The McClelland Lake Wetland Complex

The McClelland Lake Wetland Complex includes a lake, a fen – a specific type of peat-accumulating wetland – and upland that drains into the lake. It is located 38 km north of Fort McKay and 150 km south of Fort Chipewyan. The fen supports many different kinds of plants and animals. It is also used by local Aboriginal peoples and recreational users.

Fort Hills has established a Sustainability Committee, which includes Aboriginal communities and other key stakeholders, who are providing recommendations and reviewing plans to sustain McClelland Lake and the portion of the fen that will not be mined.

No Net Loss Lake

No Net Loss Lake has been constructed to compensate for changes to fish habitat that will happen as a result of the Fort Hills mine development. Working with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the lake was created to provide an ideal fish environment. Local First Nations have reviewed monitoring programs and have been kept informed on an ongoing basis with respect to the monitoring and evolution of this lake.

Bitumont: The “original” oil sands

Fort Hills was home to one of the first commercial oil sands operations, originally known as Bitumount. The name Bitumont refers to the deposits of bituminous sand that can be found in the area. This site was used for experimental oil sands extraction techniques. Bitumont was named a Provincial Historic Resources in 1974 in honour of the role it played in establishing Alberta’s oil sands industry. Fort Hills is committed to preserving this site and its history.

Read more about Bitumont