June 11, 2011 | Tips from Travellers >
Fort St. James, Historic & Heritage Sites
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Tucked 53km off of highway 16 west, what was once a buzzing hub of trading activity, is the Fort St. James National Historic Site. This wild land is the home of the Nak'azdli First Nations and the Stuart Lake Outpost which in 1821 became Fort St. James with the amalgamation of the North West Company and the Hudson Bay Company. This trading post was alive and active until 1952 and is now authentically maintained.
My friends and I expected to check out the site very quickly on our way to Smithers. However the people there were so knowledgeable and friendly that we ended up staying for four hours. We learned so much, ate traditional food, tried our hand at measuring fur quality and played at ladel a traditional archery like sport, but much better! We also enjoyed a picnic on the shores of beautiful Stuart Lake. This is a stop you will not forget and will not want to miss.