The Pembina River is a tributary of the Athabasca River in central Alberta, Canada. "Pembina" is an Indigenous word "Pimbina" (Cree) for the high bush cranberry or summerberry[1] (Viburnum trilobum). The river gives the name to the Pembina oil field, an oil- and gas-producing region centered on Drayton Valley. The environmentalist group Pembina Institute also took its name from the river.
The Pembina River originates in the Canadian Rockies foothills, west of Pembina Forks, at the base of Redcap Mountain. It flows eastwards for 547km (340miles) before it merges with the Athabasca River 64km (40miles) west of the town of Athabasca, and has a drainage area of 12900km2.[2] Water originating in the Pembina River goes through numerous merges until reaching the Mackenzie River, discharging into the Arctic Ocean.
Communities along the Pembina River include Westlock, Sangudo, Entwistle and Evansburg. Pembina River Provincial Park is along the gorges of the river between Evansburg and Entwistle. Another protected area along the river is the Pembina River Natural Area, 20km (10miles) northeast of Cherhill in aspen parkland.[3]
Numerous small lakes such as Brock Lake, Oldman Lake, Majeau Lake, Lac La Nonne, George Lake, Armstrong Lake, Shoal Lake, Steele Lake, Cross Lake are also located within the river's basin.
from Cree ni:pimina:na, plural. “Summerberry” “Cranberry”
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