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La Loche

La Loche
Northern village
The 1918 summer gathering in La Loche
The 1918 summer gathering in La Loche
La Loche is located in Saskatchewan
La Loche
La Loche
La Loche is located in Canada
La Loche
La Loche
Location of La Loche in Saskatchewan
Coordinates: 56°29′N 109°26′W / 56.483°N 109.433°W / 56.483; -109.433
Country  Canada
Province  Saskatchewan
Census division 18
HBC post 1810
Mission founded 1860
Post office established 1926
Government
 • Mayor Robert St. Pierre
 • Town Manager Janine Boucher
 • Governing body La Loche Town Council
 • MLA Athabasca Buckley Belanger
 • MP Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River Georgina Jolibois
Area
 • Total 15.59 km2 (6.02 sq mi)
Population (2011)
 • Total 2,611
 • Density 167.5/km2 (434/sq mi)
Time zone Central Standard Time (UTC−6)
Postal code S0M 1G0
Area code(s) 306
Highways Hwy 155 / Hwy 955 / Hwy 956

La Loche is a village in northwest Saskatchewan. It is located at the end of Highway 155 on the eastern shore of Lac La Loche in Canada's boreal forest. La Loche had a population of 2,611 in 2011 and is within the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District.

Bordering La Loche to the north and reached via Highway 955 is the Clearwater River Dene Nation (CRDN) with a population of 778 people. The La Loche/CRDN population centre with 3,389 people represents about 30 percent of the Denesuline speakers of Canada. The Denesuline language is spoken by 89% 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. This portage to the Clearwater River was in use for more than a century during the North American fur trade. Brigades such as the Portage La Loche Brigade from Fort Garry came from the south while the Athabasca and Mackenzie brigades came from the north. At Rendezvous Lake on the 19 kilometre portage the fur brigades would meet every year and exchange trade goods for furs. The furs were then brought to York Factory on the Hudson Bay for shipment to England. The Methye Portage is now part of the Clearwater River Provincial Park and a National Historic Site. The Clearwater River is also a Canadian Heritage River.


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