David Thompson, a great mapmaker, surveyor
and fur trader arrived at the mouth of the Lesser
Slave River on April 28, 1799. He became the first
documented European to visit this lovely lake. Using
a sextant, compass and two watches he surveyed
much of Alberta and drew our lake on the Great
Map he made after his retirement.
Thompson established a trading post for the North
West Company at the junction of the Lesser Slave
River and the Athabasca River. In 1802 it was moved
to the original Slave Lake Town site (now referred
to as Old Town). The Hudson Bay Company also
established a post nearby and a rivalry to control the
fur trade began. Later, the two companies combined.
Treaty 8 was signed by the original 7 signatories
on the banks of the lake in 1899. One signatory
was the Sawridge First Nation, who were part of
the Slave Lake community. By 1900 the Northern
Transportation Company ran a steamboat called
“Northern Light”. It moved people and goods from
Fort Edmonton, through Athabasca and on to the
Peace country. The Sawridge community was a
stopping point for the boat. 1914 marked the arrival
of the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia
Railway, ending the steam boating business. It did
however, allow the logging industry to flourish and
logs were hauled to Chisholm’s sawmill.
Sawridge became Slave Lake in 1923, named for
people in the area who were regarded as strangers
by the more recently arrived Cree traders. The word
‘Lesser’ was added to the name when it became
clear there was some confusion between Lesser
Slave Lake and Great Slave Lake. A devastating flood
in 1935 forced the relocation of the town to the
present location. By 1945 the community had a
population of 300 people.
The building of the bridge over the Athabasca River
at Smith brought more people to the area. In 1964
when oil was found in the region the population
began to grow again. The oil and gas industry, the
wood products industry, the tourism industry and
the government services now support a regional
population of about 10,000 people. The citizens
are ethnically diverse with English, Cree, French,
Arabic, Tagalog, South Asian and other languages
represented.
The Lesser Slave Lake region is a great place to visit.
Our small town community offers many amenities
and supports outdoor adventures. Whether to
challenge minds and bodies, refresh spirits or to
renew and rejuvenate through nature’s beauty, we
invite you to visit and enjoy our unique natural area.
The History of Slave Lake
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