Its name is derived from the area's topography (and the former Lakeland County).

The district's largest communities are Bonnyville, St. Paul, and the Alberta part of Lloydminster.

The district was created in 1996 from the Beaver River and Vegreville ridings.

The riding was re-created in 2013 from these same districts (Athabasca having been renamed to Fort McMurray—Athabasca) with a new set of boundaries, no longer including the northerly communities of Lac La Biche and Cold Lake, but extending further west to the towns of Athabasca and Waskatenau.

[3] This riding has elected the following members of the House of Commons of Canada: In addition, Senator Martha Bielish designated "Lakeland" as her Senate division, representing the area as a Progressive Conservative from 1979 to 1990.