Lesser Slave Lake (french: Petit lac des Esclaves)—known traditionally as "Beaver Lake" (ᐊᒥᐢᐠ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ amisk sâkâhikan in the Plains Cree language, and T’saat’ine migeh in Dene Zhatıé) or "Beaver people were over there, living there" (ᐊᔭᐦᒋᔨᓂᐤ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ ayahciyiniw sâkahikan and T’saatine nda ghe’in’deh)—is located in central Alberta, Canada, northwest of Edmonton. It is the second largest lake entirely within Alberta boundaries (and the largest easily accessible by vehicle), covering and measuring over long and at its widest point. Lesser Slave Lake averages in depth and is at its deepest. It drains eastwards into the Athabasca River by way of the Lesser Slave River. The town of Slave Lake is located at the eastern tip of the lake, around the outflow of Lesser Slave River.

Conservation and development

Due to its location on a major fly-way for migrating birds, Lesser Slave Lake is popular with birders. The nearby

Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park and birdwatching area located in north-central Alberta, Canada. The park is located on the northeastern shore of the Lesser Slave Lake (while Hilliard's Bay Provincial Park, ''Lesser Slave L ...

has lakeside camping facilities located along sand beaches, with some rocky beaches as well. Fishing is popular and legal. The entire north shore of the lake is protected, other reserves being

Hilliard's Bay Provincial Park Hilliard's Bay Provincial Park is a provincial park in Alberta, Canada. It is located from High Prairie, on the north-western shore of Lesser Slave Lake in northern Alberta. The park is situated at an elevation of and has a surface of . It was ...

, ''Lesser Slave Lake Wildland'' and ''Grouard Trail Park Reserve''.

Highway 2 The following highways are numbered 2. For roads numbered A2, see list of A2 roads. For roads numbered B2, see list of B2 roads. For roads numbered M2, see list of M2 roads. For roads numbered N2, see list of N2 roads. International * AH2, As ...

and the

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN i ...

follow the southern shore of the lake, and the Bicentennial Highway has its southernmost point at eastern end of the lake. A number of Indian reserves are established at the shores of the lake: *Kapawe'no First Nations Lands 150, 230 and 231 of the Kapawe'no First Nation, *Sucker Creek 150a of the

Sucker Creek Cree First Nation Sucker Creek First Nation ( cr, ᓇᒦᐲ ᓰᐲᓯᐢ, namîpî sîpîsis) is a Cree First Nations band government whose reserve community is located along the southwestern shore of Lesser Slave Lake near Enilda, Alberta. It is a Treaty 8 First ...

*Drift Pile River 150 of the Driftpile First Nation *Swan River 150e'' of the Swan River First Nation *Sawridge 150g and h'' Sawridge Band

Accidents

;February 14, 1968 On February 14, 1968, a Cessna 182H CF-WUK plane crashed into the lake due to ice forming on the wings and causing the pilot to lose control. The pilot was a Graham James Cox, a former 501 Squadron Commander during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. Both he and his two passengers died in the accident. The passengers were William Henry Lucus and Kenneth McIntosh McMillan. ;May 20, 2011 On May 20, 2011, a Bell 212 helicopter crashed into the lake while fighting the 2011 Slave Lake fire. The pilot, 54-year-old Jean-Luc Deba of Montreal, died. On the one-year anniversary, a park at Canyon Creek was named in Deba's honor.CTV.ca
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References

External links

Lesser Slave Lake Regional Tourism
{{Authority control Big Lakes County Hudson's Bay Company trading posts Lakes of Alberta Municipal District of Lesser Slave River No. 124