Gregoire Lake NA is made up of either three or five parcels of land. The lake is about 30 km southeast of Fort McMurray.
Map of the Area
Any maps and map views are for general information only. Do not rely on them for navigation or to determine legal boundaries.
Other Information
Alberta’s Protected Area definitions can be confusing. Such is the case with Gregoire Lake (PNT). This is a relatively small NA broken into three parcels of land; two of these are on the southwest shore of the lake and the third is south of Highway 881. Gregoire Lake First Nation Reservation 176 adjoins this site to the north and west [1].
PP, NA, PNT – Future TBD. There is another Gregoire Lake (PNT) which on our maps has Provincial Park (PP) designation. As it turns out, this is neither a NA nor a PP but does have some acknowledgement for future recreational use. When queried, the Government of Alberta had this explanation (with edits):
Gregoire is not a natural area, it is identified for future recreation development. Alberta Environment and Protected Areas has placed CLR (crown land reservation) 130115 which is a regional plan commitment for no surface disposition as indicated in the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan. Restrictions apply to the area you indicated in efforts to make Recreation the priority rather than industrial commercial development [2].
(See List of Protected Areas for definitions of what is a PP, PNT, or Crown Reservations.) Similar confusion exists for Caslan (PNT) and North Buck Lake (PNT) Natural Area.
Willow Lake. Until the 1940s, Gregoire Lake was known as Willow Lake but was renamed for its outlet, the Gregoire River, named for an early settler. Most drainage into the lake is from the south via Surmont Creek and its tributaries. As well, six small streams enter the lake at various points. The outflow, the Gregoire River, eventually flows into the Athabasca River via the Clearwater and Christina rivers [3].
An ANZAC in Alberta? The Gregoire Lake area was surveyed in about 1916 by the Australia-New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), which named the hamlet of Anzac. Anzac became a stopover on the Northern Alberta Railway route between Cheecham Siding to the south, and the Mclnnis fish plant in Waterways Station, near Fort McMurray [3].
Local First Nations. The Fort McMurray Band of Cree and Chipewyan Indians has three treaty reserves on the lake, which cover a total of 1,304 ha. They are Gregoire Lake Reserves 176, 176A and 176B [3].
Site Statistics
| Site Name | Gregoire Lake (PNT) |
| Site Type | Natural Area |
| Subtype | Protective Notation (PNT) |
| Natural Region(s) | Central Mixedwood |
| O.C. No. (Land Ref. Manual) | N/A |
| PASite ID (Map Ref #) | 391 |
| Site # (Parks Website) | N/A |
| Total Area | 47.48 ha. (117.33 ac.) |
| Steward-Status | |
| Recreation Activities | |
| IUCN | |
| Operated By | |
| Notes and Comments |
| Site Name | Gregoire Lake (PP-PNT) |
| Site Type | Provincial Park |
| Subtype | Protective Notation (PNT) |
| Natural Region(s) | Central Mixedwood |
| O.C. No. (Land Ref. Manual) | N/A |
| PASite ID (Map Ref #) | 5540 |
| Site # (Parks Website) | N/A |
| Total Area | 665.86 ha. (1645.37 ac.) |
| Steward-Status | |
| Recreation Activities | |
| IUCN | |
| Operated By | |
| Notes and Comments |
References
The following links are provided as a courtesy but are not verified or endorsed by SAPAA. Clicking on the link will cause you to leave the SAPAA website. Primary source of information is: Government of Alberta (All links accessed on 2023-02-10).
- Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Land Ownership Map .
- Email exchange – Forestry Parks, and Tourism. “Re: SAPAA Asks – Gregoire Lake (FID 114)” Received by F.Potter, January 23, 2023.
- Mitchell, Patricia, and E. E. Prepas. “Atlas of Alberta Lakes.” Edmonton, Alberta: University of Alberta Press, 1990, pp. 140-145.
SAPAA 