Irvine is a hamlet

Hamlet (place)

A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...

 in Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 within Cypress County

Cypress County, Alberta

Cypress County is a municipal district located in southeastern Alberta, Canada. The County completely surrounds the City of Medicine Hat and the Town of Redcliff.The municipality is part of Census Division 1, Alberta.- Geography :...

. It is located approximately 35 kilometres (21.7 mi) east of Medicine Hat

Medicine Hat, Alberta

Medicine Hat, known to locals as "The Hat", is a city of 61,097 people located in the southeastern part of the province of Alberta, Canada. It is enclaved within Cypress County along with the nearby Town of Redcliff, although neither is part of the county....

 on Highway 1 and has an elevation of 760 metres (2,493.4 ft).

The hamlet is located in census division

Census division

Census division is an official term in Canada and the United States. The census divisions of Canada are second-level census geographic unit, below provinces and territories, and above "census subdivisions" and "dissemination areas". In provinces where they exist, the census division may correspond...

 No. 1

Division No. 1, Alberta

Division No. 1 is a census division in Alberta, Canada. It is located in the southeast corner of southern Alberta and surrounds the City of Medicine Hat.- Census subdivisions :...

 and in the federal riding

Alberta federal electoral districts

As of 2006, the province of Alberta has 28 electoral districts represented in the Canadian House of Commons.*Calgary Centre*Calgary Centre-North*Calgary East*Calgary Northeast*Calgary Southeast*Calgary Southwest*Calgary West*Calgary—Nose Hill*Crowfoot...

 of Medicine Hat.

During the September long weekend Irvine is home to the 20 Mile Post Days. This is a weekend event that includes a parade, and weeklong rodeo. It is known as 20 Mile Post Days because it is approximately 20 miles (32.2 km) from Medicine Hat.

Recently Irvine has undergone some major changes due to the flood that hit many families hard on June 18, 2010. It is a small community where everybody knows nearly everybody else.

Infrastructure and services

Irvine features an elementary school

Elementary school

An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...

, a junior high school, hockey and curling rinks, a convenience store, a bar/hotel, a bed and breakfast, and a post office.

Demographics

Statistics Canada has not recently published a population for Irvine.

However, Industry Canada shows that Irvine's greater rural area had a total population of 522 living in 205 dwellings in 2001. With a land area of 804.4 km² (310.6 sq mi), its greater rural area has a population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

of 1 /km2.