Garson Lake, Saskatchewan facts for kids
Garson Lake is a small community in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. It sits on the eastern shore of a lake also called Garson Lake. This community is very close to the border of Alberta.
You can reach Garson Lake by Highway 956, which connects to Highway 155. In the winter, a special road opens up, linking Garson Lake to Fort McMurray, Alberta.
Garson Lake is about 65 kilometers (40 mi) from La Loche and 136 kilometers (85 mi) from Fort McMurray.
This small community has a population of 34 people. It is led by a person called a Chairman, who helps make decisions for the community. The current Chairman is Donald A. Laprise.
A Look Back in Time
The lake we know as Garson Lake today has had a few different names over the years! It was once called Swan Lake, and then Whitefish Lake (or Lac Poisson Blanc in French).
In 1911, the lake was renamed Garson Lake. This new name honored a manager from the Hudson's Bay Company who worked at Onion Lake, Saskatchewan.
Long ago, in 1880, a person named Mgr. Grandin wrote that about 200 people lived around La Loche Lake and Whitefish Lake. Later, in 1895, Father Penard from the La Loche Mission said that about 50 people lived in a settlement at Whitefish Lake.
On August 4, 1899, the Dene people living at Garson Lake signed an agreement called Treaty 8 in Fort McMurray. Their families later became known as the Portage La Loche Band. Today, they are part of the Clearwater River Dene Nation.
In a report from 1944, the settlement was still called Garson Lake or Whitefish Lake. At that time, there were 17 families living there, with 50 children under 18 years old. The community did not have any services, and there were no roads to reach it.
Things changed in 1999 when the Garson Lake Road was finished. This road is 44 kilometers (27 mi) long and connects Garson Lake to Highway 155, making it much easier to access.
Population Numbers
In the 2021 Census, Statistics Canada counted the people living in Garson Lake. The population was 10 people. They lived in 9 of the 16 homes in the area. This number was the same as the population in 2016.
The land area of Garson Lake is 1.34 km2 (0.52 sq mi).
Other Places to Explore
- List of communities in Northern Saskatchewan
- List of communities in Saskatchewan
