Zama City

For other uses, see Zama (disambiguation).

Zama City is a hamlet in northwestern Alberta, Canada within Mackenzie County.^[2]

Zama City
Hamlet
Location of Zama City in Alberta
Coordinates: 59.15176°N 118.70590°W / 59.15176; -118.70590
Country	Canada
Province	Alberta
Census division	No. 17
Specialized municipality	Mackenzie County
Foundation	1966/1968
Government
• Type	Unincorporated
• Reeve	Peter F. Braun
• Governing body	Mackenzie County Council Jacquie Bateman Peter F. Braun Cameron Cardinal David Driedger Eric Jorgensen Joshua Knelsen Anthony Peters Ernest Peters Walter Sarapuk Lisa Wardley
Area  (2021)[1]
• Land	21.68 km2 (8.37 sq mi)
Elevation	320 m (1,050 ft)
Population  (2021)[1]
• Total	52
• Density	2.4/km2 (6/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)

It is located north of Zama Lake along Zama Road, which branches off the Mackenzie Highway (Highway 35) approximately 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of High Level.

The hamlet is located in Census Division No. 17 and in the federal riding of Grande Prairie-Mackenzie.

History

The name of the hamlet (which despite the name, is not a city) derives from a Dene Tha’ Chief, whose name was "Zamba".^[3]

The oil fields of the Zama region were discovered between 1965 and 1969. A community was established, according to "Notes of the North" (1977), in 1968. However, other sources from the Canadian government were founded in 1966 alongside its Post Office and Mackenzie County Sub-Office.^[4][5]

In mid-July 2012, a massive forest fire near Zama City threatened the community's very existence, reaching within 10 km of the hamlet.^[4]

Demographics

Population history
of Zama City

Year	Pop.	±%
1971	68	—
1976	89	+30.9%
1981	129	+44.9%
1986	178	+38.0%
1991	128	−28.1%
1996	217	+69.5%
2001	130	−40.1%
2006	225	+73.1%
2011	93	−58.7%
2016	74	−20.4%
2021	52	−29.7%
Source: Statistics Canada [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][1]

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Zama City had a population of 52 living in 24 of its 27 total private dwellings, a change of -29.7% from its 2016 population of 74. With a land area of 21.68 km² (8.37 sq mi), it had a population density of 2.4/km² (6.2/sq mi) in 2021.^[1]

As a designated place in the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Zama City had a population of 74 living in 34 of its 61 total private dwellings, a change of -20.4% from its 2011 population of 93. With a land area of 21.68 km² (8.37 sq mi), it had a population density of 3.4/km² (8.8/sq mi) in 2016.^[15]

Economy

It is based mainly around the oil and gas industry. A major oil pipeline connects Zama City with Norman Wells in the Northwest Territories.

Transportation

The two airstrips that served the community, Zama Airport and Zama Lake Airport have been abandoned.^[16]

See also

• List of communities in Alberta
• List of designated places in Alberta
• List of hamlets in Alberta