Most Slave Lake area campgrounds and RV parks were bursting at the seams over the August long weekend. Thanks to two or three weeks of fine weather, high water, good fishing and perhaps aided by forest fires down south and in B.C., people were flooding northern Alberta.
“There was no spot to be had,” says Arlene Gramiak of Norm’s Walleye Camp. “People are probably starting to trust the weather.”
“We were 100 per cent capacity, with people waiting,” says Janet Parks of the Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park office. “We’re getting more inquiries.”
The absence of fire bans in the north is a big selling point, says Miro Micovsky of Big Lake Country Tourism. “That helps a lot.”
One RV Park that wasn’t full on the weekend is the newly developed one at The Point Steakhouse and Marina. Manager Jeff Lukan says the marina is full up, but people apparently haven’t found out about the RV facility yet. The RV park has 36 spaces. The marina – also just opened for business this season – has 46 berths.
“Hopefully we’re going to add to it a little next year,” says Lukan, who also runs a bait and tackle shop at the marina.
As long as the weather remains half decent, people will likely continue to flock to the big lake – whether for fishing, camping, sailing or spending time on the beach. The bulk of the visitors come from Edmonton, but people from Calgary are showing up as well.
Once people come for the first time, they tend to come back, says Parks.
“People just love it up here.”

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