The Smoky River Region

Your Place to LIVE

Map of Alberta highlighting the Slave Lake Forest region, with an inset showing local roads and driving distances.

The Region at a Glance

The Smoky River Region is the place rural living, opportunity, and community come together in northwestern Alberta. 


The region is defined by true community. Falher, Donnelly, Girouxville, McLennan and the surrounding Municipal District (MD) of Smoky River is connected by shared services, shared priorities, and a strong sense of regional identity.


People choose the Smoky River Region for the cost of living, the bilingual french culture, the big Alberta sky, and the family friendly pace. They stay because life here offers space to build a future, supported by affordable homes, safe neighbourhoods, and a pace that leaves room for living.


The Smoky River Region has taken control of its own future by creating an Economic Development Plan to guide its direction. This is a region that is proud of where it comes from and serious about where it is going. 

Why People Choose the Smoky River Region

Black-and-white line drawing of a tractor facing left, featuring a large rear wheel and smaller front wheel.

Agricultural Opportunity

Fertile land, long growing seasons, and a strong agricultural sector create real opportunities to build a livelihood and grow within a productive community.

A simple black-and-white icon of a sun with a central circle and radiating lines.

More Sunlight, More Sky

Long summer days, bright skies, and northern landscapes shape a lifestyle with more time, more space, and a stronger connection to the outdoors.

A black line icon featuring five stylized figures arranged in a pyramid formation, representing a group or team.

A Region Working Together

A shared economic vision, strong local relationships, and regional collaboration create a place that is organized, supportive, and ready for what comes next.

Three green John Deere combine harvesters driving through a golden wheat field under a clear blue sky.

500,000+ Acres

of Productive Farmland

3.75 Million Pounds

of honey produced each year

A beekeeper in a protective suit points at a bee-covered frame while inspecting a hive outdoors.

3.75 Million

Pounds of of honey

produced each year

A beekeeper in a protective suit points at a bee-covered frame while inspecting a hive outdoors.
Three green John Deere combine harvesters driving through a golden wheat field under a clear blue sky.

50% of the

Housing Cost

Compared to other

major Alberta cities

Economy & Key Industries

The Smoky River Region is taking its future into its own hands. Communities and leaders in the region have long been collaborating and planning to bring our region into the future with a strong vision and direction.

Our economy is grounded in agriculture and agribusiness. Backed by trades, construction, transportation, retail, and the local services that keep the region moving. 


Opportunity in the Smoky River is achievable. We are significantly more affordable than major centres. Overhead is lower, space and capacity are available, and growth can be measured. For entrepreneurs and investors, that means a place where investing your time and money makes sense. 


We are a region that is actively building what comes next.

A beekeeper in a protective suit tends to a row of white beehives in a vast, grassy field under a cloudy sky.
A pair of black quotation marks.

“Being able to live in a region where we can raise our kids, grow a business, and develop lasting relationships - all while living affordably - has been so refreshing compared to larger centres where we've lived before.”

- Nichole Simard, Director of Operations

Simard Butcher Co, Falher, AB

People play cards around a table in a community room with billiard tables in the background.

Culture & Community

The Smoky River Region is proudly French-English bilingual, and that identity shows up in everyday life. You hear it in conversation, see it reflected in schools and community spaces, and feel it in traditions that have been carried forward for generations. Culture here is not a performance. It is part of how people connect, welcome others, and take pride in where they live.


Community life is active and personal. People coach, volunteer on boards, organize local events, and make time for the kinds of gatherings that turn neighbours into friends.


This mix of bilingual heritage and community spirit gives the region a character that feels both rooted and open. It is welcoming, confident, and easy to step into.

Visit the Smoky River Region

Whether you come to explore or you come to stay, the Smoky River Region has a way of making the next step feel possible.