Fort St. James National Historic Site

Beautiful sunny morning on August 17, 1998 as I drove out to the BC Parks Fort St. James National Historic Site. Very fine display with costumed "guides" in several of the buildings that related relevant history. Very enjoyable, particularly since I got there before the bus tours started to arrive.

In 1805 and 1806, the North West Company constructed the first two permanent fur trade posts west of the Rocky Mountains. The second, Fort St. James, became the centre of the northern fur trade district, known as New Caledonia.

Although today it is restored to a single year in time, 1896, the story you hear spans about one hundred and forty six years, starting with the arrival of the fur traders and ending in 1952, when the Hudson‘s Bay Company closed shop on the original site.

The years of early contacts and the decades of trade between Carrier and the Euro-Canadian newcomers were an era of important changes and adjustments. As you wander among the historic buildings, you discover that each of them is a cultural treasure. You meet and talk to site interpretive staff in period costume.

Fort St James is a place of many stories, and the array of events and experiences have had different meanings and implications for different people.

Fort St. James Brochure (PDF). More Fort St. James Information.

1. General Warehouse and Fur Store (1888-1889) - The warehouse sheltered or accommodated the trade goods for Fort St. James and the surrounding outposts. Furs were stored in this building where they were baled for their journey to Victoria. The warehouse is one of the finest surviving examples of a Red River frame fur trade building in Canada.

2. Fish Cache (1889) - Dried salmon and bacon were stored here for company employees and the Carrier people. An adaptation of the traditional Carrier fish cache, the building is raised by four corner elevated posts to deter predators.

3. Men's House (1884) - The men's house was a residence for company employees, pack train hands, boat crews and visitors. The building also served as an early schoolhouse and as a private residence in the 1930s and 1940s.

4. Trade Store (1884) - This was the commercial centre of the post where furs were traded for many goods displayed inside. The building also served as the first post office in the area until fire destroyed it in 1919. The building that stands today is an authentic reconstruction to the 1896 period.

5. Officer’s Dwelling House [Murray House] (1883-1884) - This house was the residence for the factor in charge of the post. Although it underwent many changes over the years, it has been restored to the period of A.C. Murray’s occupancy in 1896.

6. Play House

7. Commemoration Café - Enjoy a delicious meal at the Commemoration Café, while feasting your eyes on one of the most spectacular lake views in British Columbia.