Photo: Shogged · CC BY-SA 4.0Step out of Opportunity No. 17 into Calling Lake Provincial Park
Within 5 km lie 57 beaches, unnamed on the map. For a national park, Wood Buffalo National Park is 76 km away. Within 10 km are 7 protected areas.
What sets Opportunity No. 17 apart outdoors
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
What Opportunity No. 17 has most to offer outdoors is a provincial park at its edge, with its beaches close behind.
Opportunity No. 17 beside other Canadian towns, figure by figure
Each figure against the 2,611 Canadian towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500+ (not city hubs or reserves), with the town marked and the typical one’s line. Outdoors isn’t one of Canada’s graded subjects, so there’s no letter here: each figure is set against other Canadian towns instead.
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Among 40 towns its size, Opportunity No. 17 ranks 18th for protected land within 10 km
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (3,545 to 3,639 residents), by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected. Hover for each one’s figures; click for its page.
For public protected areas, Opportunity No. 17 sits near the top of its size group: 18 of 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pemberton BC | 41% | 34% | 12 | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | Colebrook BC | 28% | 14% | 145 | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | Electoral Area D (Rural Grand Forks), Kootenay Boundary BC | 17% | 21% | 13 | 0 | 39 |
| 4 | Timiskaming, Unorganized, West Part ON | 12% | 12% | 58 | 1 | 15 |
| 5 | Fessenden ON | 7.3% | 0% | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| 6 | Collectivité Nouvelle QC | 6.5% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Zone Aéroportuaire QC | 6.5% | 0.4% | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Guybourg QC | 6.4% | 0% | 27 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Burkholme ON | 4.4% | 0% | 19 | 1 | 2 |
| 10 | Lac du Bonnet MB | 4.2% | 0.5% | 11 | 1 | 3 |
| 11 | Des Vallées QC | 3.9% | 0% | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Prince Albert No. 461 SK | 3.8% | 3.8% | 39 | 0 | 13 |
| 13 | Quinndale ON | 2.9% | 0% | 16 | 3 | 0 |
| 14 | Ramsay AB | 2.4% | 0% | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| 15 | Horton ON | 2.1% | 0% | 20 | 0 | 4 |
| 16 | Hudson AB | 2.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Buckland No. 491 SK | 2% | 2.2% | 24 | 0 | 8 |
| 18 | Opportunity No. 17 AB | 2% | 0.3% | 7 | 0 | 57 |
| 19 | Victoria Park ON | 1.8% | 0% | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Kingston NB | 1.7% | 0.8% | 31 | 3 | 52 |
| 21 | Thorncliff AB | 1.6% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | McMillan MB | 1.5% | 0% | 24 | 3 | 0 |
| 23 | Melancthon ON | 1.3% | 0% | 21 | 2 | 2 |
| 24 | WestLake-Gladstone MB | 1.3% | 1.2% | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Saint-Alphonse-de-Granby QC | 1.2% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Glendale MB | 1.2% | 1.5% | 10 | 1 | 37 |
| 27 | South Tuxedo MB | 1.2% | 50% | 23 | 0 | 19 |
| 28 | Rapperswill AB | 1.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Saint-Alphonse-Rodriguez QC | 0.9% | 0% | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| 30 | Lawson Heights Urban Centre SK | 0.7% | 0% | 10 | 1 | 2 |
| 31 | Mactaggart AB | 0.7% | 0.9% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Two Hills County No. 21 AB | 0.5% | 0.6% | 53 | 0 | 4 |
| 33 | Eaglemere MB | 0.5% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | East Elmwood MB | 0.5% | 0% | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Dunham QC | 0.4% | 0.3% | 24 | 0 | 2 |
| 36 | Saint-Isidore QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Ste. Anne MB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Morris MB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Carman MB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Beausejour MB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Where the green is in Opportunity No. 17
The town’s parks, woods, protected land and paths as mapped.
Most of Opportunity No. 17 is more than a short walk from a park
Residents of each 2021 dissemination area, at a point inside it, within 400 m (about a 5-minute walk) of a park or playing field mapped on OpenStreetMap.
A median Canadian town manages 83%. That leaves about 3,600 people more than a short walk away.
Within 10 km of Opportunity No. 17, 2% is protected land
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
None of the 7 is private. Birch River Wildland Provincial Park is the biggest, 332,290 ha.
Source: Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD) 2.9.0, Environment and Climate Change Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
The nearest big park: Wood Buffalo National Park, 76 km away
National parks (Parks Canada) and provincial or territorial parks by direction and distance from the town’s edge: every one within 10 km, and the nearest of each within 100 km.
Birch Mountains Wildland Provincial Park
Grand Rapids Wildland Provincial Park
Otter-Orloff Lakes Wildland Provincial Park
Calling Lake Provincial Park
La Biche River Wildland Provincial Park
Birch River Wildland Provincial Park
6 provincial parks lie within 10 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Opportunity No. 17 has 10 km of footpaths in and around it
OpenStreetMap footpaths, paths, bridleways and steps, and tracks open on foot, in the town and 1 km around it; woods as mapped (landuse=forest, natural=wood).
Footpaths · km per km²
It has fewer paths per km² than 100% of Canadian towns.
Source: OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Mapping varies by place: a dense figure can mean keen local mappers as much as many paths.
No mapped walking route near Opportunity No. 17
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
There is no mapped walking route within 2 km of the town; a local trail club’s maps may show more.
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
Get out in Opportunity No. 17 in May, August and September
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s 1991–2020 normals from Slave Lake (97 km), and daylight at the town’s latitude. Good months: 12½+ hours of daylight, highs of 15–30 °C, little rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 7.6 | 9.5 | 11.6 | 14.1 | 16.3 | 17.6 | 17.0 | 15.1 | 12.6 | 10.3 | 8.1 | 7.0 |
| High (°C) | -8 | -5 | 1 | 9 | 16 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 16 | 8 | -1 | -7 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 19 | 13 | 13 | 23 | 41 | 75 | 77 | 56 | 42 | 27 | 19 | 16 |
July is the warmest month, with highs around 22 °C; January the coldest, at -8 °C. The wettest month is the warmest, July (77 mm); March has 13 mm. The climate in Opportunity No. 17 →
57 unnamed beaches near Opportunity No. 17
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Canada publishes no open register of beach water tests; the local public health unit posts swimming advisories.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Opportunity No. 17 has a viewpoint within 2 km
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
Most numerous: campsites (4).
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 1
Plus 1 viewpoint without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 1
Nature reserves 3
Playgrounds 2
Plus 2 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Campsites 4
Slipways 1
Plus 1 slipway without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next to Opportunity No. 17
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page. Distances here run 91–157 km: that is how far the nearest places with figures are from Opportunity No. 17.
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opportunity No. 17 | 2% | 7 | 0 | 57 |
| Lesser Slave River No. 124 91 km | 2.4% | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| Slave Lake 98 km | 2.1% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Athabasca 146 km | 0.4% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Big Lakes County 154 km | 1.8% | 20 | 0 | 12 |
| Athabasca County 157 km | 2.4% | 35 | 0 | 1 |
Opportunity No. 17 is not outdone two to one on protected land by any neighbour.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Private land. Private conservation land is in the totals, not the lists. Many such areas are easements on working farms or woodlots.
- Protected land. Protected here means in CPCAD, Canada’s official list: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and other conserved land, measured within 10 km of the town’s edge.
- Walking routes. The list is OpenStreetMap’s, so a missing trail may just be unmapped. The Trans Canada Trail appears where OSM maps it.
- National and provincial parks. A park at 0 km touches or overlaps the town’s outline; directions point from the town’s centre.
- Beaches. The count includes unnamed stretches mapped as beach, which can make a lakeside town’s figure large.
Questions about the outdoors in Opportunity No. 17
Which is the biggest protected area near Opportunity No. 17?
Birch River Wildland Provincial Park, a provincial park of 332,290 ha.
Is there a beach near Opportunity No. 17?
There are beaches within 5 km, none of them named.
Are there protected areas near Opportunity No. 17?
Within 10 km, 2% of the land lies in protected areas.
What is the nearest provincial park to Opportunity No. 17?
Calling Lake Provincial Park, which reaches the edge of town.
When is the best time for walking in Opportunity No. 17?
May, August and September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
Is Opportunity No. 17 near a national park?
It is Wood Buffalo National Park, 76 km off.
The sources behind Opportunity No. 17’s outdoors figures
Protected areas: Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD) 2.9.0, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 2026: every area within 10 km and the nearest national and provincial parks, measured outline to outline.
Walking routes and beaches: OpenStreetMap, November 2026: named hiking, foot and walking route relations within 2 km and beaches within 5 km.
Towns: Statistics Canada 2021 Census boundaries and populations; the comparison is the Canadian towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500+, not city hubs or reserves.
When to go: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020, from the nearest station that publishes them.
Green space, paths, woods, things to do: OpenStreetMap (Geofabrik’s Canada extract), November 2026: parks, gardens, playing fields, woods, footpaths, the coastline and things to do in and around each town.
Residents: Statistics Canada 2021 Census dissemination areas (population, boundaries), each at a point inside it.
Walking routes and beaches © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database Licence (ODbL).
Not on this page: trailheads and trail grades, and beach water quality. No open Canadian dataset gives these for every town yet.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).