Garden River, Alberta


Garden River, also known as Garden Creek, is an unincorporated community in northern Alberta, Canada within Wood Buffalo National Park. It is located on the north shore of the Peace River at the terminus of Garden River Road, an extension of Highway 58, approximately east of the Town of High Level. It is a First Nations community of the Little Red River Cree Nation.

History

Lying 5 kilometers inside the original 1922 boundary of Wood Buffalo National Park, this predominantly First Nations community was never officially recognized by the federal government, until a special amendment to the Canada National Parks Act removed the community from the park on June 19, 2017. Corresponding orders-in-council from the provincial government of Alberta are expected to facilitate the creation of a new Indian reserve encompassing Garden River's territory. This would become the third reserve of the Little Red River Cree Nation, after Fox Lake 162 and John D'Or Prairie 215.

Demographics

The population of Garden River according to the Little Red River Cree Nation is 483. The community is the only significant populated place within Alberta's Improvement District No. 24, which recorded a population of 648 in 2016. Most of the residents speak Woods Cree at home.