Fort Chipewyan is a great place to live! It is a fly-in community that can only be accessed by plane or boat for most of the year, but for a few months in the winter, ice roads grant access to either Fort McMurray or to Fort Smith.
Wood Buffalo Seasonal Road Updates
Fort Smith Road Conditions Fort McMurray Road Conditions
All new Parkland School Division employees are asked to complete and submit the forms on our New Employees page, as well as additional confidential documents that will be supplied by a Human Resources representative.
Once you have completed and submitted all the proper paperwork, you will be granted access (within 72 hours) to your employee email, The Compass intranet site and Employee Self Service.
Long term parking at reasonable prices is available at Hi-Way 69 RV Storage, which is located a short distance away from the Fort McMurray airport.
McMurray Aviation offers regularly scheduled flights to and from Fort McMurray and Fort Chipewyan. Northwestern Air Lease flies to and from Fort Chipewyan and other locations in Alberta and the Northwest Territories, including the Edmonton International Airport.
Both Fort Chip Marine Transport (780-792-9209) and APE Maintenance (780-743-4263) offer barge shipping services for vehicles and other items to and from Fort Chipewyan.
Please note: Most ADCS staff wait for the ice roads to open and then drive a 4x4 vehicle in or out depending on their circumstances. However, if you have a lot of items to ship, a barge service can be a great way to send them before you arrive by plane.
Most ADCS staff use cell phones exclusively. Be aware that some carriers do not service the Fort Chipewyan area, so check with yours before moving.
Telus will be able install a landline if provided with your house number / address.
Arrow Technology Group regularly services the Fort Chipewyan area, usually flying into the community every two weeks in summer. Prospective customers can contact them at 1-877-701-4050 to inquire about their plans and upcoming service dates.
Xplornet typically visits the Fort Chipewyan area when the ice road is open. They provide satellite internet service and can be reached at 1-877-605-3106.
Shaw, Bell and Telus all service the Fort Chipewyan area.
The following local businesses supply groceries.
You can purchase and fly over food from the following suppliers (freight charges apply):
"I had about 17 blue bins and shipped them in through APE, and it was logistically doable. When I first arrived in Fort Chipewyan, it was nice to unpack my printer, clothes, winter gear and all bulky heavy shipping items. Shipping my 17 bins before arriving allowed me to fill a couple more bins of fresh food and frozen food that I brought with me on my flight over.
"I travelled on the road to Smith once and to McMurray several times. I always went in a 4x4 vehicle and always enjoyed getting a trip out of Chip to stock up on supplies. It is just nice to get a weekend or day trip out for fun!
"Of course, you will learn as you go, but having a system is always great to ensure a smooth transition and a relatively easy move. We all have our comforts that we must have, would like, do not really need. For myself, I must have a Keurig, printer, desktop, second monitor for laptop, books, winter boots, etc."
- ADCS Teacher