Gift Lake Metis Settlement is located in northern Alberta in Big Lakes County, approximately 203 km northeast of Grande Prairie along Highway 750. With 81,273 square hectares of land, the population of 658 people shares a boundary with nearby Peavine Metis Settlement.
A Métis community existed at Gift Lake prior to the formal establishment of the Metis settlement in 1938. Local Aboriginal people viewed the lake as a special gathering place and used the site for hunting, fishing, trade and exchanging gifts. Whitefish are especially common in the lake.
Current members are involved in industries such as include oil and gas, forestry, farming, road construction, retail and hospitality, along with many self-owned businesses in Gift Lake Metis Settlement and surrounding communities. According to the Canadian Census, approximately 50 per cent of the Settlement members in Gift Lake speak Cree.
The settlement has numerous facilities including an administration office, water treatment plant, K-9 school built in 2015, a recreation centre and hall, as well as providing different services such as public health, roads and the Gift Lake Development Corporation.
PO Box 60 Gift Lake, Alberta T0G 1B0
Tel: 780-767-3794 Fax: 780-767-3888
