Fort Assiniboine
Encyclopedia
Fort Assiniboine is a hamlet
in northwest Alberta
, Canada
, within Woodlands County
. It is located along the north shore of the Athabasca River
at the junction of Highway 33 and Highway 661. It is approximately 39 kilometres (24.2 mi) northwest of Barrhead
, 62 kilometres (38.5 mi) southeast of Swan Hills
and 91 kilometres (56.5 mi) northeast of Whitecourt
.
Fort Assiniboine was founded as a trading post by the Hudson's Bay Company
and became a stopping point along the Klondike Trail. It gets its name from the Assiniboine people.
By the mid-1950s, the community named after the former trading post incorporated as a village on June 6, 1958. Over 33 years later, the Village of Fort Assiniboine dissolved and reverted back to hamlet status on December 31, 1991. It is now administrated by Woodlands County, which has offices in the hamlet and in the Town of Whitecourt.
The hamlet's last officially recorded population was 179 people from the 1991 Census of Canada, conducted when it was still a village. Statistics Canada
or Woodlands County has not published an official population for Fort Assiniboine from a federal or municipal census respectively since it dissolved to hamlet status at the end of 1991.
was in decline. The council adopted a resolution in 1823 calling for a fort further up the Athabasca River
to reduce transport times. This was part of a much larger effort by the Company to reorganize its transportation routes, seeking out advantages and efficiencies in its operations after the merger with the North West Company
. Under the new plan, Fort Assiniboine became the northern terminus of an overland route between Edmonton House/Fort Edmonton
, linking the North Saskatchewan
and Athabasca River
systems. This new portage
trail replaced the circuitous path and lengthy portage associated with the Beaver River
and Portage La Biche route, resulting in significant savings for the Company. The distance between Edmonton House and Fort Assinibone was roughly 80 miles (129 km), and a party on horseback could make the trip in about two days. Though the fort never grew as large as some other Alberta forts, its role as a transportation hub and provision centre ensured its survival between the 1820s and 1880s.
Fort Assiniboine is also served by a post office and a public library and has numerous businesses including a general store, a motel, a gas station, a liquor store and a shop that repairs and sells all-terrain and other vehicles.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
in northwest Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, within Woodlands County
Woodlands County, Alberta
Woodlands County is a municipal district in north-central Alberta, Canada.It is located in Census Division 13. The municipal seat is in the Town of Whitecourt, while a regional administrative office is also located in the Hamlet of Fort Assiniboine....
. It is located along the north shore of the Athabasca River
Athabasca River
The Athabasca River originates from the Columbia Glacier of the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada...
at the junction of Highway 33 and Highway 661. It is approximately 39 kilometres (24.2 mi) northwest of Barrhead
Barrhead, Alberta
Barrhead is a town in central Alberta, Canada, within the County of Barrhead No. 11. It is located along the Paddle River and at the intersection of Highway 33 and Highway 18, approximately northwest of the City of Edmonton...
, 62 kilometres (38.5 mi) southeast of Swan Hills
Swan Hills, Alberta
Swan Hills is a town in northern Alberta, Canada. It is located north of Whitecourt at the junction of Highway 32 and Grizzly Trail. Swan Hills is located in Municipal District of Big Lakes within census Division No...
and 91 kilometres (56.5 mi) northeast of Whitecourt
Whitecourt, Alberta
Whitecourt is a town in Alberta, Canada within Woodlands County. It is located northwest of Edmonton and southeast of Grande Prairie at the junction of Highway 43 and Highway 32 and has an elevation of ....
.
Fort Assiniboine was founded as a trading post by the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
and became a stopping point along the Klondike Trail. It gets its name from the Assiniboine people.
By the mid-1950s, the community named after the former trading post incorporated as a village on June 6, 1958. Over 33 years later, the Village of Fort Assiniboine dissolved and reverted back to hamlet status on December 31, 1991. It is now administrated by Woodlands County, which has offices in the hamlet and in the Town of Whitecourt.
The hamlet's last officially recorded population was 179 people from the 1991 Census of Canada, conducted when it was still a village. Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....
or Woodlands County has not published an official population for Fort Assiniboine from a federal or municipal census respectively since it dissolved to hamlet status at the end of 1991.
Fur trade fort
By the early 1820s, Hudson’s Bay Company trade on Lesser Slave LakeLesser Slave Lake
Lesser Slave Lake is a lake located in central Alberta, Canada, northwest of Edmonton. It is the second largest lake entirely within Alberta boundaries , covering and measuring over long and at its widest point. Lesser Slave Lake averages in depth and is at its deepest...
was in decline. The council adopted a resolution in 1823 calling for a fort further up the Athabasca River
Athabasca River
The Athabasca River originates from the Columbia Glacier of the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada...
to reduce transport times. This was part of a much larger effort by the Company to reorganize its transportation routes, seeking out advantages and efficiencies in its operations after the merger with the North West Company
North West Company
The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what was to become Western Canada...
. Under the new plan, Fort Assiniboine became the northern terminus of an overland route between Edmonton House/Fort Edmonton
Fort Edmonton
Fort Edmonton was the name of a series of trading posts of the Hudson's Bay Company from 1795 to 1891, all of which were located in central Alberta, Canada...
, linking the North Saskatchewan
North Saskatchewan River
The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows east from the Canadian Rockies to central Saskatchewan. It is one of two major rivers that join to make up the Saskatchewan River....
and Athabasca River
Athabasca River
The Athabasca River originates from the Columbia Glacier of the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada...
systems. This new portage
Portage
Portage or portaging refers to the practice of carrying watercraft or cargo over land to avoid river obstacles, or between two bodies of water. A place where this carrying occurs is also called a portage; a person doing the carrying is called a porter.The English word portage is derived from the...
trail replaced the circuitous path and lengthy portage associated with the Beaver River
Beaver River (Canada)
Beaver River is a large river in east-central Alberta and central Saskatchewan, Canada.Beaver River has a catchment area of 14,500 km2 in Alberta, where it drains the lake system in Lac La Biche County...
and Portage La Biche route, resulting in significant savings for the Company. The distance between Edmonton House and Fort Assinibone was roughly 80 miles (129 km), and a party on horseback could make the trip in about two days. Though the fort never grew as large as some other Alberta forts, its role as a transportation hub and provision centre ensured its survival between the 1820s and 1880s.
Attractions
Fort Assiniboine is home to a Hudson Bay style historical museum, known as the Fort Assiniboine Museum and Friendship Club Drop-In Centre, and the World's Largest Wagon Wheel and Pick Axe.Services
The Fort Assiniboine School, which offers Kindergarten through Grade 12 classes, is located within the hamlet. It is administered by Pembina Hills Regional Division No. 7 (PHRD) and had a preliminary 2009/2010 enrollment of 139 students. Due to low enrollment, the PHRD is currently considering grade reconfiguration to make the school more viable.Fort Assiniboine is also served by a post office and a public library and has numerous businesses including a general store, a motel, a gas station, a liquor store and a shop that repairs and sells all-terrain and other vehicles.