Lac La Biche, Alberta
Urban service area in Alberta, Canada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lac La Biche (/ˌlæk lə ˈbɪʃ/ LAK lə BISH) is an urban service area in Lac La Biche County within northeastern Alberta, Canada.[5]
Lac La Biche | |
|---|---|
Main street | |
| Motto: Welcoming by nature | |
 Location within Lac La Biche County | |
  Lac La Biche Location of Lac La Biche in Alberta  Lac La Biche Lac La Biche (Canada)  Lac La Biche Lac La Biche (North America) | |
| Coordinates: 54°46′13″N 111°58′45″W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| Region | Northern Alberta |
| Planning region | Lower Athabasca |
| Specialized municipality | Lac La Biche County |
| Founded | October 4, 1798 |
| Dissolved | August 1, 2007[1] |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Omer Moghrabi |
| • Governing body | Lac La Biche County Council
|
| Area (2021)[2] | |
| • Land | 68.39 km2 (26.41 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 560 m (1,840 ft) |
| Population (2021)[4] | |
• Total | 3,215 |
| Time zone | UTC−06:00 (Alberta Time) |
| Postal code span | T0A 2C0-T0A 2C2 & T0A 3Z0 |
| Area code | -1+780 |
| Highways | |
| Waterway | Lac la Biche |
| Website | www |
Official name | Notre Dame des Victoires / Lac La Biche Mission National Historic Site of Canada |
| Designated | 1989 |
It is approximately 220 km (140 mi) northeast of the provincial capital, Edmonton. Previously incorporated as a town, Lac La Biche amalgamated with Lakeland County to form Lac La Biche County on August 1, 2007.[1] Between 2007 and 2017, it was designated as a hamlet within Lac La Biche County.[6]
Etymology
The indigenous peoples of the area refer to the lake as Elk Lake (Plains Cree: wâwâskesiwisâkahikan,[7] Chipewyan: tzalith tway).[8] The earliest Europeans translated this name into English as "Red Deer Lake" and in French as "lac la Biche" ("lake of the doe"). Over time, the French name came to be used in English as well.
History
Historic voyageur highway
Lac La Biche was on the historical voyageur route that linked the Athabaskan region to Hudson Bay. David Thompson and George Simpson used the fur trade route via the Beaver River from the main Methye Portage route that reached the Athabasca River.[9] Thompson was the first known European to record his sojourn on Lac La Biche. Thompson, who referred to the lake as Red Deers Lake, arrived October 4, 1798, and overwintered there. He entered copious notes in his diary on the Nahathaway (the Cree), their customs, traditions, and the Western Forest Land, including the large supply of whitefish and beaver.[10]
Fur trade posts
Although the Montreal-based North West Company was already active in the area,[11] Thompson established the first permanent settlement in Lac La Biche on his 1798 trip, a Hudson's Bay Company trading post[12] which he named Red Deers Lake House.[13] In 1799, Peter Fidler arrived in the area after Thompson's departure, and as the post. This new structure was known as Greenwich House. It was also abandoned by 1801, but Lac La Biche was established as a permanent place of residence for some French-Canadian and Métis freetraders and their families.[14] Fur trade activity continued unbroken, due to the importance of the portage, and Lac La Biche was visited by fur traders such as Gabriel Franchère and Ross Cox. David Thompson returned in 1812.[14]
Another temporary Hudson's Bay Company post was erected in 1817, but the portage was abandoned by the company in 1825. Almost no written records exist for the following two decades.[14]
On 26 April 1885, during the North-West Rebellion, the Hudson's Bay Company post in Lac La Biche was raided by Cree forces.[15][16]
Oblate mission
A Roman Catholic mission was established in 1853 by Oblate missionaries. Historian Paul Robert Magocsi notes how the settlement grew over the next few decades:
"The French-speaking element, mostly from Red River, coalesced around the Mission. It formed a community that was tightly knit, even though the influence of the church lessened and the trend was towards marrying out and establishing nuclear families. Living was largely off the land; logging and road work provided intermittent wage labour. Many of the adults were trilingual, speaking French and Cree as well as English."[17]
The Lac La Biche Mission is now a national historic site and provincial historic resource. It was the site of one of the first residential schools in Alberta.[18][19]
Treaties and insurrection
The Government of Canada sought to extinguish the First Nations' title to the land across the prairies, in order to open the land up to settlement. Treaty 6 was negotiated in 1876 and covered the lands to the south of Lac La Biche.[20]
The new Hudson's Bay Company post at Lac La Biche was looted on April 26, 1885, during the North-West Rebellion by members of Big Bear's band. Their plan to loot the nearby Roman Catholic mission was stopped by the local Cree and Métis population.[21] Métis scrip records show many residents of the area were awarded scrip by the Government of Canada from 1885 until the 1920s.[13]
Treaty 8, covering the lands north of Lac La Biche, was negotiated in 1899. This set the stage for railway construction and settlement.
Climate
The record high temperature was 35.6 °C (96.1 °F) recorded June 30, 2021.[22] The record high daily minimum was 21.2 °C (70.2 °F) recorded July 1, 2021.[22] The record highest dew point was 21.4 °C (70.5 °F) recorded July 21, 2024.[22] The most humid month was August 2022 with an average dew point of 12.7 °C (54.9 °F).[22] The warmest month was July 2024 with an average mean tempeature of 20.0 °C (68.0 °F), the highest average monthly daily minimum of 14.0 °C (57.2 °F), and no temperature below 8.6 °C (47.5 °F) for the entire month.[22] July 2007 recorded the highest monthly average daily maximum of 26.5 °C (79.7 °F).[22] July 2012 set a record of no maximum temperature below 19.4 °C (66.9 °F) for the entire month.[22] July 2022 recorded no dew point below 5.6 °C (42.1 °F) throughout the month.[22]
The lowest yearly maximum dew point is 15.8 °C (60.4 °F) recorded in 2025.[22] The lowest yearly maximum daily minimum temperature is 13.8 °C (56.8 °F) recorded in 2005.[22] The lowest yearly maximum temperature is 27.8 °C (82.0 °F) recorded in 2005.[22]
The average yearly maximum dew point is 18.6 °C (65.5 °F) and the average yearly maximum daily minimum temperature is 16.5 °C (61.7 °F).[22]
| Climate data for Lac La Biche (normals 1996-2020, dewpoint normals 2003-2020, extremes 1958-present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high humidex | 12.5 | 14.1 | 16.7 | 26.9 | 31.6 | 40.7 | 39.0 | 38.9 | 33.0 | 28.3 | 19.5 | 12.1 | 40.7 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 12.5 (54.5) |
14.2 (57.6) |
17.6 (63.7) |
27.3 (81.1) |
31.7 (89.1) |
35.6 (96.1) |
34.7 (94.5) |
32.7 (90.9) |
30.9 (87.6) |
27.2 (81.0) |
19.6 (67.3) |
12.4 (54.3) |
35.6 (96.1) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 6.7 (44.1) |
6.8 (44.2) |
10.8 (51.4) |
20.7 (69.3) |
27.4 (81.3) |
28.3 (82.9) |
30.5 (86.9) |
28.8 (83.8) |
25.7 (78.3) |
19.1 (66.4) |
10.6 (51.1) |
5.1 (41.2) |
31.2 (88.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −8.8 (16.2) |
−5.2 (22.6) |
0.1 (32.2) |
9.2 (48.6) |
16.8 (62.2) |
20.6 (69.1) |
23.1 (73.6) |
21.9 (71.4) |
16.4 (61.5) |
8.2 (46.8) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
−7.4 (18.7) |
7.8 (46.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −13.9 (7.0) |
−11.0 (12.2) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
3.1 (37.6) |
10.1 (50.2) |
14.5 (58.1) |
17.2 (63.0) |
15.7 (60.3) |
10.5 (50.9) |
3.4 (38.1) |
−5.5 (22.1) |
−12.3 (9.9) |
2.2 (36.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −19.1 (−2.4) |
−16.8 (1.8) |
−11.2 (11.8) |
−3.1 (26.4) |
3.4 (38.1) |
8.2 (46.8) |
11.2 (52.2) |
9.5 (49.1) |
4.6 (40.3) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
−9.7 (14.5) |
−17.1 (1.2) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | −37.3 (−35.1) |
−31.7 (−25.1) |
−28.0 (−18.4) |
−12.8 (9.0) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
1.4 (34.5) |
5.7 (42.3) |
2.9 (37.2) |
−2.7 (27.1) |
−8.9 (16.0) |
−21.8 (−7.2) |
−30.7 (−23.3) |
−38.9 (−38.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −48.3 (−54.9) |
−46.7 (−52.1) |
−44.4 (−47.9) |
−26.1 (−15.0) |
−12.6 (9.3) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
1.8 (35.2) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
−8.4 (16.9) |
−16.4 (2.5) |
−40.0 (−40.0) |
−43.3 (−45.9) |
−48.3 (−54.9) |
| Record low wind chill | −53.3 | −52.1 | −48.0 | −44.0 | −19.6 | −4.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | −11.1 | −24.1 | −49.0 | −51.6 | −53.3 |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 19.0 (0.75) |
13.0 (0.51) |
15.3 (0.60) |
28.9 (1.14) |
32.4 (1.28) |
63.9 (2.52) |
91.9 (3.62) |
47.1 (1.85) |
31.8 (1.25) |
— | 16.7 (0.66) |
16.5 (0.65) |
— |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2mm) | 13.1 | 11.6 | 9.8 | 10.4 | 9.2 | 13.7 | 15.0 | 11.3 | 10.5 | — | 10.1 | 12.1 | — |
| Average relative humidity (%) (at 1500LT) | 67.4 | 59.2 | 49.7 | 42.2 | 38.2 | 47.9 | 51.2 | 50.8 | 50.2 | 55.9 | 67.6 | 70.9 | 54.3 |
| Average dew point °C (°F) | −15.8 (3.6) |
−15.6 (3.9) |
−10.3 (13.5) |
−5.2 (22.6) |
0.4 (32.7) |
7.5 (45.5) |
10.9 (51.6) |
9.5 (49.1) |
4.8 (40.6) |
−1.9 (28.6) |
−8.9 (16.0) |
−15.0 (5.0) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
| Source 1: Environment Canada[23] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: weatherstats.ca (for dewpoint and monthly&yearly average absolute maximum&minimum temperature)[24] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Lac La Biche had a population of 3,215 living in 1,236 of its 1,505 total private dwellings, a change of −3.2% from its 2016 population of 3,320. With a land area of 68.39 km2 (26.41 sq mi), it had a population density of 47.0/km2 (121.8/sq mi) in 2021.[4][2]
As a designated place in the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Lac La Biche had a population of 2,314 living in 895 of its 1,048 total private dwellings, a change of −8.2% from its 2011 population of 2,520. With a land area of 6.05 km2 (2.34 sq mi), it had a population density of 382.5/km2 (990.6/sq mi) in 2016.[25]
Lac La Biche County's 2016 municipal census counted a population of 2,682 in Lac La Biche,[26] a −7.4% change from its 2013 municipal census population of 2,895.[27]
| Panethnic group | 2021[28] | 2016[29] | 2006[30] | 2001[31] | 1996[32] | 1991[33][34] | 1986[35][36][37]: 85 | 1981[38][39] | 1971[40][41][42] | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | ||
| European[a] | 1,445 | 49.4% | 1,055 | 49.88% | 1,545 | 57.87% | 1,450 | 53.9% | 1,540 | 60.99% | 1,370 | 55.24% | 1,480 | 58.04% | 1,270 | 60.05% | 1,200 | 69.97% | |
| Indigenous | 775 | 26.5% | 695 | 32.86% | 925 | 34.64% | 925 | 34.39% | 590 | 23.37% | 815 | 32.86% | 725 | 28.43% | 610 | 28.84% | 345 | 20.12% | |
| Southeast Asian[b] | 300 | 10.26% | 135 | 6.38% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 10 | 0.4% | 20 | 0.81% | 0 | 0% | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a | |
| Middle Eastern[c] | 225 | 7.69% | 135 | 6.38% | 180 | 6.74% | 290 | 10.78% | 265 | 10.5% | 220 | 8.67% | 305 | 11.96% | 225 | 10.64% | 160 | 9.33% | |
| South Asian | 85 | 2.91% | 50 | 2.36% | 10 | 0.37% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | |
| East Asian[d] | 20 | 0.68% | 25 | 1.18% | 10 | 0.37% | 0 | 0% | 10 | 0.4% | 10 | 0.4% | 10 | 0.39% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | |
| African | 20 | 0.68% | 35 | 1.65% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 85 | 3.37% | 35 | 1.41% | 30 | 1.18% | 10 | 0.47% | 0 | 0% | |
| Latin American | 20 | 0.68% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 15 | 0.56% | 0 | 0% | 10 | 0.4% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0% | |
| Other/multiracial[e] | 15 | 0.51% | 0 | 0% | 10 | 0.37% | 10 | 0.37% | 25 | 0.99% | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a | N/a | 5 | 0.29% | |
| Total responses | 2,925 | 93.75% | 2,115 | 63.7% | 2,670 | 96.81% | 2,690 | 96.9% | 2,525 | 96.71% | 2,480 | 97.29% | 2,550 | 99.88% | 2,115 | 105.38% | 1,715 | 95.76% | |
| Total population | 3,120 | 100% | 3,320 | 100% | 2,758 | 100% | 2,776 | 100% | 2,611 | 100% | 2,549 | 100% | 2,553 | 100% | 2,007 | 100% | 1,791 | 100% | |
| Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses | |||||||||||||||||||
Economy
The community is supported by the oil patch, logging, forestry, agriculture, and commercial fishing.
Jamie Davis Towing (featured on the Highway Thru Hell reality show) has an operation in Lac La Biche.[43][44]
Attractions
Outdoor activities in Lac La Biche include fishing, hunting, boating, and camping. The area features several campgrounds and parks, including Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park, on an island in Lac La Biche. The community also has the Lac La Biche Golf & Country Club, an 18-hole course on the lakefront,[45] and the Bold Centre, a modern recreation and events complex that hosts sports, concerts, and community gatherings.[46]
Museums and heritage
The community’s main institution, the Lac La Biche Museum, opened in 2014 and is in the Jubilee Hall building near the recreation grounds. The museum presents exhibits on the region’s natural history, fur trade, and cultural development, highlighting Indigenous, Métis, and settler histories. In addition to its permanent displays, the museum offers educational programming, hosts temporary art and history exhibitions, and collaborates with local schools and community organizations to promote heritage awareness.[47] At the Portage College campus, the Museum of Aboriginal Peoples’ Art and Artifacts houses one of Alberta’s most significant public collections of Indigenous art. Its holdings include paintings, sculptures, and traditional works by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists from across Canada. The museum also preserves the permanent collection of the Professional Native Indian Artists Inc., known as the “Indigenous Group of Seven” which represents a milestone in the recognition of contemporary Indigenous art in Canada.[48] Nearby, the Lac La Biche Mission, a designated national historic site of Canada, preserves original 19th-century mission buildings and interprets the intertwined histories of missionaries, Indigenous peoples, and early settlers in the region.[49]
Festivals and events
Lac La Biche hosts several annual events that celebrate community, culture and the outdoors. Since 1963, the signature summer event, Lac La Biche Pow-Wow and Fish Derby, combines traditional powwow with a community fish derby and associated activities.[50] In winter the Lac La Biche Ice Festival (formerly the Winter Festival of Speed) features ice racing, snowmobile events, ice and snow sculpting, family activities and concerts.[51][52]
Government
The Hamlet of Lac La Biche comprises Lac La Biche County's Ward 7.[1] Paul Reutov was elected as mayor in 2025. Councillors John Mondal and Omer Moghrabi represent Ward 7 on Lac La Biche County Council.[53] Provincially, the community has been represented by every major political party in Alberta history (expand table for details).
Infrastructure
Lac La Biche Airport (YLB) is located 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 km; 1.7 mi) west of Lac La Biche. It features a fully serviced 5,700 by 100 ft (1,737 by 30 m) paved airstrip.
Education
The main campus of Portage College is in Lac La Biche. The college has an ACAC hockey team named the Portage Voyageurs. The team's first season began in the fall of 2008.[54]
- Northern Lights School Division No. 69
- Vera M. Welsh Elementary School (K-3)
- Aurora Middle School (4–8)
- J.A. Williams High School (9–12)
- Lac La Biche Off-Campus (8–12)
- Other
- Light of Christ Catholic School (Preschool-Grade 11)
- École Sainte-Catherine (K-4)
Media
Newspapers
Lac La Biche has been served by several local newspapers. The Lac La Biche Herald operated during 1940-1960s.[55][56] Since 1968, the weekly Lac La Biche Post has been published and remains an active local newspaper.[57]
Radio
The area is also served by the English-language radio station Boom 103.5,[58] and the French-language community radio station Boréal FM (92.1 FM), which serves the francophone community of the Plamondon–Lac La Biche area.[59]
See also
Notes
- Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity.
- Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.
- Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab" under visible minority section on census.
- Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese" under visible minority section on census.
- Statistic includes total responses of "Visible minority, n.i.e." and "Multiple visible minorities" under visible minority section on census.
