Lac Ste. Anne
The history of this lake stretches back to the distant past. Here First
Nations families, who in fall had scattered to winter camps and trap
lines, gathered in summer for the buffalo hunt. The Cree called the lake
"Manito Sakahigan" or "Spirit Lake". Later, white traders referred to it
as Devil's Lake, because its storms could quickly become dangerous. The
Assiniboine believe that the Creator guided them to the lake. Some of
the Métis families who live in the area have a family story of an
ancestor having worked at Fort Edmonton, and upon their retirement,
settled at Lac Ste Anne. Fort Edmonton included the lake and its
whitefish among the resources tapped to feed the growing community.
The Iroquois free-men, who came to the territory as canoe men for the
fur trade and stayed to become trappers, included Lac Ste Anne in the
territory they carved out for themselves. Their yearly trips included
stops in the Jasper area and along the eastern slope of the Rocky
Mountains.
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1844 Mission
Modern Population
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