Slave Lake

Slave Lake (pop 6,650 in 2016) is a town on Lesser Slave Lake in North Central Alberta. Slave Lake serves as a local centre for the area. There are several outdoor activities available for visitors, including a provincial park, pristine beaches, and a bird research centre.

Understand
The administrative office for the Sawridge First Nation Reserve is also in the town.

History
The area of the present-day Town of Slave Lake was discovered by Europeans when David Thompson visited the area in 1799. Following his brief visit, several fur trading posts were established around Slave Lake, with a Hudson's Bay Company post established at the mouth of the lake. The first community, called Sawridge, was renamed Slave Lake in 1923. It was wiped out by a flood in the 1930s, and was moved to its current location.

In 2011, large parts of the town were affected by wildfires in the area. Winds pushed the flames into the town and destroyed many houses and businesses. Mandatory evacuation orders were issued, but with highways being closed, residents were urged to make their way to beaches, large parking lots, and open spaces. Highway 2 was eventually re-opened for evacuation, and full evacuation was ordered for Slave Lake.

One third of the town was destroyed, including the town hall, the library, a radio station, a mall and a lot of homes and other buildings; no injuries or deaths were reported.

Get in
The Town of Slave Lake is located at the intersection of Highway 2 and Highway 88. The closest major transportation hub is Edmonton, 281 km south of town. Slave Lake is accessible from Edmonton via Highway 44 and Highway 2.

By bus

 * Operates a route several days per week between Peace River and Edmonton including stops in High Prairie, Slave Lake, and Westlock.

By plane
Slave Lake has an airport available for landing charter flights only.

Get around

 * Riverline Taxi,
 * Arrow Taxi,

Do

 * Lesser Slave Lake offers 7 km of pristine, white sand beaches in the Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park, which has been featured on the Discovery Channel as part of the Great Canadian Parks series.
 * The Pelican Mountain range is to the northeast where Marten Mountain rises 1020 metres above sea level.
 * Summer activities (April through October): biking, camping, fishing, hiking, off-roading, recreational boating
 * Summer festivals: Riverboat Daze, the Alberta Open Sandsculpture Championships, the Lesser Slave Lake Song Bird Festival and numerous fishing tournaments.
 * Winter activities: ice fishing (Walleye, Northern Pike (Jackfish), Whitefish), cross-country skiing, back-country sledding

Eat




Drink
There are two bars ( and Fairways Lounge) and a restaurant in the Slave Lake Inn and Conference Centre.

Lesser Slave Lake
Lesser Slave Lake is a body of water (and region) which extends westward from the town of Slave Lake.