Embarras, Alberta

'Embarrass' is French for 'barrier', probably in reference to the piles of driftwood that often clog the shallow, winding river.

[1] Embarras was founded in 1913 by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTP) when that company built the Alberta Coal Branch line south from Edson on the Edmonton-Prince Rupert mainline.

Coal mines were opened by GTP subsidiaries at Mercoal, Cadomin and Mountain Park.

[2] Embarras, along with other sidings on the Coal Branch Line such as McLeod River, Erith, Weald, and Oke were all ghost towns by the 1960s with the decline in coal mining as railways converted to diesel locomotives.

There are no permanent residents but the site is still popular with users who can access the multitude of recreational activities in the area.