| Official Name: | Waterhole |
| Settlement Type: | Unincorporated locality |
| Pushpin Map: | Alberta#Canada |
| Pushpin Label Position: | right |
| Coordinates: | 56.0128°N -118.415°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Canada |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Alberta |
| Subdivision Type2: | Municipal district |
| Subdivision Name2: | Fairview No. 136 |
| Timezone: | MST |
| Utc Offset: | −7 |
| Timezone Dst: | MDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | −6 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNBC Code |
| Blank1 Info: | IAOZM[1] |
Waterhole is an unincorporated locality in the Municipal District of Fairview No. 136, Alberta, Canada.[1] [2] Now a ghost town, Waterhole prospered during the early 1900s.
The location was known in the late 1800s as "The Waterhole", because potable water from Boucher Creek could be found in a waterhole located there.[3] The first settler arrived in 1908, and a post office was established in 1912.[3] [4] In 1914, a general store opened.[3] That same year, an annual agricultural fair was started, and Waterhole had over 50 residents.[3] [5] In 1916, a community hall was built, and by 1926, Waterhole had a doctor's office, a livery barn, a black smith, a hardware store, a bank, a telegraph office, electrical generator, and telephone service.[3] The Empire Hotel in Waterhole was owned by three Chinese immigrants.[3] Waterhole was "the focal point for a wide range of commercial and social activity" between Peace River and Dunvegan.[3]
When the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway was built through the area in 1928, it bypassed Waterhole, and was constructed through Fairview, located 6km (04miles) north of Waterhole.[3] To benefit from the economic prosperity associated with being near a railroad, most of the families and businesses in Waterhole moved to Fairview, where Waterhole residents were given first choice of surveyed lots for sale.[3] Some Waterhole buildings were transported to Fairview, while others were dismantled and then rebuilt there.[3]
Fairview prospered as a regional centre to the surrounding agricultural area.[6]
The post office in Waterhole closed in 1932, and Waterhole was abandoned.[3] [4] Few structures remained in Waterhole, and much of the former townsite was plowed over and used for agriculture.[3] The Waterhole Cemetery continues to operate.[7]
In 1990, an archaeological investigations was conducted at Waterhole.[3]