144:
20:
229:
As a well-wooded and watered area near to more open grasslands, the Beaver Hills were an important camping place for nomadic peoples making a seasonal migration between the plains and the hills. It was a place that
Indigenous people "could replenish and recoup after spending extended periods on the
230:
plains, a place where they could hunt, fish, and gather other needed resources". Because the hills were not ploughed under, unlike the rest of region, much archaeological evidence remains here, including 227 Indigenous sites recorded by Parks Canada in Elk Island Park alone.
332:
In 2002 the Beaver Hills
Initiative was created to coordinate land-use planning in the municipalities in the area surrounding the protected parks. This resulted in a scheme of tradable development credits. In 2006 the area became recognized as a
1038:
318:
era. It was formalized as the
Cooking Lake Forest Reserve in 1899, the first such reserve in Canada. A part of the reserve was given further protection in 1906 as Elk Park, later to become Elk Island National Park. In 1930,
323:
in
Alberta passed from the federal government to the provincial government, Elk Park became formalized as a national park while the rest of the Cooking Lake Forest Reserve became a provincial responsibility.
237:
are the first ethnic group known to have inhabited the region in the period after
European contact (and thus the beginning of a written historical record). Sometime before 1800
166:, which deposited a thick layer of silt on the rest of the region (the basis of the modern agricultural soils now found in the areas around the hills), but left mostly
158:, as the region is actually just a slight rise above the surrounding region which also happens to be rough and rolling due to a different history during the end of the
409:
251:, which literally means "beaver hills" and is the origin of the region's later names in French, and then English. The Cree pursued an economy based around
724:
673:
828:
851:
1210:
1205:
1185:
661:
846:
338:
311:
120:
970:
87:, the provincial capital. It consists of 1,572 square kilometres (607 sq mi) of "knob and kettle" terrain, containing many
1195:
965:
924:
174:-sized debris on the hills, along with much water in the depressions left behind by ice and stone during the preceding glacial era.
378:
904:
290:'s map of 1814 mentions the hills prominently as place of refuge for both the Sarcee and Cree. They are also reported on by the
478:
990:
919:
717:
410:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-s-beaver-hills-great-bear-lake-in-n-w-t-join-unesco-biosphere-network-1.3501479
975:
889:
955:
618:
128:
32:
566:
1220:
960:
894:
436:
162:. Being at a slightly higher elevation, the bedrock in what would become the hills was only briefly covered by glacial
124:
1215:
1190:
1023:
515:
299:
1005:
710:
252:
596:
310:
This is one of oldest protected areas in Canada, having originally been a forest reserve set aside by the federal
1180:
861:
856:
832:
287:
1102:
950:
945:
940:
909:
899:
866:
791:
350:
213:
112:
28:
283:
147:
980:
786:
155:
116:
100:
1200:
1122:
279:
271:, and they largely abandoned the area as a permanent home, though continued to travel through the area.
111:. The area is relatively undeveloped compared to the surrounding region, and is protected in part by
1048:
812:
76:
761:
184:
natural subregion, a transitional zone on the south edge of the boreal forest, but is surrounded by
1139:
1092:
1053:
781:
771:
766:
315:
291:
201:
193:
178:
163:
159:
62:
91:
and depressions filled with small lakes. The landform lies partly within five different counties,
1087:
460:
255:
as well as the more traditional forms of hunting gathering, and fishing. The Cree also adopted
541:
733:
657:
334:
92:
1154:
1127:
1083:
1078:
1033:
1028:
841:
817:
452:
355:
295:
268:
88:
31:, Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area, Ministik Lake Game Bird Sanctuary, and
24:
1018:
985:
776:
743:
256:
209:
80:
1117:
1013:
385:
264:
185:
108:
1174:
1159:
482:
464:
275:
260:
242:
181:
131:
and a number of smaller provincial natural areas. Since 2016 Beaver Hills has been a
104:
44:
747:
545:
282:
to the south. The Beaver Hills are mentioned in Euro-Canadian records as early as
188:. This island of boreal forest in the south means that both boreal animal species (
96:
651:
412:
Alberta's Beaver Hills, Great Bear Lake in N.W.T. join UNESCO Biosphere
Network,
241:
migrating from the east displaced the Sarcee from the hills onto the plains. In
320:
238:
197:
143:
1097:
1043:
1009:
1000:
995:
570:
688:
675:
205:
592:
519:
19:
456:
1134:
623:
84:
171:
234:
167:
132:
702:
267:. The beaver and other game species in the area eventually became
189:
142:
18:
274:
Two major
Indigenous and fur trade trails border the hills, the
706:
27:
system. The green areas on the right are, from north to south,
379:"Ecological Primer – What Makes the Beaver Hills So Special?"
253:
trapping and trading with Euro-Canadian fur companies
653:
The Beaver Hills country: a history of land and life
439:
The Beaver Hills
Country: A History of Land and Life
341:. In 2016 it was named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
1110:
1072:
1039:
Riding
Mountain Park East Gate Registration Complex
933:
882:
875:
826:
800:
754:
619:"Two Canadian sites join UNESCO biosphere network"
55:
208:) live in the region. Nearby landscapes include
416:, The Canadian Press Bob Weber, March 16, 2021
718:
510:
508:
8:
542:"The Chronology of Elk Island National Park"
177:The vegetation is typically of part of the
67:'beaver hills'), also known as the
879:
725:
711:
703:
246:
569:. Beaver Hills Initiative. Archived from
384:. Beaver Hills Initiative. Archived from
595:. Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
373:
371:
225:Indigenous peoples and fur trade history
16:Upland region in Central Alberta, Canada
367:
852:Montana valley and foothill grasslands
599:from the original on 22 December 2010
7:
847:Canadian aspen forests and parklands
339:Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
121:Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area
263:to the south, including the use of
518:. Do The Blackfoot. Archived from
14:
125:Ministik Lake Game Bird Sanctuary
593:"Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve"
200:) and grassland animal species (
135:-designated biosphere reserve.
445:The Canadian Historical Review
1:
905:Writing-on-Stone / Áísínai'pi
154:The "hills" are very low and
129:Miquelon Lake Provincial Park
33:Miquelon Lake Provincial Park
1211:Biosphere reserves of Canada
1206:Edmonton Metropolitan Region
1186:Dark-sky preserves in Canada
306:Initial reserve development
300:Geological Survey of Canada
247:
56:
1237:
650:MacDonald, Graham (2009).
312:Department of the Interior
212:just to the east, and the
1150:
910:UNESCO Biosphere Reserves
883:International recognition
876:Parks and protected areas
862:Northern short grasslands
857:Northern mixed grasslands
755:Physiographic sub-regions
740:
48:
1196:Taiga and boreal forests
1103:District of Saskatchewan
867:Northern tall grasslands
792:Rocky Mountain Foothills
351:List of glacial moraines
214:North Saskatchewan River
113:Elk Island National Park
29:Elk Island National Park
1098:District of Assiniboia
981:Cypress Hills Massacre
656:. Edmonton: AU Press.
435:Fortna, Peter (2011).
286:'s sketches of 1793.
151:
83:, just to the east of
36:
1123:Blackfoot Confederacy
457:10.1353/can.2011.0028
278:to the north and the
245:the region is called
146:
22:
1118:Plains First Nations
1049:Rocky Mountain House
890:World Heritage Sites
573:on February 19, 2011
391:on February 19, 2011
314:in 1892, during the
294:of the 1850s and by
73:Cooking Lake Moraine
69:Beaver Hills Moraine
1221:Wetlands of Alberta
1093:District of Alberta
767:Manitoba Escarpment
685: /
522:on February 5, 2011
425:Macdonald, pp. 9-12
292:Palliser Expedition
202:sharp-tailed grouse
1216:Forests of Alberta
1191:Moraines of Canada
1111:Indigenous peoples
1088:Selkirk Concession
831:) and ecoregions (
772:Saskatchewan Plain
689:53.467°N 112.817°W
502:MacDonald, pp. 1-9
280:Battle River Trail
156:not very prominent
152:
37:
1168:
1167:
1062:
1061:
813:Qu'Appelle Valley
801:Physical features
746:, shared with US
734:Canadian Prairies
663:978-1-897425-37-4
335:dark sky preserve
328:Later development
66:
54:
1228:
1181:Hills of Alberta
1155:Geography portal
1140:Métis in Alberta
1128:Iron Confederacy
1084:Red River Colony
1073:Historic regions
1034:Lower Fort Garry
991:Fort Livingstone
880:
842:Prairies Ecozone
818:Red River Valley
727:
720:
713:
704:
700:
699:
697:
696:
695:
694:53.467; -112.817
690:
686:
683:
682:
681:
678:
667:
637:
636:
634:
632:
615:
609:
608:
606:
604:
589:
583:
582:
580:
578:
563:
557:
556:
554:
552:
538:
532:
531:
529:
527:
512:
503:
500:
494:
493:
491:
490:
481:. Archived from
475:
469:
468:
432:
426:
423:
417:
407:
401:
400:
398:
396:
390:
383:
375:
356:Terminal moraine
296:Joseph B. Tyrell
259:techniques from
250:
89:glacial moraines
75:, are a rolling
61:
59:
53:romanized:
52:
50:
25:Waskahegan Trail
1236:
1235:
1231:
1230:
1229:
1227:
1226:
1225:
1171:
1170:
1169:
1164:
1146:
1106:
1068:
1058:
1019:Frenchman Butte
986:Fort Battleford
956:Riding Mountain
929:
925:Riding Mountain
895:Head-Smashed-In
871:
822:
796:
777:Missouri Coteau
750:
744:Interior plains
736:
731:
693:
691:
687:
684:
679:
676:
674:
672:
671:
664:
649:
646:
644:Further reading
641:
640:
630:
628:
627:. 21 March 2016
617:
616:
612:
602:
600:
591:
590:
586:
576:
574:
565:
564:
560:
550:
548:
540:
539:
535:
525:
523:
514:
513:
506:
501:
497:
488:
486:
477:
476:
472:
434:
433:
429:
424:
420:
408:
404:
394:
392:
388:
381:
377:
376:
369:
364:
347:
330:
308:
257:buffalo hunting
227:
222:
210:Beaverhill Lake
141:
139:Natural history
81:Central Alberta
17:
12:
11:
5:
1234:
1232:
1224:
1223:
1218:
1213:
1208:
1203:
1198:
1193:
1188:
1183:
1173:
1172:
1166:
1165:
1163:
1162:
1157:
1151:
1148:
1147:
1145:
1144:
1143:
1142:
1132:
1131:
1130:
1125:
1114:
1112:
1108:
1107:
1105:
1100:
1095:
1090:
1081:
1076:
1074:
1070:
1069:
1067:
1066:
1063:
1060:
1059:
1057:
1056:
1051:
1046:
1041:
1036:
1031:
1026:
1021:
1016:
1014:Fort Gibraltar
1003:
998:
993:
988:
983:
978:
973:
968:
966:Historic Sites
963:
961:Waterton Lakes
958:
953:
948:
943:
937:
935:
931:
930:
928:
927:
922:
917:
912:
907:
902:
897:
892:
886:
884:
877:
873:
872:
870:
869:
864:
859:
854:
849:
844:
838:
836:
824:
823:
821:
820:
815:
810:
804:
802:
798:
797:
795:
794:
789:
784:
779:
774:
769:
764:
762:Manitoba Plain
758:
756:
752:
751:
742:Sub-region of
741:
738:
737:
732:
730:
729:
722:
715:
707:
669:
668:
662:
645:
642:
639:
638:
610:
584:
558:
533:
504:
495:
470:
451:(2): 369–371.
427:
418:
402:
366:
365:
363:
360:
359:
358:
353:
346:
343:
329:
326:
307:
304:
302:in the 1880s.
288:David Thompson
276:Victoria Trail
265:buffalo pounds
261:plains peoples
226:
223:
221:
218:
216:to the north.
186:aspen parkland
150:from the south
140:
137:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1233:
1222:
1219:
1217:
1214:
1212:
1209:
1207:
1204:
1202:
1199:
1197:
1194:
1192:
1189:
1187:
1184:
1182:
1179:
1178:
1176:
1161:
1160:Canada portal
1158:
1156:
1153:
1152:
1149:
1141:
1138:
1137:
1136:
1133:
1129:
1126:
1124:
1121:
1120:
1119:
1116:
1115:
1113:
1109:
1104:
1101:
1099:
1096:
1094:
1091:
1089:
1085:
1082:
1080:
1079:Rupert's Land
1077:
1075:
1071:
1065:
1064:
1055:
1052:
1050:
1047:
1045:
1042:
1040:
1037:
1035:
1032:
1030:
1029:Linear Mounds
1027:
1025:
1022:
1020:
1017:
1015:
1011:
1007:
1004:
1002:
999:
997:
994:
992:
989:
987:
984:
982:
979:
977:
974:
972:
969:
967:
964:
962:
959:
957:
954:
952:
949:
947:
944:
942:
939:
938:
936:
932:
926:
923:
921:
920:Redberry Lake
918:
916:
913:
911:
908:
906:
903:
901:
898:
896:
893:
891:
888:
887:
885:
881:
878:
874:
868:
865:
863:
860:
858:
855:
853:
850:
848:
845:
843:
840:
839:
837:
834:
830:
825:
819:
816:
814:
811:
809:
806:
805:
803:
799:
793:
790:
788:
787:Cypress Hills
785:
783:
782:Alberta Plain
780:
778:
775:
773:
770:
768:
765:
763:
760:
759:
757:
753:
749:
745:
739:
735:
728:
723:
721:
716:
714:
709:
708:
705:
701:
698:
665:
659:
655:
654:
648:
647:
643:
626:
625:
620:
614:
611:
598:
594:
588:
585:
572:
568:
562:
559:
547:
543:
537:
534:
521:
517:
511:
509:
505:
499:
496:
485:on 2014-02-02
484:
480:
474:
471:
466:
462:
458:
454:
450:
446:
442:
440:
431:
428:
422:
419:
415:
411:
406:
403:
387:
380:
374:
372:
368:
361:
357:
354:
352:
349:
348:
344:
342:
340:
336:
327:
325:
322:
317:
313:
305:
303:
301:
297:
293:
289:
285:
281:
277:
272:
270:
266:
262:
258:
254:
249:
244:
240:
236:
231:
224:
220:Human history
219:
217:
215:
211:
207:
203:
199:
195:
191:
187:
183:
182:boreal forest
180:
179:dry mixedwood
175:
173:
169:
165:
164:Lake Edmonton
161:
157:
149:
148:Hastings Lake
145:
138:
136:
134:
130:
126:
122:
118:
114:
110:
106:
102:
98:
94:
90:
86:
82:
78:
74:
70:
64:
58:
46:
42:
34:
30:
26:
23:A map of the
21:
1201:Great Plains
915:Beaver Hills
914:
808:Beaver Hills
807:
748:Great Plains
670:
652:
629:. Retrieved
622:
613:
601:. Retrieved
587:
575:. Retrieved
571:the original
567:"Who we are"
561:
549:. Retrieved
546:Parks Canada
536:
524:. Retrieved
520:the original
498:
487:. Retrieved
483:the original
473:
448:
444:
438:
430:
421:
413:
405:
393:. Retrieved
386:the original
331:
316:homesteading
309:
284:Peter Fidler
273:
232:
228:
176:
160:last ice age
153:
117:Cooking Lake
72:
68:
41:Beaver Hills
40:
38:
1006:Forts Rouge
971:Bar U Ranch
692: /
603:January 21,
577:January 21,
551:January 21,
526:January 21,
395:January 21,
321:Crown lands
269:trapped out
239:Cree people
198:Canada lynx
1175:Categories
1044:Riel House
1010:Fort Garry
1001:Fort Walsh
996:Fort Pelly
951:Grasslands
946:Elk Island
827:Ecozones (
489:2014-01-29
362:References
248:amiskwaciy
194:black bear
93:Strathcona
79:region in
57:amiskwaciy
1054:The Forks
1024:Frog Lake
516:"History"
479:"History"
465:162037352
441:(Review)"
206:mule deer
934:National
900:Dinosaur
680:112°49′W
631:21 March
624:CTV News
597:Archived
345:See also
85:Edmonton
71:and the
976:Batoche
677:53°28′N
337:by the
298:of the
172:boulder
109:Camrose
65:
1012:, and
660:
463:
235:Sarcee
168:gravel
133:UNESCO
123:, the
115:, the
105:Lamont
101:Beaver
77:upland
49:ᐊᒥᐢᑿᒋᐩ
1135:Métis
941:Parks
461:S2CID
389:(PDF)
382:(PDF)
190:moose
97:Leduc
658:ISBN
633:2016
605:2011
579:2011
553:2011
528:2011
397:2011
243:Cree
233:The
170:and
107:and
63:lit.
45:Cree
39:The
833:WWF
829:CEC
453:doi
414:CBC
1177::
1008:,
621:.
544:.
507:^
459:.
449:92
447:.
443:.
370:^
204:,
196:,
192:,
127:,
103:,
99:,
95:,
60:,
51:,
47::
1086:/
835:)
726:e
719:t
712:v
666:.
635:.
607:.
581:.
555:.
530:.
492:.
467:.
455::
437:"
399:.
119:–
43:(
35:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
