Northern Alberta

Introducing Northern Alberta

Hello? Is anyone out there? You may find yourself saying that a fair bit in the northern section of Alberta. Once you travel north of Edmonton, the population drops right off and the sense of remoteness is a tangible feeling.

If it’s solitude you seek, then this is paradise found. Endless stretches of pine forests seem to go on forever, nighttime brings aurora borealis displays that are better than any chemical hallucinogens you’ll ever find, and it is here you can still see herds of buffalo.

This is also where the engine room of the Alberta economy lives. The oil sands near Fort McMurray are one of the largest oil reserves in the world. This helps to import workers from every corner of Canada and export oil earning the province millions of dollars – per hour.

The Cree, Slavey and Dene were the first peoples to inhabit the region, and many of them still depend on fishing, hunting and trapping for survival. The northeast has virtually no roads and is dominated by Wood Buffalo National Park, the Athabasca River and Lake Athabasca. The northwest is more accessible, with a network of highways connecting Alberta with northern BC and the Northwest Territories.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009