Initially used as an Aboriginal Trail, the Lesser Slave River became the primary route to the Peace Country. The route was used as part of the fur trade to send the pelts southward to Athabasca & on to Edmonton.
At that point, it was obvious to trappers and traders that this vast country had an unlimited supply of fur and other resources. They were wrong!
By the early 1900’s the beaver were not to be found from Red Deer north. From about 1949 to 1954 Fish & Wildlife set about trying to rectify this by live trapping ‘nuisance beaver’ in Southern Alberta and bringing them north. The trip was probably not on the beavers list of things to do in that week but it saved their lives and was the beginning of their repopulation in this area and all across Northern Alberta.
Being rodents, the population of beaver soared. Once it stabilized, trappers were allowed to trap them once again. Quotas were set and all animals caught were to be registered. With signs that the population was still increasing trapping once again opened up. The population in this area remains stable, if not overabundant, so it seems that we are learning from the pioneers mistakes.