Edmonton applied for a significant annexation in early 1979 that included large portions of Parkland County and Sturgeon County as well as the entireties of City of St. Albert and Strathcona County, which included the unincorporated hamlet of Sherwood Park. The annexation would have effectively amalgamated St. Albert and Strathcona County with Edmonton. Alberta's Local Authorities Board (LAB), a predecessor to the Municipal Government Board, granted the annexation in 1980 but excluded St. Albert, Sherwood Park and lands in Strathcona County to the east of Sherwood Park, thereby preventing any form of amalgamation. The lesser annexation granted by the LAB was subsequently tossed out by Alberta's provincial cabinet. Entwistle and Evansburg The former villages of Entwistle and Evansburg investigated amalgamation in 1986. The two villages subsequently dissolved into hamlets under the jurisdictions of Parkland County and Yellowhead County respectively. Medicine Hat and Redcliff The amalgamation of the Town of Redcliff with the neighbouring City of Medicine Hat was investigated or considered to various degrees in 1962, 1968, 1972, 1979, 1980, and 1985. Spruce Grove and Stony Plain Amalgamation of the towns of Spruce Grove and Stony Plain was investigated in the mid-1980s after Stony Plain had incurred a high debt. Despite a recommendation in favour of amalgamation from Alberta Municipal Affairs, residents of Spruce Grove were not supportive of the amalgamation as it would have resulted in a significant increase in their property taxes. The City of Spruce Grove initiated a growth study in 2014 in which expansion via amalgamation was to be explored as an alternative to annexation. Potential partners for the amalgamation included the Town of Stony Plain, Parkland County or both. See also 2000–06 municipal reorganization in Quebec 2002–2006 municipal reorganization of Montreal Amalgamation of the Halifax Regional Municipality Amalgamation of Toronto Amalgamation of Winnipeg Edmonton annexations List of communities in Alberta List of former urban municipalities in Alberta List of municipal amalgamations in New Brunswick List of municipalities in Alberta Manitoba municipal amalgamations, 2015 References History of Alberta Municipal amalgamations