Derwent, Alberta

Derwent is a hamlet in central Alberta, Canada within the County of Two Hills No. 21. It is located on Highway 45, approximately 41 km north of Vermilion.

Derwent dissolved from village status to become a hamlet on September 1, 2010. It originally incorporated as a village on June 25, 1930.

Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Derwent had a population of 96 living in 54 of its 59 total private dwellings, a change of NaN% from its 2016 population of 85. With a land area of 0.37 km2, it had a population density of in 2021.

As a designated place in the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Derwent had a population of 85 living in 47 of its 68 total private dwellings, a change of NaN% from its 2011 population of 100. With a land area of 0.37 km2, it had a population density of in 2016.

Location
Derwent lies 41 km north of Vermilion, 35 km south of Elk Point, 20 km east of Myrnam, and 38 km west of Dewberry on Highway 45, 7 km west of Highway 41.

History
Established in 1928 when the Canadian Pacific Railway opened a rail line through the region, it was named after Derwent, Derbyshire, England. Prior to this name, the community was briefly known as Monkman (purportedly after the temporary stay in the community of Albert Monkman, an important member of the 1885 Metis Provisional Government headed by Louis Riel) and, before that, the Native Americans of the region referred to it as Penguix. The population peaked at 301 in 1959, but declined rapidly after the construction of the bridge to Elk Point and the closure of the local grain elevator. The subsequent abandonment of the Lloydminster to Starr rail line in 2005 - 2007 signaled the final chapter in Derwent's rail access. Only two new homes have been built since the 1980s and the last business building permit issued was in 2001.

Education
There are no schools currently operating in Derwent. The nearest public school is New Myrnam School (K-12) in Myrnam.