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Violet Grove is a hamlet in central Alberta, Canada within Brazeau County.[2] It is located 7 km (4.3 mi) southwest of Drayton Valley on Highway 620, approximately 110 km (68 mi) southwest of Edmonton.

Toponymy

Violet Grove is named for Violet Forsyth, an early resident who opened a general store in the hamlet in the early 1930s.[3] Prior to becoming formally known as Violet Grove in 1934, when a post office by that name was established, the area was colloquially known as Soda Creek.[3]

History

Pre-settlement

Before the arrival of permanent settlers, the area now known as Violet Grove was within the territory of the Cree people.[4] Surveyor and fur trader David Thompson passed through the area in 1810.[4]

Founding: 1907–1949

The permanent settlement of Violet Grove began in 1907 with the arrival of lumber operations, followed by homesteaders shortly thereafter.[4][5] Demand for lumber declined by the early 1920s, and farming became the cornerstone of Violet Grove’s economy as the greater Drayton Valley area avoided the drought other parts of Alberta suffered during the Great Depression.[4]

Violet Grove’s population had grown enough by the early 1930s that residents Ernest and Violet Forsyth opened a general store to serve the locality.[3] Violet Grove School opened in 1933, with Ernest Forsyth serving as one of its first teachers.[3]

In 1933, local farmer Matthew Burnett decided to establish a post office for the area, and sought suggestions for names from his neighbours.[3][6] Proposals included the name ‘Soda Creek,’ though Burnett chose to apply to open a post office named Violet Grove in honour of Violet Forsyth.[3] The number of violets growing in the area also contributed to Burnett’s decision.[3] The post office opened in February 1934.[6]

Beginning in 1936, residents of Violet Grove received medical care and midwifery services through the Lady Farren Memorial Mission and Nursing Centre, based in the Anglican church in Drayton Valley.[7] Nurses and midwives based at the centre visited settlements in the area today known as Brazeau County to offer medical and spiritual services.[7] This arrangement continued until around 1958, after the influx of workers to the Drayton Valley area necessitated the construction of Drayton Valley Hospital.[7]

A second general store began operating in Violet Grove in 1938.[3]

Oil boom and decline: 1950–2000

Oil was discovered in the vicinity of Violet Grove in 1953.[3][8] As one resident later recalled, “Drayton Valley and Violet Grove became [like] cities overnight” as available work in oil drilling attracted workers to the area.[3][5][7] At this time, Violet Grove still lacked infrastructure such as roads and modern housing; a series of plywood or tar paper shanties were hastily built to house an influx of workers.[3][4]

In 1963, Violet Grove School closed due to a lack of demand.[3] The locality’s population began to decline as exploratory drilling activities came to a close; established oilfield operations subsequently required fewer temporary workers.[5]

Violet Grove’s post office closed in January 1980.[3] Violet Grove officially became a hamlet on April 8, 1993.[9]

21st century: 2001–present

In 2013, Brazeau County’s council voted to install a commemorative sign recognizing the hamlet’s now-closed historical school, Violet Grove School, as part of the county’s 25th anniversary celebrations.[10]

Demographics

The population of Violet Grove according to the 2005 municipal census conducted by Brazeau County is 141.[1]

Amenities and Services

Amenities

As of 2025, the hamlet’s community centre, Violet Grove Hall, remains operational.[11] The hamlet is also home to Violet Grove Community Park, which contains a playground and outdoor ice skating rink.[11]

Services

Violet Grove’s wastewater is treated using a constructed floating wetlands system.[12] Garbage and recyclables are processed through Violet Grove Transfer Station, operated by Brazeau County.[13][14] The transfer station underwent upgrades in mid-2026.[13]

Violet Grove is the nearest settlement to Moon Valley Cemetery, which lies 7 kilometres from the hamlet and operates as an independent cemetery.[15][16]

Notable residents

See also

References

  1. ^ a b “Regular Council Meeting”. Brazeau County. August 30, 2005. p. 47 (PDF page 70). Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  2. ^ “Specialized and Rural Municipalities and Their Communities” (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. June 3, 2024. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Drayton Valley District Historical Society (2004). Trappers, Loggers, Homesteaders and Oilmen. Altona: Drayton Valley District Historical Society. pp. 21, 136, 168, 255–268, 359, 406–407. ISBN 1-55056-459-5.
  4. ^ a b c d e Nielsen, Arne (November 7, 2012). We Gambled Everything: The Life and Times of an Oilman. University of Alberta. pp. 76–78, 94–95. ISBN 978-0-88864-807-5.
  5. ^ a b c Robinson, Ira M. (1962). New Industrial Resource Towns On Canada’s Resource Frontier (1 ed.). Illinois: University of Chicago. pp. 31, 101–102.
  6. ^ a b Library and Archives Canada. “Post offices and postmasters, 1851 to 1981: Violet Grove”. Library and Archives Canada.
  7. ^ a b c d Roberts, Miriam (May 2013). “Childbirth and Healthcare for the Pioneers” (PDF). Relatively Speaking: the Quarterly Journal of the Alberta Genealogical Society. 41 (2): 79–80. ISSN 0701-8878.
  8. ^ Drayton Valley (August 1, 2017). The Boom (PDF). Drayton Valley Town Council. p. 1.
  9. ^ Municipal District of Brazeau (April 8, 1993). MUNICIPAL DISTRICT OF BRAZEAU NO. 77 BY-LAW NO. 182-93 (PDF). Government of Alberta. p. 1.
  10. ^ “Signs commemorate area heritage”. draytonvalleywesternreview. December 16, 2013. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  11. ^ a b Drayton Valley and District (2025). FCSS Community Resource Directory (PDF). Drayton Valley: Family and Community Support Services. pp. 3, 18.
  12. ^ “Violet Grove’s Constructed Floating Wetlands System with Aeration”. Alberta Emerald Foundation. March 22, 2024. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  13. ^ a b Lavallee-Koenig, Ashley (April 23, 2026). “Construction to impact operations at Violet Grove Transfer Station”. Big West Country 92.9 FM. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  14. ^ “Garbage and Recycling”. www.brazeau.ab.ca. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  15. ^ Brazeau County. “Moon Valley Cemetery” (PDF).
  16. ^ Brazeau County (2026). “Cemeteries”. brazeau.ab.ca.
  17. ^ Shokeir, Peter (September 17, 2018). “Former Mayor Helmut Kreiner dies at 89”. The Whitecourt Star.
  18. ^ Benz, Victor (November 6, 2018). “Drayton Valley resident honoured at Polish Independence Day” (PDF). Drayton Valley Western Review. p. 24 – via Canadian Polish Historical Society Alberta.