Bear Lake (Fort Connelly) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bear Lake
Bear Lake Location in British Columbia
Country	Canada
Province	BC/BCE

This article is about the community north of Fort Babine. For the other community in British Columbia north of Prince George, see Bear Lake, British Columbia. For other uses, see Bear Lake (disambiguation).

Bear Lake, once known as Fort Connelly, is a small community in the northern part of British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the northeast side of a lake with the same name, Bear Lake. This area is found in the northwestern part of the Omineca Country. The Takla Lake First Nation also has a reserve, Bear Lake Indian Reserve No. 4, in this same location.

History of Bear Lake

The history of Bear Lake goes back to the time of the fur trade in Canada.

The Fur Trade Post

In 1826, a trading post called Fort Connelly was started here. It was founded by James Douglas for the Hudson's Bay Company. This company was very important for trading furs across Canada. The fort was named after William Connolly, who was James Douglas's father-in-law.

Fort Connelly was one of several posts built to expand the fur trade. The goal was to stop furs from being traded directly to American traders on the coast. These American traders often paid high prices for furs.

Naming the Area

The Connelly Range, a mountain range in the same area, was named after this fort. Today, nothing remains of the original fort. However, its name lives on through the community.

The community was officially named "Bear Lake (Fort Connelly)" on April 23, 1940. Later, on November 2, 1964, its name was simplified to "Bear Lake (Settlement)". Now, it is simply known as "Bear Lake (Community)".