
Vegreville has also made its mark in popular culture. Season 4, episode 14 of Fox Television's The X-Files series entitled "Memento Mori" references Vegreville. FBI Agent Fox Mulder realizes the town name is the password needed to hack into a computer after discovering a Vegreville pysanka souvenir snow globe on the desk next to the computer.
