Pioneer Threshermans Association was established in 1962 to preserve and maintain our pioneer heritage.

The High Prairie region was historically under water, a part of Lesser Slave Lake. When the water receded, fertile land, fed by many small streams was left behind. The Cree Indians named the district “Muskatayospi”, which means “Prairie River”, after the two main streams in the area, the West Prairie and East Prairie Rivers.

The Klondike Gold Rush in 1897-98 brought a large influx of white people through Grouard, which was then the gateway to the north.

The opening of Northern Alberta to homesteaders followed the historical water routes from Edmonton, through Athabasca Landing to Lesser Slave Lake and then going north on the old Grouard Trail. World War II further opened the road system with the building of the Alaskan Highway (which goes past Triangle).

The railroad played an important role to opening the area to settlers. The steam engine was the muscle machine of the era. Not only powering trains, steam engines were used to saw logs for lumber and powered the plows that broke the land for crops.

High Prairie can attribute its humble beginnings to settlers who came here in pursuit of cheap, fertile land. The first settlers arrived here around the turn of the century.

High Prairie’s real development began as a result of the railroad. Partly due to a mix-up in water samples, the railroad was rerouted, by-passing the thriving town of Grouard and ended up going through High Prairie towards Winagami Lake. Within a year of this development, many of the businesses in Grouard left and relocated in High Prairie. An influx of people followed and the hamlet began to grow. A school district was formed in 1908, and the first school was named Prairie River.