One of the largest living history attractions in North America, Fort William offers a vivid image of the fur trade life. Re-enactment of the old days was our main reason we chose to visit the fort, as we very much enjoyed the cheerful animators from Fortress of Louisbourg, Nova Scotia. Although the park staff was very limited after the big lockdown from the beginning of the year, we considered lucky to be able to visit it, as the park re-opened mid-summer.
The story of the North West Company and its rendezvous place at Fort William covers but a brief span of history. Between the American Revolution (1776-1783), the war of 1812, and later the Pemmican War, then until its own absorption by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1821, the North West Company exercised a virtual monopoly of all trade into the northwest directed from Montreal. As the company’s inland headquarters, Fort William became the pivotal point in a vast fur trading empire, in a peaceful time before the several changes of what will later become Canada, such as 1869 when Hudson Bay Company turned over the governance to the new nation of Canada who decided the future of the North West territories. Anyway, Fort William remains an eloquent proof of peaceful trading times, frozen in time at the height of the fur trade in North America, as it was in 1816.
Hope you will enjoy the little movie, and the cheerful animators of Fort William!
Tip(s) of the day:
- Ask as many questions as you want, all the staff looks knowledgeable, and willing to take extra time to answer all your questions;
- Wear comfortable shoes and clothing, as the site is quite big, and not much shade between the buildings;
- Take water and sunscreen with you, especially during the summer months;
- Admission was $5.00 as of August 2021, for hours of operation and more info you can read here.
~ visited in August 2021
1000 Places and Memories 