Fort de l'Isle facts for kids

Fort de l'Isle is a historic spot in Alberta, Canada. It's where the remains of three old fur trading posts can still be found. These posts were active from 1799 until sometime before 1808. They were built on an island in the North Saskatchewan River, not far from a town called Myrnam. You can even see part of the island from the Alberta Highway 881 bridge!

What Was Fort de l'Isle?

Fort de l'Isle was a place where different fur trading companies set up their posts. These companies were rivals, all wanting to trade with Indigenous peoples for animal furs. Furs were very valuable in Europe at the time.

The Fur Trading Companies

Two of the biggest companies were the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) and the North West Company (NWC). There was also a smaller group called the XY Company. These companies competed fiercely for furs.

In 1800, both the NWC and HBC decided to move their trading posts. They left their old locations and moved about 20 miles up the river. This new spot became Fort de l'Isle.

Building the Posts

Henry Hallett from the Hudson's Bay Company quickly built the main buildings for their post, which they called Island House. However, they had to wait until spring to build a strong fence (called a stockade). This was because they needed to float logs down the river when the ice melted.

Meanwhile, François Decoigne built another post for the North West Company. This one was called Fort de l'Isle and was located between the other two posts. John McDonald of Garth was in charge of the NWC post for its first two years.

A Conflict and a New Law

In 1802, something important happened at Fort de l'Isle. James King from the North West Company and Joseph-Maurice Lamothe from the XY Company both went to an Indigenous camp. They were there to collect furs that were owed to their companies.

The Dispute Over Furs

During their visit, King tried to take some furs that Lamothe believed belonged to the XY Company. They argued, and sadly, Lamothe shot King.

At this time, it wasn't clear how laws worked in the vast western lands of Canada. People wondered if Canadian courts had the power to deal with crimes committed so far from the main settlements.

The Canada Jurisdiction Act of 1803

Because of this incident, a new law was created in 1803. It was called the Canada Jurisdiction Act. This law made it clear that crimes committed in the West would be handled just like crimes in other parts of Canada. It also allowed the Governor of Lower Canada to appoint special judges, called justices of the peace, in the West. This was a big step in bringing law and order to the fur trade regions.

The End of Fort de l'Isle

After a few years, both the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company decided to move their posts again. They moved to new locations, either further upstream to Fort Edmonton or downstream to Paint Creek House/Fort Vermilion.

By 1808, the famous explorer David Thompson passed by the area. In his journal, he wrote that the forts were no longer there. This means Fort de l'Isle was abandoned sometime before 1808.

What Remains Today?

Today, you can still see some signs of the old posts. There are dips in the ground where cellars used to be, and piles of rocks that were once part of chimneys. In 1960, a special marker was put up to remember this historic site.

The island where Fort de l'Isle was located can only be reached by boat in summer or by snowshoes in winter. The river current is quite strong, so a powerful boat motor is needed to get there.