Fort Normandeau facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Normandeau |
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Fort Normandeau replica constructed in 1973
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| Location | Red Deer County, Alberta, Canada |
| Built | 1885 (used until 1893) |
Imagine a place where a whole city began! That's Fort Normandeau, a super important historical spot in Alberta, Canada. It's known as the 'birthplace' of the city of Red Deer.
Back in 1885, during a time called the North-West Rebellion, soldiers from the 65th Battalion, Mount Royal Rifles used this fort. It sits right by the Red Deer River, at a place called Red Deer Crossing.
Today, you can visit a cool replica of Fort Normandeau. It's about 5 kilometers (3 miles) west of Red Deer city. The real, original fort was actually a little bit closer, about half a kilometer away, on land now owned by Border Paving.
History of the Crossing
This special river crossing was used for a very long time. First, animals like buffalo, deer, and elk crossed the river here. Later, First Nations people followed the migrating buffalo across this same spot.
After that, fur traders and early settlers also used this important crossing. It was a busy place for travel and trade!
How Red Deer Grew
In the early 1890s, the Calgary and Edmonton Railway (C&E) planned to build their train tracks near the original fort. But a man named Leonard Gaetz had a different idea. He offered half of his own land to the C&E company.
His offer was for the railway to run through what is now downtown Red Deer. This was a smart move! The city of Red Deer grew up quickly around this new train station. As of 2023, Red Deer has about 105,000 people.
The Fort's Later Years
The North-West Mounted Police used the crossing and the fort until 1893. After that, the fort was no longer needed and was abandoned.
Sometime after it was abandoned, the original fort building was taken down. The replica of Fort Normandeau was built and moved to its current site in 1974.
The City of Red Deer bought the fort and the land around it in 1983. They worked hard to fix it up and built a special visitor center. The park officially opened to the public in 1986.
