A summer village is a type of community found in Canada. They are defined as a village with a stable population of less than 300, but with a sizable seasonal population of people who own a summer cottage.
In Alberta summer villages are a recognized type of incorporated community with a unique municipal structure, with elections held in the summer months, special rules allowing seasonal residents to hold municipal offices, and allowing seasonal residents to vote and hold office in both their primary municipality and in their summer village. Summer villages were a permitted form of incorporation from the years 1913 to 1995, after which the creation of new summer villages was blocked. The existing 54 summer villages were allowed to continue as they were, and still operate under the special rules.
Currently the term summer village is coming to mean a community with a number of cottages to rent to summer visitors, designed to attract tourists more than migratory homeowners. This sense is used throughout Canada, and is slowly moving into New England.