Fort Fraser, British Columbia facts for kids
Fort Fraser is a small village in British Columbia, Canada. About 500 people live there. It's located near Fraser Lake and the Nechako River, close to the middle of British Columbia. You can find it about 44 kilometers (27 miles) west of Vanderhoof on the Yellowhead Highway.
Fort Fraser is one of the oldest places in British Columbia that was settled by Europeans. It was started in 1806 by an explorer named Simon Fraser. He set up a North West Company post for trading furs. This area was also the first place in British Columbia where non-First Nations people started farming.
The original fort was about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) west, in Beaumont Provincial Park. In 1911, the fort moved to Nadleh Village, and then it closed in 1915. The village you see today is where the last spike of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was hammered in on April 7, 1914. Today, Fort Fraser is a busy community. People work in forestry (cutting down trees) and tourism (helping visitors).
Contents
Getting Around Fort Fraser
You can reach Fort Fraser by train! Via Rail's Jasper–Prince Rupert train stops at the Fort Fraser station. This train journey connects places like Jasper and Prince Rupert.
Fun Events in Fort Fraser
Fort Fraser hosts a very old and popular event called the Fort Fraser Fall Fair. It's one of the oldest agricultural fairs in British Columbia! This fair has happened every year since 1928. It takes place on the Labour Day weekend in September. It's a great chance to see local farming and community spirit.
What You Can Find in Fort Fraser
Fort Fraser has several useful places for its residents and visitors:
- Three churches: the United Church of Canada, the Apostolic Lutheran Church (started in 1928), and the Church of the Nazarene.
- A gas station where you can also buy groceries.
- An automotive repair garage for car fixes and tire sales.
- A community hall for local gatherings and events.
- A Post-office for sending and receiving mail.
- A motel for people visiting the area.
- A laundromat for washing clothes.
- A visitor information centre to help tourists find their way around.
Fort Fraser's Weather
Fort Fraser experiences a range of weather throughout the year. Here's a quick look at the climate data:
| Climate data for Fort Fraser | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 12.0 (53.6) |
14.5 (58.1) |
19.0 (66.2) |
28.9 (84.0) |
35.5 (95.9) |
32.0 (89.6) |
33.5 (92.3) |
35.5 (95.9) |
34.0 (93.2) |
26.0 (78.8) |
17.0 (62.6) |
14.0 (57.2) |
35.5 (95.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −4.1 (24.6) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
6.1 (43.0) |
11.5 (52.7) |
16.9 (62.4) |
19.9 (67.8) |
22.4 (72.3) |
22.5 (72.5) |
17.4 (63.3) |
10.0 (50.0) |
0.3 (32.5) |
−4.5 (23.9) |
9.8 (49.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −9.0 (15.8) |
−6.2 (20.8) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
3.9 (39.0) |
8.9 (48.0) |
12.2 (54.0) |
14.5 (58.1) |
14.2 (57.6) |
9.8 (49.6) |
4.0 (39.2) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
−9.1 (15.6) |
3.2 (37.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −13.9 (7.0) |
−12.1 (10.2) |
−7.4 (18.7) |
−3.6 (25.5) |
0.9 (33.6) |
4.5 (40.1) |
6.5 (43.7) |
5.8 (42.4) |
2.1 (35.8) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
−8.3 (17.1) |
−13.6 (7.5) |
−3.4 (25.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −45.5 (−49.9) |
−43.0 (−45.4) |
−38.3 (−36.9) |
−16.0 (3.2) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−9.0 (15.8) |
−29.0 (−20.2) |
−44.5 (−48.1) |
−45.5 (−49.9) |
−45.5 (−49.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 46.5 (1.83) |
30.0 (1.18) |
20.9 (0.82) |
26.8 (1.06) |
42.2 (1.66) |
66.7 (2.63) |
62.3 (2.45) |
43.4 (1.71) |
44.8 (1.76) |
46.0 (1.81) |
51.7 (2.04) |
44.5 (1.75) |
525.8 (20.70) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 5.3 (0.21) |
5.9 (0.23) |
5.2 (0.20) |
19.3 (0.76) |
41.3 (1.63) |
66.7 (2.63) |
62.3 (2.45) |
43.4 (1.71) |
44.3 (1.74) |
36.4 (1.43) |
14.2 (0.56) |
2.7 (0.11) |
346.8 (13.65) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 41.2 (16.2) |
24.1 (9.5) |
15.8 (6.2) |
7.5 (3.0) |
0.9 (0.4) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.5 (0.2) |
9.6 (3.8) |
37.5 (14.8) |
41.8 (16.5) |
178.9 (70.4) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 11.9 | 9.3 | 7.5 | 10.4 | 13.5 | 14.5 | 13.5 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 13.5 | 14.0 | 10.6 | 143.0 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 2.2 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 7.7 | 13.2 | 14.5 | 13.5 | 12.2 | 12.1 | 11.9 | 4.7 | 1.4 | 98.9 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 10.3 | 7.4 | 5.3 | 3.8 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 2.9 | 11.1 | 10.1 | 51.5 |
Nearby Places to Explore
If you're in Fort Fraser, here are some other communities you can visit along Highway 16:
West on Highway 16
- Fraser Lake - 21 km (13 miles) away
- Burns Lake - 90 km (56 miles) away
- Topley - 141 km (88 miles) away
- Smithers - 234 km (145 miles) away
- Terrace - 437 km (272 miles) away
- Prince Rupert - 581 km (361 miles) away
East on Highway 16
- Vanderhoof - 38 km (24 miles) away
- Fort St. James - 84 km (52 miles) away
- Prince George - 134 km (83 miles) away
