DEBOLT

Located just 45 km east of Grande Prairie, Alberta, is the Hamlet of Debolt. Debolt is named after the Debolt family, some of the earliest settlers of the community. The population is 133 people (2011 stats) living in 64 dwellings.

Debolt has a Hotel and Convenient Store and Pub. A general store, hairdressers, postal services, emergency services, walking trails, museum, campgrounds and playgrounds. Debolt is located just ten minutes from the Smoky River.
Click on the mini pictures above to increase size of photo.

Elbert and Laura Debolt and their family came to this area in 1919 from the state of Washington and opened up the first Post Office. His brother George and wife Virginia Debolt owned a stopping place in those early years where you could put your horses up for the night, have a meal and a place to stay overnight. "Virginia Avenue" is named after Virginia Debolt. Some of the Debolt family still live in the area.

Hubert Memorial Park is located on Virginia Avenue, Debolt. Open mid May to September.
Church Manse, School (enlarge picture)	Crowe House (enlarge picture)	Mehlum Log Barn (enlarge picture)

A collection of some of the early buildings and artifacts of the area are located in Hubert Memorial Park. Buildings include the Debolt United Church Manse (far left picture) where student ministers lived in from the early 30's to the early 60's. The Edson school teacherage (white building) one of twelve original schools in the area, moved here from its original location about 1 km east of Debolt. Crowe House, (centre picture) where Reg Crowe one of the early settlers of the area had lived. It was moved from the Goodwin area. The Mehlum family was one of the early families in the area who used to cut ice in the winter and stored it in the Ice House, a small log building now in the Park. Also the Mehlum log barn (far right picture) was originally built in the early 1930's and moved from its original location in 1979 from about 1km northeast of Debolt. In January of 2004, a log home was moved to the museum that was first lived in by Sam Turner and his wife in 1930 2 miles east of Debolt.



Hubert Memorial Park is named after Mr. Hubert who left his estate to the community.

Senior Complexes in Debolt are named after some of the early pioneers. Edna Stevenson Manor, named after one of the first district nurses of the area, and Laura Debolt Manor named after one of the early residents of Debolt. (Her and her husband opened the first Post Office and it is from their surname that Debolt got its name.)

In the 1920's, an American Homesteader named John Bickell moved his family from Washington, USA to a farm in the Peace Country. He started his first Bush Mill built at the family farm at Debolt. The company grew forming the Northern Planing Mill in Grande Prairie in the late 1940's. 1953, Bickell joined with partners to establish Northern Plywoods, Alberta's 1st Plywood Mill. Two years later, Canadian Forest Products, a British Columbia based company bought a 50% share of the company and later Canfor assumed greater control while continuing to expand.

Debolt Pioneer Centre. (780) 957-3772.

Residential area of Debolt, Alberta

Events of Debolt:
Annual Summer Events include the Cranberry Lake Rodeo held in June, at the rodeo grounds just south of Debolt. The Heritage Festival is one of the biggest events of the area held in mid August. Some of the activities are held at Hubert Memorial Park with displays, rope making, ice-cream. The fair is held in the Curling Rink. Also part of the Heritage Festival is a Pancake Breakfast, Parade, Supper and Dance.

NOW POSTED: 2013 Events of the Peace Country

About 2 km west of Debolt is De-In Industries, that manufactures Tank and Metal Granaries. It is one of the main businesses of the area with the most employees. The Blue Apple Cafe in Debolt provides employment for a number of local people. Moore Seeds just south of Debolt and Star Industries located a short distance to the east that manufacture trailers, and P & G Kitchens located east of Debolt manufactures cabinets and bathrooms, also provide employment for the area.

The communities around Debolt, share many of the services. The Library and Curling Rink are located in Debolt. The Arena is located in Ridgevalley 6 km east. One school, the Ridgevalley School covers the area which includes Debolt, Ridgevalley, Crooked Creek... Goodwin to the west, Puskwaskau to the north, and east to Sturgeon Heights students. (kindergarten to grade 12)