from “online publications” on our web site www.albertaparks.ca.

Points of InterestLac La Biche Mission National Historic Site is located on the south shore of Lac La Biche. The mission was established in the 1850s by the Oblate Missionaries and was home to Alberta’s first printing press, commercial wheat crop, and sawmill. For information call 780–623–3274.

Not far from Sir Winston Churchill, Alberta’s only true canoe circuit in Lakeland Provincial Park explores four lakes in the heart of the park. Lakeland Provincial Park is located about 20

A group camping area in the park is available by reservation; call 780–623–5235.

More Alberta Parks in the AreaNearby Beaver Lake Provincial Recreation Area and Lakeland Provincial Park and Recreation Area provide many great opportunities for fishing, canoeing, kayaking and boating.

Beaver Lake is just a few minutes outside of the town of Lac La Biche and is a favourite for fisher men and women. In addition to a beautiful campground, there are five group camping sites that can be reserved for your family reunion or other kinds of gatherings.

Lakeland, with a number of access points 30 minutes to an hour east of Lac La Biche, can boast hiking and biking trails and Alberta’s only back country canoe circuit.

park guide

Sir Winston ChurchillProvincial Park

Beautiful Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park is Alberta’s only park of islands.The main island, Big Island, is in the east basin of Lac La Biche. It is accessible by a 2.5 kilometre-long causeway and is just 11 kilometres northeast of the town of Lac La Biche.

The Park StoryAs a provincial park, this large island with its 300 year old forest and private sandy beaches is protected, along with all of the smaller islands in the lake. You can choose from swimming, canoeing, fishing, beach bumming or hiking in a unique island setting. While visiting, be sure to check out the interpretive programs.

The park’s campground is nestled among old-growth mixed-wood forests. Its campsites are very private and are surrounded by lush green foliage. The park is a great family getaway, with a wide range of water-based outdoor activities and rewarding bird watching opportunities.

CampingSir Winston Churchill Provincial Park has a 72 unit campground; more than one-third of the campsites are equipped with power hook-ups. There is one wheelchair accessible campsite located in Loop E. The park has showers, a boat launch, fire pits, flush toilets, pay phone, playgrounds, sewage disposal station, picnic shelter and an amphitheatre. Campsite reservations can be made online at www.reserve.albertaparks.ca or by calling 1–877–537–2757.

ContactCampsite ReservationsWeb: reserve.albertaparks.caToll Free: 1–877–537–2757

Camping Information and Group Use ReservationsPhone: 780–623–5235

Lac La Biche District OfficeFor park complaints, safety issues, wildlife problems and other concerns

Alberta Tourism, Parks and RecreationParks Division2nd Floor Provincial Building9503 Beaverhill Road, P.O. Box 1019Lac La Biche, AB, T0A 2C0Phone: 780–623–5235Fax: 780–623–5239

General Alberta Parks InformationWeb: albertaparks.caToll Free: 1–866–427–3582

Emergency (Police, Fire, Ambulance)Phone: 911

ISBN: 9780–7785–9342–3

Printed February 2011

Several staging areas provide access to 45 kilometres of trails for hiking, bicycling, cross-country skiing and the canoe circuit. The canoe circuit is approximately 38 kilometres in length and takes about three days to complete. It is all flat water and an easy paddle.

Touchwood Lake provides a great base camp for hiking and canoeing. Located on the trail head for a new 7 km hiking and mountain biking trail and just a few kilometers from the Jackson Lake staging area for the canoe circuit, this is the largest of the three auto accessible campgrounds in the recreation area.

Contact the Alberta Parks office in Lac La Biche for more information.

Bear AwarenessWhen you are in Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park, you are in bear country, so take all necessary precautions to secure food and properly dispose of garbage. A copy of our “Bear Smart” brochure can be downloaded

kilometres east of the town of Lac La Biche. For information, call 780–623–5235; to view a downloadable map, follow the link to online publications at www.albertaparks.ca.

David Thompson explored and mapped northern Canada during the bustling fur trade of the 18th century. In recognition of his passage through the area and establishment of the first trading post on the shores of Lac La Biche, the town erected a statue of Thompson and his traveling companions during its bicentennial celebration. The statue is located on Churchill Drive in the town of Lac La Biche.

The Lac La Biche Golf & Country Club is an 18-hole public golf course located just 1 kilometre

from the park entrance at the start of the causeway. The course features grass greens, challenging fairways and breathtaking lake views. For more information and to book tee times, call 780–623–4288.

For additional information about local points of interest and events, visit the Lac La Biche and District Economic Development and Tourism web site at www.LacLaBicheRegion.com or call 780–623–2662

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Park ActivitiesBirding

Lac La Biche has been designated an Important Bird Area because of its large populations of red-necked grebes and California gulls. It’s easy to see why Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park offers some amazing birding opportunities. At least 224 of the approximately 330 bird species in Alberta have been observed in the park.

Some of the most sought-after species include blackburnian, Cape May, black-throated, green and bay-breasted warblers, olive-sided flycatchers, white-winged crossbills, Swainson’s and hermit thrushes, sharp-tailed, Le Conte’s and swamp sparrows, osprey, bald eagles, northern saw-whet, barred, great grey, boreal and great horned owls.

The viewing platform at Pelican Viewpoint provides a front-row seat for visitors to see American white pelicans, double crested cormorants and Franklin’s gulls on Pelican Island, a rocky outcropping in the lake to the north of the Big Island.

Wildlife Viewing

On your travels through the park, you’ll most likely see snowshoe hares, red squirrels, Franklin’s ground squirrels (a cousin of Richardson’s ground squirrel) and white tailed deer. Along the causeway you’ll find the ever-industrious beaver and muskrats. You may be lucky enough to spot a red fox, coyote, moose, or even the occasional bear and if you look closely at the forest floor, you’ll spot voles, mice and moles scurrying under cover of vegetation and ground material. At dusk, if you look

Trails

There are numerous hiking trails in the park. The main trail is the 2.5 kilometre Long Point Trail, which takes you to the westernmost tip of the island. Long Point Trail takes hikers through the many different communities of plants found on the island and provides unparalleled views of Lac La Biche. If you’re looking for some “alone time” there is a small remote beach along the trail that’s perfect.

Boardwalk Trail is 1.2 kilometres in length and goes through old-growth boreal forest. Because of its island location, this rarely found habitat has been untouched by forest fires for the past 300 years. Boardwalk Trail transports visitors into a wondrous forest community that has remained intact for centuries, protected by the waters that separate it from the mainland.

Old Growth Alley is a new trail around the edge of the island that connects Long Point and Boardwalk trails with the many interior utility trails and the main trail down the causeway. The new trail increases the park’s trail network and offers visitors several new and exciting routes to explore.

All of the park’s trails are designed for hiking and some are appropriate for cycling in fair weather. The main park access is closed from the end of October until middle of April, allowing for cross-country skiing and hiking on the park’s trails and roads. The trails are kept clear of windfall for cross-country skiing, while the traffic-free roads provide excellent winter hiking opportunities.

Note: off-highway vehicles and snowmobiles are not permitted in the park.

overhead, you may spot hoary, big brown or other bat species feeding on insects.

Fishing

The Lac La Biche fishery has been a significant feature of the lake and community for well over a century. Since the 1890’s the lake has been fished commercially. Whitefish and other species have been exported from Lac La Biche across Canada and the United States and also have been used to supply food to mink farms.

In 2005, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Fish and Wildlife Division began a comprehensive fisheries management rehabilitation program that has affected angling limits on Lac La Biche. Please consult your Alberta Guide to Sport Fishing Regulations prior to fishing on the lake.

Water-based Recreation

With numerous white sand beaches and an abundance of islands within the east basin of Lac La Biche, you’ll find lots to explore in the park. The waters around the park are ideal for swimming, sailing, power boating, water skiing, canoeing and kayaking. Visitors with larger boats should leave lots of room when rounding the numerous points around the islands. There are a number of sand bars - great for swimmers who want to wade far out into the lake, but not so good for boats. If you are planning to boat extensively around the lake, its a good idea to have either a hydrographic map of the lake or a depth finder on your boat.

Sir Winston Churchill Park Map