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Allan Spelrem, Local Communications Officers
During November and January, the Fort Vermilion Local held its local council meetings by videoconferencing. Because weather can be unpredictable at this time of year and driving can be hazardous, videoconference meetings take the place of face-to-face meetings. Videoconference suites are located in four schools in the region: Rainbow Lake, High Level, Fort Vermilion and La Crete. In this photo, teachers from the three High Level schools and the school rep from Meander River School participate in the January local council meeting.
Did you know that Fort Vermilion is the oldest settlement in Alberta?
Fort Vermilion Local No. 77 is in northwest Alberta, approximately 800 kilometres northwest of Edmonton and 742 kilometres south of Yellowknife. The area is rich in oil and gas; forestry and farming are also major activities. The major communities in the Fort Vermilion Local are Fort Vermilion, La Crete, High Level and Rainbow Lake.
Fort Vermilion, a hamlet located southeast of High Level, is the oldest settlement in Alberta. It was established in 1788 as a post by the North West Company, on the banks of the Peace River. Today, Fort Vermilion serves an urban and rural population of about 2,500.
La Crete was founded in 1914 by French explorers who settled near the banks of the Peace River. It was not until the 1930s that Mennonites first began to call La Crete home. The residents of La Crete take pride in their culture and history. Much of the community’s history can be explored in the Mennonite Heritage Village.
High Level is a transportation and service centre for a vast area of northwestern Alberta and serves a trading area of more than 20,000 people.
Rainbow Lake community is heavily involved in the oil industry and most of the working population is employed in this industry. The government’s sustainable resources forestry department has offices in Rainbow Lake, and during the summer many forest firefighters are stationed at Rainbow Lake.
There are currently 225 teachers and principals serving 3,552 students in 14 schools served by the local. Meander River School is administered by the school division for the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. The teachers of Fort Vermilion Local attend the Northeast Teachers’ Convention in Edmonton held the Thursday and Friday before the Family Day holiday in February.
Students participate in cross country divisionals.
In the summer, inhabitants enjoy their favourite sport or activity late into the evening. On June 21 (the longest day of the year), I have teed off on the last hole of the local golf course at midnight and managed to finish the hole with enough sunlight to see the ball. If you love the outdoors, you can be up with the sun at 3 a.m., enjoying the outdoors until late at night.
The winter months offer much to do as well—snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, hunting, fishing, hockey and curling are some of the activities enjoyed by locals, and the northern lights are amazing.
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