Fort Chipewyan Port Facility

Fort Chipewyan, AB · Transport Canada · Transport Canada · Lake Athabasca

Federally owned public port facility (a "local/regional port") on the northwest shore of Lake Athabasca at the remote, fly-in community of Fort Chipewyan, AB. Built in 1925 by the Department of Public Works and transferred to Transport Canada in 1987, it is the only TC-owned port in Alberta. Known locally as the "Big Dock," it is the only dock able to accommodate barges and historically served commercial barge resupply (fuel, freight, materials); today the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Mikisew Cree First Nation and Fort Chipewyan Metis Nation use it to launch small craft, berth two barges, and as an essential emergency egress route during wildfires. The site has known sediment/soil contamination (hydrocarbons and metals) on the Federal Contaminated Sites inventory and is subject to ongoing assessment and remediation discussion; TC funded a temporary dock on MCFN lands (built March 2025) for emergency evacuation. Lake Athabasca drains via the Slave River into Great Slave Lake and the Mackenzie River to the Arctic Ocean, so it is far above tidal influence and classed inland-river.