Key Number:	HS 81396
Site Name:	Portage La Biche and Portions of the Lac La Biche Trail
Other Names:
Site Type:	0997 - Transportation - Road Facility: Trail 1199 - Transportation - Water Facility: Other 1910 - Archaeological Site

Location

ATS Legal Description:

			Twp	Rge	Mer
			66	14	4

Address:	N/A
Number:	N/A
Street:	N/A
Avenue:	N/A
Other:
Town:
Near Town:

Media

Type	Number	Date	View	Source

Architectural

Style:
Plan Shape:
Storeys:
Foundation:
Superstructure:
Superstructure Cover:
Roof Structure:
Roof Cover:
Exterior Codes:
Exterior:	N/A
Interior:	N/A
Environment:	885.8 acres
Condition:	N/A
Alterations:	N/A

Historical

Construction:	Construction Date:
Established	1774/01/01
Usage:	Usage Date:
N/A
Owner:	Owner Date:
Town of Lac La Biche Jacqueline and Leon Brulhart et al. Alberta Energy Alberta Environmental Protection Alberta Agriculture Food and Rural Development

Architect:	N/A
Builder:	N/A
Craftsman:	N/A
History:	RESOURCE: Portage La Biche and Portions of the Lac La Biche Trail ADDRESS: near Lac La Biche BUILT: 1798 DESIGNATION STATUS: Provincial Historic Resource HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE It has been said Lac La Biche once stood at the crossroads of Western Canada’s history. The discovery of Portage La Biche by David Thompson in 1798 when he established Red Deer Lake House for the North West Company at Lac La Biche initiated the use of the Beaver River as a main fur trade route. This regularly traveled route was used by the North West Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company to ship freight and express to their respective posts at Lac La Biche, Lesser Slave Lake and on the upper Peace and Athabasca Rivers during their intense rivalry. The Portage linked the eastward flowing water of the Beaver, Churchill and Saskatchewan Rivers to the northward flowing waters of the La Biche, Athabasca and Mackenzie Rivers. It sits on a Continental Divide, which divided Ruperts Land from the Northwest Territory, that is to say, the Hudson’s Bay Drainage from that of the Arctic Ocean. The discovery of the Athabasca Pass in 1811 brought this route into prominence as a passage to the Pacific even though this route was known for being prone to low water levels. It was safe and direct. In 1825, Governor George Simpson of the Hudson’s Bay Company ordered that the route be abandoned in favour of the Saskatchewan River/Fort Assiniboine Trail. For 14 years Portage La Biche was part of the first coast to coast water highway which bridged the northern half of the continent.

Internal

Designation Status:	Designation Date:
Provincial Historic Resource	1993/10/19

Register:	N/A

Links

Internet:
Alberta Register of Historic Places:	4665-0271