Fort Espérance
The Fort Espérance trading post was built in 1787 by Robert Grant of the North West Company on the south bank of the Qu'Appelle River in the extreme southeast of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan . It was one of the first bases of the trading company in the Assiniboine Basin.
The fort was used to supply pemmican for the hunting areas further north and was the central trading point for the North West Company. It was abandoned in 1810, rebuilt in its current location in 1816, closed for good in 1819 and replaced by a trading post on the Assiniboine River . This was about 20 km away at Beaver Creek.
In 1959 the fort was declared a National Historic Site . The protected site covers an area of 24.3 ha. The core area, the actual site, comprises 1.4 ha. In the protected area there are three locations of the former fort, plus a so-called Butchering Site , a place where the local Indians slaughtered, cut up and preserved bison .
At the site of the first fort from 1787, many years of agricultural use destroyed the artifacts , so that only a few remains have been found there. The flood-prone fort was moved to a higher location in 1816. There are numerous remains on the surface, such as collapsed cellars or piles of stones from the collapsed chimneys. The park administration published a brochure informing about the historical significance of the site. In addition, visitors can register in a visitor book.
Parks Canada ensures that grass is cut regularly so that the site does not become overgrown. With this and other protective measures, the landscape appearance of the late 18th and early 19th centuries is to be preserved. In order to provide visitors with a larger historical context, a path was laid to two neighboring, younger forts. As is often the case in Canada , personal reliving is part of the historical experience, which is supported by fire pits, picnic areas and information boards to support independent exploration. This also includes warning signs about bears, as well as information about endangered species. A management plan was adopted in 2004 for this project. Archaeological investigations are carried out on this basis.
literature
- Daniel J. Provo, W. Raymond Wood: Fort Esperance in 1793-1795: A Northwest Company Provisioning Post , in: Journal of John MacDonell.
- Peter J. Priess: In search of Fort Esperance. An archaeological perspective, ed. Parks Canada (Research bulletin, no.319), Hull 1998.
