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Great Slave Lake
Northwest Territory
Named by Samuel
Hearne after the Slavey peoples, Great
Slave Lake is the fifth-largest lake in North
America. The product of a massive post-glacial
pool, cold, deep and frozen 8 months of the
year, Great Slave is a vast reservoir for
numerous rivers and streams. It is the fourth
largest lake in Canada, one of the north's
great providers of transportation, food and
shelter.
The early settlements on the shores of Great
Slave Lake were all originally Hudson's Bay
Company posts. The fur trade dominated the
economy almost to WWII. In the 1930s,
the gold rush was in full swing and the
small town of Yellowknife quickly sprouted
into a full-blown shantytown. Some prospectors
made millions - many others lost everything.
Recreation activities abound in summer and
in winter - hiking, camping, sport and ice-fishing
are all popular. In March, visitors enjoy
the Caribou
Festival and the Championship Dog Derby.
In Lutsulk'e,
a remote community of the Chipewyan nation
live much as their ancestors did thousands
of years ago. For them the lake has always
provided abundantly. The Bathurst
Caribou herd that winters nearby remains
their main source of physical, mental and
spiritual health.
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| History |
Ecosystem |
Early
explorers of the Great Slave
Lake region include Samuel Hearne, Laurent
Leroux and Alexander Mackenzie. Learn
more here. |
Far
North Wildlife
Caribou, bison and wolves, breeding
waterfowl and many fish species depend
on Great Slave Lake’s ecosystem.
Learn
more here. |
| First
Nations |
Recreation |
Keepers
of the Land
The First Nations at Great Slave Lake
include Chipewyan, Yellowknife, Dogrib
and Slavey. Learn
more here. |
All
Season Fun
Summer solstice golf in the land of
the midnight sun; winter wonderland
viewing the Northern Lights. Learn
more here. |
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