This Natural Area is located about 50 km north of Rocky Mountain House, west of O’Chiese (203) and Sunchild (202) First Nations Reserves.
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
O’Chiese Natural Area has extensive paper birch stands with large, mature trees, and also extensive mixedwood stands, black spruce peatland, willow-birch shrubland and sedge meadows.
O’Chiese First Nation Reserve 203 is located east of but not adjacent to the NA with a parcel of Crown Land separating the two [1]. The O’Chiese people are of Saulteaux and Cree ancestry. Likely originally from the North Shore of Lake Superior in Ontario, in the early 1800s, the Saulteaux moved west to trap beaver for the North West Company. Some of these people ended up settling in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, but another group stayed on the Eastern Slopes and foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It was not until 1950 that a group of about 15 families from the O’Chiese First Nation Band decided to sign an amendment to Treaty 6 and live on the reserve near Rocky Mountain House. They were one of the last people to sign the treaty [2].
Site Statistics
| Site Name | O’Chiese |
| Site Type | Natural Area |
| Subtype | Order-in-council (OC) |
| Natural Region(s) | Lower Foothills |
| O.C. No. (Land Ref. Manual) | 416/98 |
| PASite ID (Map Ref #) | 468 |
| Site # (Parks Website) | 555 |
| Total Area | 375.35 ha. (927.50 ac.) |
| Steward-Status | |
| Recreation Activities | none noted |
| IUCN | II |
| Operated By | Parks Division |
| 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: Information & Facilities – O’Chiese Natural Area | Alberta Parks (All links accessed on 2023-01-11).
SAPAA 