La Loche, Saskatchewan
La Loche is a northern village located in northwestern Saskatchewan. The second largest community in northern Saskatchewan, it is located on Highway 155 on the eastern shore of Lac La Loche in Canada's boreal forest.
Bordering La Loche to the north and reached via Highway 955 is the Clearwater River Dene Nation with a population of 658 people. Together with the 2348 residents of La Loche, the area holds over twenty five percent of the Dene speakers of Canada. The Dene Suline language is spoken by over 90% of the residents.
The northern hamlet of Black Point lies on the southern shore of the lake and is accessible via the Garson Lake Road Highway 956. This road ends in Garson Lake. From there a winter road is built every year to Fort McMurray, Alberta.
Located on the northern end of Lac La Loche is the Methye Portage or Portage La Loche. At Rendezvous Lake on the 19 kilometer portage the fur brigades would meet every year and exchange trade goods for furs. The furs were then brought down the Churchill River to York Factory on the Hudson Bay for shipment to England.
This portage to the Clearwater River was in use for more than a century. It is now part of the Clearwater River Provincial Park and a National Historic Site. The Clearwater River is also a Canadian Heritage River.
Since 1778 the North West Company and then the Hudson's Bay Company maintained trading posts[1] on the shores of Lac La Loche. When the HBC trading post in West La Loche burned in the nineteen thirties it was not rebuilt. A trading post had been in West La Loche since the eighteen seventies.
Eventually all the families living there moved to La Loche where the Mission church and another HBC post were located.
The Revillon Freres had a post at La Loche in 1906. In 1936 the company was purchased by the HBC.
Missionary priests have been coming to La Loche since 1845. In 1860 the separate La Loche Mission of Notre Dame de la Visitation was established.[2] Father Penard o.m.i. (the first resident priest of La Loche from 1895 to 1917) wrote in 1895 that the population of La Loche at the Mission was around 100 people and the population at the fort in west La Loche (six miles from the Portage) was 60 to 70 people.[3] In 1911 he writes that La Loche has 200 people with another 80 to 100 people living in two villages across the lake. He adds that during autumn most residents leave for winter camps to the north to hunt caribou leaving only 60 or 70 people around the lake.
In 1922 Father J.B. Ducharme o.m.i.[4] writes that there are 500 people in the La Loche Mission area. The Mission included other villages such as Bull's House (at the end of the La Loche River), Turnor Lake, Swan Lake (a large winter camp on Careen Lake) and Garson Lake.
In the 1940's a convent was built for the Grey Nuns (now a private residence) along with the first hospital and the first school of the village.
In 1953 a new Mission church was constructed. It is still in use today.
The first road (Highway 155) reached La Loche in 1963.
Water/sewer and electricity became available to most homes in 1974. Direct dial telephone came in 1974, television in 1976, a skating arena in 1978 and a new high school in 1979. Highway 955 to the Cluff Lake uranium mine site was completed in 1979. 1979 was also the year the Clearwater River Dene Nation was officially created.
Contents |
[edit] Town statistics
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| North: Cluff Lake | ||
| West: Fort McMurray | La Loche | East: La Ronge |
| South: Buffalo Narrows |
Note: La Loche is one of the only 95 Saskatchewan towns or villages whose population increased from 2001 to 2006.
Sister city
[edit] Recreation
The Robbie Fontaine Memorial Arena Complex houses a skating rink, a meeting hall, the local radio station CHPN-FM, activity rooms and offices.
The Dave O'Hara Public Library at Ducharme School offers internet access.
The La Loche Friendship Center organizes many of the festivals that occur every year.
[edit] Churches
Our Lady of the Visitation Roman Catholic Church has regular services (10:30 a.m. on Sundays) and is part of the Archdiocese of Keewatin-Le Pas .
Clearwater River Ministries offers Sunday services and gospel studies.
[edit] Education
La Loche Community School consists of two buildings (The Ducharme Building and the Dene Building). The Ducharme Building offers the Pre-K to 6 program while the Dene Building delivers the 7 to 12 program. The school has an enrollment of over 900 students. The school is a provincial school and is part of Northern Lights School Division #113.
There is also a K-12 school at Clearwater with an enrollment of 200.
The Gabriel Dumont Institute offers adult basic education and skills training.
The first school of La Loche was built in 1942. It was called the Community Day School and had an enrollment of 23.
[edit] Transportation
Air services are provided by the La Loche Airport and the La Loche Water Aerodrome.
Bus service is provided by the STC Saskatchewan Transportation Company.
[edit] References
- ^ http://scaa.sk.ca/ourlegacy/permalink/24455
- ^ http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/7848/8.html
- ^ http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/8059/3.html
- ^ http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/8173/6.html
- ^ "2006 Community Profiles". Canada 2006 Census. Statistics Canada. 2009-02-24. http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/index.cfm?Lang=E. Retrieved 2009-02-24.
Coordinates: 56°29′N 109°26′W / 56.483°N 109.433°W
