1996 - Establishing Graves Wildlife Sanctuary

The Graves Wildlife Sanctuary is an important place to encourage biodiversity. It is also highly valued by local residents as both an area of preservation and observation for many native species of wildlife. A recurring observation by visitors to this area is the abundance of mosquitoes which indicates a health ecosystem.

The Graves Wildlife Sanctuary lands were purchased by the ratepayers of the Summer Village of Argentia Beach and donated to the Argentia Beach Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Society in 1996, in order to protect the lands from future development and prevent damage to the health of Pigeon Lake. The land and the trail, were named after the Graves family, who have been a part of the area since Leonard Graves first purchased the land in 1913. For over 125 years, this property was managed as a dairy farm and utilized for logging to provide wood to local mills operating around Pigeon Lake.

The Sanctuary trail system was developed in 2017, with a grant of $115,000 from the federal government, split 50/50 between Trans Canada Trial and Alberta TrailNet. Approximately $27,000 was awarded by the County of Wetaskiwin as well to provide an additional section of the trail to create a loop system in the Argentia Beach portion of the trail. The Sanctuary, is now recognized as forming part of the Great Trail national system of trails in Canada.

The PLWA has an excellent Nature Species count document which can be downloaded HERE to use for visitors to Graves Wildlife Sanctuary.