Alberta Forts

Canadian Forts

ALBERTA

Last Update: 12/AUGUST/2025

Kennedy's Post
(1880's), near Wild Horse
A (Canadian ?) civilian trade post located on the Milk River at the Montana border. Used as a patrol waystation by the NWMP in 1888.

Fort Pen d'Oreille
(1874 ? - 1880's ?), near Pakowki Lake
A NWMP post located on the north bank of the Milk River, south of Pakowki Lake. It consisted of a small log building, 16 x 14 x 9 feet, with a 40-foot square corral. Still in use by 1888.

Willow Creek Post (2)
(1888), near Elkwater
A NWMP patrol post located on Medicine Lodge Coulée (aka Willow Creek) south of town.

Bull's Head Post
(1888), near Elkwater
A NWMP patrol post consisting of six log huts and a garden, located at the head of Bull's Head Creek, about 40 kilometres south of Dunmore. Site located on Eagle Butte Road.

Medicine Hat Post
(1888), Medicine Hat FORT WIKI
A NWMP patrol post at Police Point. Site is marked on the Medicine Hat golf course.

Writing Stone Post
(Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park)
(1887 - 1918), near Milk River
A reconstructed NWMP outpost located within Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park. Public access to the site is restricted to guided tours only.

Milk River Ridge Post
(1888), near Milk River
A NWMP patrol post located on the Milk River below the forks, west of town.

Kipp's Coulée Post
(1888), near Raymond
A NWMP patrol post located on the Benton Trail, near the present-day Milk River Ridge Reservoir.

Robber's Roost
(1871), near Turin
An American traders' outpost of Conrad's Post, located on the Oldman River at the mouth of the Little Bow River. It was simply a one-room shack. A group of North Peigan Indians took over the post at gunpoint demanding all the whiskey. The trader took refuge and was later rescued by Howell Harris. The shack was later abandoned and burned down by Blackfoot Indians.
(thanks to John Dormaar for providing info and location)

Fort Whoop-Up (National Historic Site)
(1869 - 1887), Lethbridge FORT WIKI
A 1967 reconstruction (rebuilt in 1986) of an American civilian trade fort, originally called Fort Hamilton, originally located six km southwest of town at the forks of the St. Mary and Oldman Rivers. Operated by John Healy and Alfred Hamilton, they were illegal traders from Fort Benton, Montana, trading guns and whiskey to the Blackfoot Indians for buffalo hides and furs. Originally a collection of log huts, it burned down after six months (spring 1870) but was rebuilt 300 feet north as a sturdy log stockade, stacked horizontally, with two square bastions in opposite corners. The North West Mounted Police arrived in 1874 to drive out the notorious bootleggers, and offerred the owners of the fort a buyout but were turned down. After establishing Fort Macleod (2) the NWMP then rented quarters here as a subpost of the new fort. Dave Acres took over the fort in 1876 and lived here until his death in 1892. The fort burned in 1887, and was left in disrepair until it was essentially washed away by a spring flood in 1915. Reconstruction located at Indian Battle Park at 3rd Ave. South and Scenic Drive, the site of the last aboringinal battle in North America (Blackfoot vs. Cree in October 1870).

Lethbridge Posts
(1888 - 1946, 1892), Lethbridge FORT WIKI
A NWMP patrol post was located here in 1888. Located at Barracks Square, bounded by Stafford Drive, 6th Ave., 4th Ave., and 11th Street South. A marker is located next to the City Hall at 4th Ave. South. The former Mess Hall is the only remaining original structure, relocated to 1708 10th Ave. South, now in use by various civic organizations.

A Hudson's Bay Co. store was located here in 1892.

The Hudson's Bay Company purchased buildings and property in Lethbridge in 1891 from the American firm of I.G. Baker & Co., in order to set up a saleshop there. The property consisted of a store, warehouse, and other buildings that had been built in 1886-1887. By 1904 it was decided that the community of Lethbridge had developed sufficiently to warrant a new, larger HBC store. This new store was designed by Winnipeg architect John Woodman, and opened in December 1906. It was two stories high, with steam heat and electric light. In 1909-1910 a two-storey addition was added to the rear of the building. As a result of declining business during the Great Depression, the store in Lethbridge was closed in February 1931.

Pot Hole Post
(1888), near Magrath
A NWMP patrol post located on the Pot Hole River.

Lee's Creek Posts
(1888), Cardston
A NWMP patrol post located on Lee's Creek.

American trader W.H. Lee operated a trade post on Lee's Creek about 15 miles southwest of town, in or soon after 1872. His cabins were reported as ruins in 1885.

Abel Farwell's Post
(1870's), near Cardston ?
An American trade post on the St. Mary's River (undetermined exact location). A log cabin with a large stone fireplace was still evident in 1885 when the area was first settled by anglo whites.

St. Mary's Post (2)
(1888), near Aetna
A NWMP patrol post located on the east bank of the St. Mary's River, east of town.

Big Bend Post
(1888), near Hillspring
A NWMP patrol post located on the north bank of the Belly River, just west of Mami Creek and east of Buffalo Creek, along the southern boundary of the Blood Indian Reserve.

Kootenay Post (2)
(1888), near Hillspring
A NWMP patrol post on the Waterton River at Drywood Fork. Site now under the Waterton River Reservoir.

Fort Stand-Off
(1871 - 1874), Stand Off
An illegal American whiskey-trading post on the Belly River. Taken over by the NWMP in 1874 for a short period before it was destroyed.

Fort Slide-Out
(1873), near Fort Macleod
A short-lived illegal American whiskey-traders post on the Belly River, south of the old townsite of Pearce. Operated by Moses Solomon. Abandoned after an incident with Blood Indians.
(thanks to Dave Hull for providing location)

Conrad's Post
(1871 - 1872), near Coalhurst
An illegal American whiskey-trading post, located on the Oldman River about three miles downstream from Fort Kipp, near the present-day Route 509 bridge. The bottomland here was known as "Captain Jack's Bottom". Built by Charles Conrad and Howell Harris for I.G. Baker, it was a palisaded structure about 30 by 50 feet, with a stone fireplace. It burned down in the spring of 1872.
(thanks to John Dormaar for providing info)

Fort Kipp
(1870 - 1874, 1888), near Monarch
An illegal American whiskey-trading post, built by Joe Kipp and Charles Thomas. Located on the south side of the Oldman River, near the mouth of the Belly River. Taken over by the NWMP in 1874, a patrol station was later established here by 1888.

Willow Creek Posts (1)
(1870's,), near Fort Macleod
An American trade post located on Willow Creek, about one mile up from the Oldman River. Later burned down by Indians.

Another trade post was said to have been located further north at the head of Willow Creek (undetermined location).

Fort Warren
(1873 - 1874), near Fort Macleod
An American trade post operated by H.A. "Fred" Kanouse, located about two miles below the future site of the NWMP's Fort Macleod. Possibly also known as Kootenai Post (1). During a fight with a group of Kootenai Indians in the spring of 1874, the fort was destroyed by a powder explosion.

Fort Macleod (2) (National Historic Site)
(N.W.M.P. and First Nations Interpretive Centre)
(1874 - 1922), Fort Macleod FORT WIKI
A 2005 reconstruction of a North West Mounted Police post, originally located on the western end of Macleod Island in the Oldman River. Built in October 1874, this was the first official NWMP post established in the province, and was the first NWMP Headquarters until 1878. Due to major flooding in 1883, the post was rebuilt in 1884 on higher ground about 2.5 miles west of the original site. The post was relegated to a detachment status in 1919, and was closed in 1922. There are three original buildings extant from the second post (FORT WIKI), located at the NWMP Provincial Historic Site at 219 25th Street (Barracks Trail). See also History of the Town of Fort Macleod || Centennial Legacy Project from Town of Fort Macleod

The Hudson's Bay Company had a trade post here in 1887 - 1892.

A Hudson's Bay Company saleshop was opened at Fort Macleod in 1886 in order to compete with the firm of I.G. Baker & Co.. Fort Macleod was a North West Mounted Police establishment on the Old Man River in southwestern Alberta which had been established in 1874. A town soon developed around the fort, and the HBC saleshop served townspeople as well as local farmers. In 1887 the HBC was given a contract to supply beef to the North West Mounted Police at Fort Macleod and Lethbridge, and to this end a beef herd and butcher shop were established. This enterprise was not considered a success, however, and was abandoned in 1889.

A store was purchased at nearby Pincher Creek from Schofield & Hyde in 1887, and its business was supervised by the manager at Fort Macleod. Fort Macleod also managed an outpost at Upper Belly River. The HBC bought out I.G. Baker & Co. in Fort Macleod in 1891, and continued to expand their business. In 1897 a hardware business was added to the store, and a tinsmith was hired to manage it. A new store was constructed in 1906. From 1910 to 1919, Fort Macleod suffered poor returns as a result of bad crops and the influenza epidemic, and was therefore closed around 1921.

Peigan Reserve Post (2)
(1888), near Fort Macleod
A NWMP patrol post on Olson's Creek, along the northern boundary of the Peigan Indian Reserve.

Pincher Creek Posts
(1888 - 1913), Pincher Creek
A Hudson's Bay Co. store (HBC records cover 1890 - 1892).

A NWMP patrol post was located here at Indian Farm Creek in 1888.

American trader W.H. Lee operated a trade post (mid 1870's) at Pincher Creek sometime before the NWMP first arrived in 1875.

In 1887 the manager of the Hudson's Bay Company saleshop at Fort Macleod purchased a store in Pincher Creek from Schofield & Hyde, and opened an HBC saleshop there in May 1888. The saleshop mainly served local ranchers. In 1903 a new saleshop was built at Pincher Creek. However, the railway did not pass through Pincher Creek and the store suffered a decline in business as a result. In 1913 it was decided that Pincher Creek would be closed in January 1914. During the closing out sale in November 1913, the store was destroyed by fire. It was not rebuilt.

Oldman River Post
(1888), near Cowley
A NWMP patrol post at the forks of the Oldman River.

North Kootenay Pass Post
(1888), near Beaver Mines
A NWMP patrol post at the North Kootenay Pass.

Leavings Post
(1886 - 1903), near Claresholm
A NWMP patrol post located on Willow Creek, in rented quarters at the New Oxley Ranch. An 1884 barn is still extant.

William Bond's Fort
(1874 - 1875), near Nanton
An American trade post on Pine Coulée southwest of town. Shut down by the NWMP in February 1875.

Fort Spitzee
(1870 - 1874), near High River
An illegal American trading post located near the "Medicine Tree", adjacent to an often used ford on the Highwood River just west of town. It's founders were "wolvers", not whiskey traders. These men, the "Spitzee Cavalry", were involved in an altercation with the "Whoop-up Boys" in which they marched on Fort Whoop-up after a dispute. The owner of the fort had a cannon trained on the Spitzee men, threatening to blow them all up if they did not leave. They left. The fort (aka Spitzee Post) was abandoned by the "wolvers" just prior to the arrival of the North West Mounted Police. It was then commandeered by the NWMP and became a police outpost.
(thanks to Jim Stangowitz for providing correct location and additional info)

Stimson Post
(1888), near Longview
A NWMP patrol post located on the South Branch High(wood) River.

Miller's Ranch Post (1)
(1888), Okotoks
A NWMP patrol post on the Sheep River.

American trader Addison McPherson was operating a post on the Sheep River before 1874, and was still operating here for a time after the NWMP arrived in 1875.

Neil Campbell's Fort
(1874 - 1875), near Okotoks ?
An illegal American trade post located on the "Sheep Creek Bottom". The NWMP closed this post in February 1875. Campbell later died in 1876 near Fort Saskatchewan.

Berry and Shears' Fort
(1870's), near Dalemead
An illegal American trade post located at the confluence of the Bow and Highwood Rivers. Shut down by the NWMP in February 1875.

Bow River Post (4)
(1888), near Dalemead
A NWMP patrol post on the Bow River south of town.

Elbow River Post (1)
(1871 - 1874), Calgary
An American trade post located on the Elbow River about three or four miles from the Bow River. Built and operated by H.A. "Fred" Kanouse for Hamilton and Healy as a sub-post of Fort Whoop-Up. Abandoned shortly before the NWMP arrived in the area. American trader Dick Berry attempted to build his first post nearby in 1872, but was driven off by Indians before the first timber was laid.

Fort Calgary (National Historic Site)
(Fort Calgary Archaeological Site)
(1875 - 1914), Calgary FORT WIKI
A North West Mounted Police post on the Elbow River, originally named Fort Brisebois, built from August to December 1875. The post included men's quarters, a guard room, stables and storage facilities surrounded by a palisade of vertical logs. Most of the original fort was torn down in 1882 and replaced by newer structures to become the district headquarters. The old barracks were burned down in 1887 and replaced in 1888. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway bought the site in 1914 and demolished most of the remaining stuctures. The 40-acre (12-hectare) site, in the East Village area, became a park in 1975. The Deane House, built in 1906 for the Post Commander, located just across the Elbow River from the baracks, is the last remaining original building from the post. It is now a restaurant and dinner theatre. The Fort Barracks were reconstructed in 2001. Admission fee.

The Hudson's Bay Company established Elbow River Post (2) (1876/1885 - 1913) just upstream on the Elbow River, located at the present Exhibition Grounds (Stampede Park). See also History of the Calgary HBC Store from HBC Heritage

John Bunn established a temporary post for the Hudson's Bay Company on the Bow River in 1874. In the fall of 1875, he moved the post forty miles up the river, across from the North West Mounted Police fort that was located at the junction of the Swift (Elbow) and Bow Rivers. The settlement that developed around the NWMP fort and the HBC post was named Calgary by Colonel Macleod of the NWMP, after his old estate on the Isle of Mull in Scotland. The HBC post, known initially as Bow River Post (3), supplied Aboriginal people of the area with various goods, such as muskets, blankets, blanket capotes, tobacco, knives, and food supplies. From 1883 to 1885 Calgary was temporarily headquarters of the Edmonton District.

With the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1884, the HBC began constructing a saleshop in Calgary. A new two-storey building was constructed in 1891 on the corner of Centre Street and Eighth Avenue. That same year, the HBC purchased all Alberta interests of I.G. Baker & Company, an American firm that traded in Alberta, including their Calgary operations. By 1911 fur trade business in Calgary was declining, and the HBC concentrated primarily on retail store development. A new department store was opened on Seventh Avenue and First Street in 1913. It was six storeys high, and was the first of the company's stores built on modern lines.

The Bay, Downtown Calgary, located on the corner of the intersection between 7th Avenue South West and 1st Street Southwest, was opened on August 18, 1913. This store was built to replace the existing store that was built in 1891 on the northwest corner of 8th Avenue South West (also called Stephen Street) and Centre Street. The new building was designed by architects Burke, Horwood & White of Toronto. The building contractor was Carter, Halls & Aldinger and the steel contractor was the Dominion Bridge Company, both from Winnipeg. The opening of the new building was attended by many dignitaries from the Alberta Government, including the mayor of Calgary, Herbert Arthur Sinnott, and Lieutenant-Governor George Hedley Vicars Bulyea. Various representatives from the Hudson's Bay Company were also present including the store manager, J.M. Baker, and HBC director, John Coles. Standing six storeys tall, the downtown Calgary HBC store was the largest building in Calgary at this time.

In the early 20th century, HBC was starting to shift its focus from the fur trade to the retail business. As a result, the Calgary store was one of the first HBC stores to implement modern retail practices in terms of customer service and the layout of the store. Throughout the mid-twentieth century, the downtown Calgary HBC store expanded numerous times. In 1929 the store expanded south all the way to 8th Avenue South West. Another expansion took place in 1955 which brought the store to its present size. In 1957 a parkade was added and then expanded in 1961. In 1965 HBC rebranded its department stores, including the downtown Calgary store, as "The Bay." The downtown Calgary HBC store also hosted various exhibitions for the general public and operated restaurants such as the Elizabethan Restaurant on the 6th floor. As of 2013, the downtown Calgary HBC store is still open for business and has been rebranded as "Hudson's Bay."

NOTE: The Hudson's Bay Company went out of business for good in June 2025, after 355 years.

Dick Berry's Post
(1872 or 1873 - 1874), Calgary
A trade post located on the north bank of the Elbow River, near the present Glenmore Reservoir in Glenmore Park.

Camp Sarcee
(Sarcee Indian Reserve - Tsuu T'ina Nation)
(1914 - 1998), Calgary FORT WIKI
A Canadian Militia training camp established during WWI, the only such camp in Alberta, on land leased from the Sarcee Indian Reserve. More than 45,000 men from 30 units across the province trained at the camp over the course of the war. It was one of the largest military training areas in Canada at the time. After WWII it was known as Sarcee Training Area, a subpost of Calgary Garrison. An Army Cadet Summer Training Camp (ACSTC) was held here every year between 1940 - 1955. The post later became a component of Canadian Forces Base Calgary, which was finally closed in 1998. The leased land was returned to the Sarcee Indian Reserve. Of interest at the nearby former C.F.B. Calgary - Currie Barracks is the The Military Museums (formerly the Museum of the Regiments until 2006) (admission fee) at 4520 Crowchild Trail SW.
Battalion Park was created in 1991 on Signal Hill. This area of Camp Sarcee was annexed by the city in 1956. See also Battalion Numbers from Canadian Register of Historic Places

Gleichen Post
(1888), Gleichen
A NWMP patrol post near the Blackfoot (Siksika) Indian Reserve.

Lafayette French's Post
(Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park)
(Blackfoot Crossing National Historic Site)
(1870's), near Cluny
An independent American trade post located at the "Blackfoot Crossing" of the Bow River. French continued to operate after the NWMP arrived in 1875. Sold to the Canadian government after the Blackfoot (Siksika) Indian Reserve #46 was established in 1877. Treaty Number 7 was signed at Blackfoot Crossing in September 1877, between the Canadian government and the five tribes of the Blackfoot Confederacy. See also Treaty No. 7 Signing Site NHS from Canadian Register of Historic Places

Sam Livingstone's Post
(1870's), near Redwood Meadows
An American trade post located on the north bank of the Elbow River.

Bow River Fort (2)
(1832 - 1834), near Morley
A Hudson's Bay Co. post. Also known as Piegan Post (1). Abandoned before the winter of 1834-35 and subsequently burned. Located on the east bluff of Old Fort Creek near its confluence with the Bow River, about ten miles downstream of the Kananaskis River. Stone chimneys were reconstructed on the site in the 1980's after archaeological excavations. Site now Stoney Indian Park (closed ?) on the Stoney Indian Reserve. Permission to access should be obtained from the Stoney (Nakoda) Band Council Office in Morley.
(NOTE: The HBC Archives post locator map depicts this post below Bow Pass near Bow Lake, at the head of the Bow River, well north of Lake Louise.)
(thanks to Peter Allen for providing additional info)

A North West Co. post (Bow River Fort (1)) was previously here on the north bank of the Bow River from 1802 to 1822.

An HBC store (Bow River Post (3)) was later located in the village of Morleyville soon after it was established in 1873. It was relocated to Calgary in 1875 (see also).

Henry Fisher established the Hudson's Bay Company post at Bow Fort in 1832, after the Council of the Northern Department decided to close Rocky Mountain House and open a new post in Piegan territory. This new post was intended to intercept the trade of Piegan hunters who were trading with American traders on the Missouri. During the summer of 1832, Chief Factor John Rowand, who was in charge of the Saskatchewan District, undertook an expedition to the Missouri in order to persuade the Piegan people to trade with the HBC at Bow Fort. The post was located on the north bank of the Bow River, near the mouth of Old Fort Creek, in present-day Alberta. In 1834 the post was abandoned, in part due to danger from feuds between the Piegan people and other tribes. Rocky Mountain House was reopened that year.

Canmore NWMP Barracks
(1893 - 1929), Canmore FORT WIKI
A NWMP barracks post located at 609 8th Street, on Policeman's Creek. The building was dismantled in 1908 and relocated to a new site. It was expanded in 1920. It is one of only three remaining pre-1905 NWMP barracks in Alberta.

Station at Dickinson's
(1888), near Crossfield
A NWMP patrol waystation.

Scarlets Post
(1888), near Carstairs
A NWMP patrol post.

Stopping House Station
(1888), near Olds
A NWMP patrol waystation on Lone Pine Creek east of town.

Station at Miller's (2)
(1888), near Penhold
A NWMP patrol waystation.

Fort Normandeau
(1885 - 1895), Red Deer FORT WIKI
A 1974 reconstruction of an Alberta Field Force military post, located in Waskasoo Park. In 1884 Robert McClellan built a stopping house at the Red Deer River Crossing to take advantage of the traffic on the Calgary & Edmonton Trail. The next year, with the local settlers afraid of violence during the Riel Rebellion, his hotel was fortified (enclosed by a stockade) by the 65th Mount Royal Rifles, under the command of Lt. J.E. Bedard Normandeau. The Army left after less than two months (May - June 1885). The North West Mounted Police later used the post (aka Red Deer Post).

Rocky Mountain House (1) (National Historic Site)
(Confluence Heritage Society)
(1799 - 1802, 1805 - 1807, 1810 - 1812, 1819 - 1823, 1825 - 1832, 1834 - 1861, 1864 - 1875), Rocky Mountain House FORT WIKI
Site of a North West Co. fur trade post (1799 - 1821), and three separate Hudson's Bay Co. posts (Acton House) (1799 - 1807/1819 - 1834 (FORT WIKI), 1835 - 1861, 1865 - 1875) (HBC records cover 1828 - 1868), each connected by a trail. The HBC post was also known as Rocky Mountain House after acquiring and closing the NWC post in 1821. The post was only used during the winters between 1828 and 1861. The post moved south to near Calgary on the Bow River in 1875 after being shut down by the NWMP. Stone chimney ruins of the last post (1864-65) were still free-standing until 1886, and have since been restored. Admission fee to the Parks Canada Visitors Centre, located six km west of town on Highway 11A.

The Hudson's Bay Company post at Rocky Mountain House, first known as Acton House, was built in September 1799 under the direction James Bird, Sr.. That same month, the North West Company established a post nearby called Rocky Mountain House (1). The posts were located on the North Saskatchewan River, near the confluence of the North Saskatchewan and Clearwater Rivers in present-day Alberta.

Throughout its history, the HBC post at Rocky Mountain House was abandoned and reopened numerous times. It was closed intermittently between 1802 and 1864. During its active years however, it had many prominent visitors, including Reverend R.T. Rundle (1841), Father Pierre Jean DeSmet (1845), Reverend T. Woolsey (1857, 1859, 1860), Dr. James Hector of the Palliser Expedition (1858), Captain John Palliser, William Roland Mitchell and Captain Arthur Brisco (1859), Father Albert Lacombe (1861, 1865, 1868, 1870, 1871), Reverend George McDougall (1866), Reverend John McDougall (1866, 1867, 1869, 1871), Reverend Henry Steinhauer (1868), Father André (1869), Constantin Scollen (1871), Captain William F. Butler (1870), Walter Moberly of the Canadian Pacific Railway survey (1871), Colonel P. Robertson-Ross, Adjutant-General of the Militia of Canada (1872), Deputy Surveyor W.S. Gore (1873), and Dr. A.R.C. Selwyn, Director of the Geological Survey of Canada (1873).

Rocky Mountain House was permanently closed in 1875. It was not until 1959 that the HBC returned to the area, purchasing land formerly used by Killico Stores, and establishing a store there. In 1985 the store was transferred to Zellers.

Fort Ostell
(1885), Ponoka FORT WIKI
An Alberta Field Force military post built during the Riel Rebellion, commanded by Capt. John Ostell. They fortified the former HBC store at Battle River Crossing, which had recently been abandoned and then looted by Cree Indians. In use only 50 days (May - June). Not shown to be in use by the NWMP on an 1888 map. No remains. The town was resettled by anglo whites in 1905. Of interest in town is the Fort Ostell Museum, located at 5320 54th Street at Centennial Park (admission fee), with exhibits of the fort.

Fort Ethier
(1885, 1888), Wetaskiwin FORT WIKI
An Alberta Field Force palisaded blockhouse situated on a 0.2 hectare block of land approximately ten kilometres north of town, built on the farm of Samuel Lucas, near the Peace Hills Indian Agency, along the bank of Bigstone Creek. The post was abandoned after only one month (May - June) when the Riel Rebellion was suppressed. The NWMP later used the post as a patrol station by 1888. The site includes a restored log blockhouse featuring three loopholes (or gunports) on each elevation and a pyramidal roof crowned by a central flagpole. Exhibits and artifacts at the Wetaskiwin and District Heritage Museum at 5007 50th Ave. (Main Street).

Jasper House
(Jasper National Park Historic Site)
(1813 - 1861/1884), near Pocahontas FORT WIKI
Originally a North West Co. post located at the north end of Brûlé Lake, briefly known as Rocky Mountain House (2) until 1814. Relocated by the Hudson's Bay Co. in 1829 to the north end of Jasper Lake (HBC records cover 1827 - 1831). Rebuilt again in 1858. Practically abandoned for all intents and purposes after 1861, but was not officially closed until 1884. Ruins of the last post are located near the mouth of the Rocky River at the north end of Jasper Lake. Parks Canada memorial plaque (1927) is located on Trans-Canada Highway 16 about 35 km east of Jasper. No road access to the actual fort site, but a viewing platform overlooks the site. See also Canadian Register of Historic Places
See also Jasper NP - Fur Trade and Exploration by Jeff Waugh, from Canadian Rockies.net

Jasper House became a Hudson's Bay Company post after the union of the North West Company and the HBC in 1821. The post was first established as a NWCo. post in 1813. In its early years, the post was known as Rocky Mountain House (2). To avoid confusion with posts of the same name in the Rocky Mountain area, it was renamed Jasper House after Jasper Hawes, a NWCo. clerk. It was first located on the west shore of Brulé Lake, where the lake met the Athabasca River, in present-day Alberta. In 1827 the post was moved up the Athabasca River to the junction of the Athabasca and Snake Indian Rivers. Beginning in the 1830's, Jasper House was only maintained during the winter. The post was temporarily closed in 1857, but was reopened by Henry John Moberly in 1858. By 1891 Jasper House had been permanently abandoned.

Henry House
(Jasper National Park Historic Site)
(1811 - 1814, 1820's - 1830's), Jasper FORT WIKI
A North West Co. trading post, built by Alexander Henry, Jr.. Exact location undetermined, but probably located on the east side of the Athabasca River, somewhere between Old Fort Point and the Maligne River north of town. A Parks Canada memorial plaque is located on Trans-Canada Highway 16 on the bypass around town. A second post, built by William Henry as a subpost of Jasper House, was probably located further downriver towards the Snaring River, about eight miles below the town.

A supply depot built by Jasper Hawes was first located here in 1801, probably on the Miette River near Old Fort Point.

North Branch House
(1807 - 1808), near Lodgepole
A Hudson's Bay Co. post on the North Saskatchewan River at the mouth of the Brazeau River.

Boggy Hall Post
(1807 - 1808), near Lodgepole
A North West Co. post on the west bank of the North Saskatchewan River, above "Blue Rapids", about 10 miles below the mouth of the Brazeau River. Abandoned in the autumn of 1808.

Muskeg Fort
(1807 - 1809), near Berrymoore
A North West Co. post on the north bank of the North Saskatchewan River, below Rocky Rapids, about 3.5 miles west of Buck Lake Creek. Also known as Quagmire House.

Buck Lake House
(unknown dates), near Berrymoore
A minor Hudson's Bay Co. post on the north bank of the North Saskatchewan River, opposite Buck Lake Creek.

North West House
(1799 - unknown), near ?
A North West Co. post on the North Saskatchewan River, said to have been an eight hour boat trip downriver from Rocky Mountain House (1). Location undetermined. Possibly one of the nearby posts already listed.

Nelson House
(1799 - 1875 ?), near Genesee
A Hudson's Bay Co. post on the north bank of the North Saskatchewan River, about 2.5 miles east of Wabamun Creek. Closed in 1801, but re-opened in November 1810 in competition with the NWC's Upper Terre Blanche Post. Abandoned in April 1813. Rebuilt nearby as White Hall Post in 1815, closed in 1817. Briefly re-opened again in 1820-21 as White Mud Post (2). Probably re-opened yet again later, as it was still shown on an 1888 NWMP map.

Upper Terre Blanche Post
(1799 - 1813 ?), near Genesee
A North West Co. post on the North Saskatchewan River in competition with the HBC's Nelson House. Closed in 1801, but re-opened in November 1810. Also known variously as Old White Earth Post, Little White Earth Post, or White Mud Fort (1). Abandoned in April 1813.

Pigeon Lake Post
(1868 - 1874), Mission Beach
A Hudson's Bay Co. post located at the northwestern end of Pigeon Lake.

Lac Ste. Anne Post
(1870 - 1889/1914), Lac Ste. Anne
A Hudson's Bay Co. post or store on the southern shore of Lac Ste. Anne, near the Lac Ste. Anne Mission (1842), west of Alberta Beach.

Lac Ste. Anne was first mentioned in the minutes of the Council of the Northern Department in 1857. It was located 40 miles northwest of Edmonton, on the shores of Lac Ste. Anne. Around 1914, the store burned down and the Hudson's Bay Company business was moved into rented buildings. Competition from fur buyers in the area was very strong in 1915, and in 1916 the post at Lac Ste. Anne was closed. Before its closure, the post manager, Edward William Sibbald, tragically drowned.

Lac La Nonne Post
(1870 - 1890 ?), near Birch Cove ?
A Hudson's Bay Co. post on Lac La Nonne. Closed before 1894.

Summer Berry River House
(1801, 1817 - 1822), near ?
Originally a Hudson's Bay Co. post on the Pembina River, located somewhere along the Edmonton - Lesser Slave Lake Trail. Also known as Pembina Post. Abandoned, but re-established in 1817, along with a new competing North West Co. post. Both abandoned in 1822. Undetermined location. "Summer berry" is one translated variant of "Pembina".

St. Albert Posts
(1888), St. Albert
A NWMP patrol post.

A Hudson's Bay Co. post or store was previously here, probably in the 1860's or 1870's, near the St. Albert Mission (1863).

Fort Edmonton
(Fort Edmonton Park)
(1795 - 1912/1915), Edmonton FORT WIKI
A Hudson's Bay Co. post, also known as Edmonton House (1). It was built in direct competition with the North West Company's Fort Augustus, which was built first. Originally located about 20 miles east of the present city, about one mile above Sturgeon Creek. This post was attacked and destroyed by Blackfeet Indians in 1807. Relocated in 1808 to the present city locale after the NWC rebuilt their post, but attacked and destroyed again by Blackfeet Indians in 1810. Operations were temporarily relocated to Lower Terre Blanche in June 1810. Rebuilt in 1813 on or near the same site by the river, again after the NWC did the same. Relocated a fifth and final time in 1831 to the top of the bluff, after the previous fort was destroyed by floodwaters in 1830. The proposed new name for the last fort was Fort Sanspareil, but it never took hold. The provincial capitol building was built beginning in 1912 on the actual site of the last fort. The HBC continued to occupy the last few remaining buildings here until 1915. The first HBC retail store was built offsite in 1890 (HBC records to 1932). A reconstruction of the fort is located in Fort Edmonton Park on Fox Drive, interpreted to the 1846 period. Admission fee.
See also History of the Edmonton HBC Store from HBC Heritage

The restored Hudson's Bay Company Stables - Ortona Armoury (1914 - 1924) is located at 9722 102nd Street NW. In 1939 it became a Naval Reserve training centre, and in 1965 it became a provincial militia armoury. FORT WIKI

The North West Mounted Police established barracks here or nearby after 1874, in use through the 1880's, possibly longer.

William Tomison established the Hudson's Bay Company post of Edmonton House in 1795 in opposition to the North West Company's Fort Augustus, in order to secure the trade of the Blackfeet and Piegan groups of the area. It was initially situated on the north shore of the North Saskatchewan River, about one mile from the junction of the Tea Sturgeon or Red Willow River. In 1801 the post was moved to the present site of the city of Edmonton. It was moved again in 1810 to the forks of the Terre Blanche and Saskatchewan Rivers, and in 1813 the post was moved back to a site near its 1801 location.

Edmonton operated an outpost at Little White Earth Creek around 1812, and one at Moose Lake around 1818. When the HBC and the NWCo. merged in 1821, the HBC took over the NWCo. post of Fort Augustus, using it to house some of the Canadian servants. Lieutenant Aemilius Simpson visited Edmonton in 1826 on his way to Fort Vancouver, and observed that Edmonton was the most important trading post on the Saskatchewan River. At that time there was a large farm next to the fort, containing crops of wheat, barley, oats, potatoes, and vegetables. In the 1830's Edmonton was known as Fort Sans Pareil, but by 1841 it was again known as Edmonton. From 1821 to 1824 and 1827 to 1873, Edmonton was headquarters of the Saskatchewan District, and from 1874 to 1883 and 1885 to 1899, it was headquarters of the Edmonton District.

In 1859 Father Lacombe, a Roman Catholic missionary in the northwest, requested that a chapel be built within the stockade of Edmonton. This church was later called St. Joachim's. Around the same time, Reverend Thomas Woolsey, a Wesleyan Methodist missionary, also began conducting services at the HBC post.

In 1881 the HBC subdvided some of its land reserve at Edmonton into lots for sale. A total of 600 land lots were surveyed and sold. An additional sale of lots occurred in 1911 and 1912.

A saleshop was built in 1890 in the town of Edmonton, about a mile and half from the fort, although the HBC had been conducting retail trade out of its fur trade post for some time. The town saleshop sold dry goods, men's furnishings, boots and shoes, groceries, liquor, crockery, and house furnishings. It also had rooms for dress-making. Business continued to be brisk for the store during the Klondike gold rush of 1897-1898, the establishment of Edmonton as the capital of the new province of Alberta in 1905, and the arrival of the Canadian Northern and Grand Trunk Railways in 1905 and 1910. The fur trade post at Edmonton was closed in 1915, and the old fort was demolished at that time. The saleshop continued to flourish until 1938, when the Edmonton department store was built, occupying a full block on Jasper Avenue.

The Bay, Jasper Avenue, in downtown Edmonton, opened in 1939. Its site, located between 102nd and 103rd Streets along Jasper Avenue, had been occupied by the Hudson's Bay Company since 1894. The original saleshop was replaced by a three storey brick building in 1905. This store was expanded a number of times before the construction of a new flagship department store began in April 1938. The store remained open during construction, with merchandise being moved overnight when necessary and set up in a different part of the store. Construction was completed in November 1939 at a total cost of $1 million. In 1948 a third floor was added to the building and in 1956 the store expanded north along 103rd and 102nd Avenues. In 1965 HBC rebranded its department stores, including the Jasper Avenue store, as "The Bay." In 1989 the Jasper Avenue location was sold to Stewart Green Properties and the building underwent major renovations. The Bay kept an 118,000 square foot area for retail while the rest of the building functioned as a shopping mall. HBC acquired Woodward's in 1993 and in August a Bay store was opened in the former Woodward's location in Edmonton Centre, just blocks from the Jasper Avenue store. The Jasper Avenue location was closed two years later, in 1995.

Fort Augustus (National Historic Site)
(1795 - 1821), Edmonton FORT WIKI
A North West Co. trading post, established a few months before the HBC established Fort Edmonton. Originally located about 20 miles east of the present city, about one mile above Sturgeon Creek. This post was attacked and destroyed by Blackfeet Indians in 1807. Relocated in 1808 to the present city locale, but attacked and destroyed again by Blackfeet Indians in 1810. Operations were temporarily relocated to Lower Terre Blanche in June 1810. The post was rebuilt in 1813 on or near the same site as the 1808 post. Closed with the merger of the two companies.
(NOTE: This NWC post was one of the two "Fortes des Prairies" located on the North Saskatchewan River.)

An XY Company post was also located near the first Fort Augustus site near Sturgeon Creek (1798 - 1802).

Fort Saskatchewan
(1875 - 1913), Fort Saskatchewan FORT WIKI
A North West Mounted Police stockaded post, originally named Sturgeon Creek Post. Used through at least 1885, although the NWMP garrisoned the town until 1913. No remains. Reconstructed in 2010 with four buildings at the Fort Saskatchewan Museum and Historic Site, a complex that also includes eight historic buildings interpreted to the 1900 - 1920 settlement period, located at 10006 100th Ave. (admission fee), near Legacy Park.

Redwater Station
(1888), Redwater
A NWMP patrol waystation on the Redwater (Vermilion) River.

Fort Victoria
(Victoria Settlement Provincial Historic Park)
(1864 - 1885, 1887 - 1898), near Smoky Lake FORT WIKI
A Hudson's Bay Co. post (HBC records cover 1889 - 1895). Briefly closed after the Riel Rebellion of 1885. The 1864 clerk's quarters is the oldest building in the province still on its original site. The settlement began in 1862 with the establishment of the Victoria Methodist Mission to the Cree Indians. European settlers came in 1906. Archaeological work and restoration was done in the 1970's before the site was opened to the public in 1981. Admission fee.
See also River Lot #3 - Victoria Settlement from Canadian Register of Historic Places || See also Métis Crossing

The NWMP had barracks located here by 1888.

HBC outposts of Fort Victoria in the 1890's were located nearby at the Cree/Métis settlements at Saddle Lake and Whitefish Lake (2), both east of Smoky Lake.

Victoria was established as a Hudson's Bay Company post in 1864 by William J. Christie to oppose independent traders in the Saskatchewan District. It was located on the north bank of the North Saskatchewan River, about seventy miles downstream from Edmonton. The post took on the name of the nearby Wesleyan Methodist Mission, which had been named after Queen Victoria at its establishment in 1862. In 1872 W.S. Gore surveyed the HBC's land reserve at Victoria, which amounted to 3000 acres. In 1883 Victoria was closed and its buildings left under the care of James Pruden. It was reopened in 1887 as an outpost of Lac la Biche. The post was permanently closed in 1898 because of a scarcity of furs and competition from free traders.

Lower Terre Blanche Posts
(1810 - 1813), near Pakan
A North West Co. post and a Hudson's Bay Co. post (aka Edmonton House (2)) in close proximity to each other within a common outer palisade (with two corner bastions), located on the North Saskatchewan River just west of White Earth Creek, downriver from Smoky Lake. Also known as Fort White Earth or White Earth House. Built in June 1810, both posts were abandoned in April 1813.

Island House (Historic Site)
(1800 - 1801/1804), near Myrnam FORT WIKI
A Hudson's Bay Co. post located on Fort (or Scotland) Island in the North Saskatchewan River, northeast of town. Also known as Island Fort. The island is immediately east of the present Highway 881 bridge over the river. A memorial cairn was erected in 1960.

A North West Co. post (Fort de l'Isle) (1800 - 1801) and an XY Company post (1799 - 1801) were also located on the island. Each post was a separate operation. The island was later last used by the North West Co. as a horse pen in the spring of 1810 for protection against Indian raids.

Island House was established by the HBC in 1800 after the company abandoned Buckingham House. At the same time, the North West Company established Fort de l'Isle nearby. Island House was located on an island in the North Saskatchewan River, about 25 kilometres above Buckingham House in present-day Alberta. In 1804 Island House was closed.

St. Paul Post
(1870 - unknown), St. Paul
A small Hudson's Bay Co. post or store.

Dog Rump Creek House
(1817 - 1822), Elk Point
Adjacent competing Hudson's Bay Co. and North West Co. posts located near the mouth of Atimoswe (aka Dog Rump) Creek on the North Saskatchewan River, about four miles south of town. The NWCo. post apparently operated continuously from the autumn of 1817, but the HBC post was abandoned after each of the first two seasons, then not returning again until the start of the 1821 season. The HBC used their post as an outpost for Moose Lake. Finally closed for good in October 1822. The site was thereafter used intermittently as a campsite by free traders and other HBC brigades. The abandoned stockades and buildings that were still then standing were later pulled down in 1830 and transported east for the construction of Fort Pitt downriver.

Fort George and Buckingham House (Provincial Historic Site)
(1792 - 1802), near Elk Point
Remains of Hudson's Bay Company (Buckingham House) (FORT WIKI) and North West Company (Fort George (1)) (FORT WIKI) posts (HBC records cover 1792 - 1799), both established the same year, located about 500 yards apart, each separately palisaded but sharing a common well. The HBC stockade was 190 feet by 140 feet, was briefly abandoned in 1799, and was finally closed in 1802. The North West Co. post was somewhat larger, and was abandoned first in 1801. Archaeological excavations were begun in 1965. The visitor centre was opened in 1992. Admission fee.

Buckingham House, originally called Moose Hills, was established in 1792 by William Tomison, district master of the York Inland District, in order to compete with the North West Company's Fort George (1). It was located on the north bank of the North Saskatchewan River in NE 24-56-6W4, about a quarter mile from the North West Company post. Between 1792-1795, Buckingham House was the HBC's furthest post up the Saskatchewan River system. It served as Tomison's winter quarters. In 1800 Buckingham House was abandoned and its business moved to Island House.

Frog Lake Post
(Frog Lake National Historic Site)
(1885), Frog Lake
A small Hudson's Bay Co. store that was attacked and destroyed by Cree Indians in April 1885 during the Frog Lake Massacre. The survivors fled to Fort Pitt just across the border in Saskatchewan.

Fort Vermilion (2) (Historic Site)
(1802 - 1810, 1811 - 1816), Lea Park
A North West Co. post (aka (Lower) Fort des Prairies) on the north bank of the North Saskatchewan River, in close proximity with the Hudson's Bay Co. Paint Earth Creek House (1808 - 1810, 1814 - 1821) (HBC records cover 1814 - 1821), both within a common outer palisade for mutual defence. Also known as Paint River Post, or Paint Creek House. Briefly abandoned in May 1810 for operations at the Lower Terre Blanche site. Located about 15 km northeast of Marwayne. Cellar depressions and chimney mounds still remain.
(NOTE: This NWC post was one of the two "Fortes des Prairies" located on the North Saskatchewan River.)

Fort Vermilion (Saskatchewan River) was established in 1808. It was located on the north bank of the Saskatchewan River, directly opposite the Vermilion River, in present-day Alberta. The post was managed by Alexander Henry, Jr. until 1810, when it was abandoned in favour of White Earth Fort. Fort Vermilion was reopened some time around 1814, when Gabriel Franchère travelled through and found 90 men, women, and children at the fort. The post operated at least until 1821, although the exact date of its closure is not known.

NOTE: Many of the Hudson's Bay Company post descriptions are courtesy of the HBC Archives.

Northern Alberta - page 2

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