Region at a glance

The Mackenzie region in northern Alberta covers an area of 81,168 square kilometers, larger in size than the Czech Republic.  The region accounts for 12.7% of Alberta’s land mass and for 0.6% of Alberta’s population.  

According to Statistics Canada’s latest estimates, the region’s population totaled 21,600 in 2010, an increase of 3.8% from 2006. According to the 2006 federal Census, the number of employees was 8,125 in 2006 and the unemployment rate was 6.7%. 

The region’s largest industry on an employment basis is agriculture and forestry, accounting for 10.7% of total employment in Census year 2006, followed by manufacturing at 10.6%, and retail trade, construction and education at about 9% each.  The region’s sizeable manufacturing base is concentrated in the forest product sector.  The fastest growing industry between Census years 2001 and 2006 was the finance, insurance and real estate sector, which saw its employment more than double, followed by the oil and gas sector with an increase of 59%.  Employment in the agriculture and forestry sector in the Mackenzie region declined by 7% between the two Census years. 

According to personal income taxfiler data the average individual income in the region was $28,300 per taxfiler in 2007, a 23% increase from 2003.  Average income for couples was $74,100 in 2007, a 32% rise from 2003.

The Mackenzie region is one of Alberta’s leading forest product producing regions. It accounts for about 6% of the total volume of logs consumed in the province, all of it processed into lumber in the region.  In 2010, the region also accounted for 0.9% of the province’s crude oil production and for 2.1% of natural gas.  The region’s major crops are canola, wheat and alfalfa. 

Although very few current indicators are available on a regional basis, it is clear that the impacts of the global economic crisis have also subsided in this region; for instance the number of Employment Insurance beneficiaries receiving regular benefits in the Mackenzie region fell by 9% between 2009 and 2010.  Moreover, the number declined by 21% between June 2010 and June 2011.

Date Updated:
RDP-2456