Fort Reliance, Northwest Territories
Encyclopedia
Fort Reliance is located on the east arm of Great Slave Lake
, Northwest Territories
, Canada
. It was originally built in 1833 by George Back
during the Arctic Land Expedition to the Arctic Ocean
via the Back River
. The expedition, partly scientific and partly searching for the missing John Ross
, used Fort Reliance as a winter camp.
Back's fort was made up of a main house with several smaller ones that were constructed from logs. The houses had stone and clay chimneys for heating. The outline of the logs along with the chimneys and some storage pits still exist.
In 1855, the Hudson's Bay Company
's Chief Factor
James Anderson, for whom the Anderson River
is named, rebuilt the fort. It was intended to be used as winter quarters while searching for the lost expedition
of John Franklin
, but it was again abandoned after one season.
It was not a fur trading
outpost although the site was later used by trappers in the Thelon River
area. In 1897, a log cabin
, using one of the chimneys, was built by an American
trapper, Buffalo Jones.
Currently Fort Reliance, one of Canada's National Historic Sites, is listed by Parks Canada
as the "Oldest continuously operating Hudson's Bay Company post, 1833". Together with the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre
, Parks Canada is working to preserve and protect the site, which has resulted in the chimneys being rehabilitated.
Great Slave Lake
Great Slave Lake is the second-largest lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada , the deepest lake in North America at , and the ninth-largest lake in the world. It is long and wide. It covers an area of in the southern part of the territory. Its given volume ranges from to and up to ...
, Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
, 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...
. It was originally built in 1833 by George Back
George Back
Admiral Sir George Back FRS was a British naval officer, explorer of the Canadian Arctic , naturalist and artist.-Career:...
during the Arctic Land Expedition to the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
via the Back River
Back River
The Back River , is a river in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut in Canada...
. The expedition, partly scientific and partly searching for the missing John Ross
John Ross (Arctic explorer)
Sir John Ross, CB, was a Scottish rear admiral and Arctic explorer.Ross was the son of the Rev. Andrew Ross, minister of Inch, near Stranraer in Scotland. In 1786, aged only nine, he joined the Royal Navy as an apprentice. He served in the Mediterranean until 1789 and then in the English Channel...
, used Fort Reliance as a winter camp.
Back's fort was made up of a main house with several smaller ones that were constructed from logs. The houses had stone and clay chimneys for heating. The outline of the logs along with the chimneys and some storage pits still exist.
In 1855, 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...
's Chief Factor
Factor (agent)
A factor, from the Latin "he who does" , is a person who professionally acts as the representative of another individual or other legal entity, historically with his seat at a factory , notably in the following contexts:-Mercantile factor:In a relatively large company, there could be a hierarchy,...
James Anderson, for whom the Anderson River
Anderson River (Northwest Territories)
The Anderson River is in the Northwest Territories in northern Canada. It originates in lakes north of Great Bear Lake; its headwaters are in the vicinity of the hamlet of Colville Lake . It flows north and west in the area between the Mackenzie and Coppermine Rivers...
is named, rebuilt the fort. It was intended to be used as winter quarters while searching for the lost expedition
Franklin's lost expedition
Franklin's lost expedition was a doomed British voyage of Arctic exploration led by Captain Sir John Franklin that departed England in 1845. A Royal Navy officer and experienced explorer, Franklin had served on three previous Arctic expeditions, the latter two as commanding officer...
of John Franklin
John Franklin
Rear-Admiral Sir John Franklin KCH FRGS RN was a British Royal Navy officer and Arctic explorer. Franklin also served as governor of Tasmania for several years. In his last expedition, he disappeared while attempting to chart and navigate a section of the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic...
, but it was again abandoned after one season.
It was not a fur trading
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
outpost although the site was later used by trappers in the Thelon River
Thelon River
The Thelon River stretches across northern Canada. Its source is Whitefish Lake in the Northwest Territories, and it flows east to Baker Lake in Nunavut. The Thelon ultimately drains into Hudson Bay at Chesterfield Inlet.-Geography:...
area. In 1897, a log cabin
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
, using one of the chimneys, was built by an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
trapper, Buffalo Jones.
Currently Fort Reliance, one of Canada's National Historic Sites, is listed by Parks Canada
Parks Canada
Parks Canada , also known as the Parks Canada Agency , is an agency of the Government of Canada mandated to protect and present nationally significant natural and cultural heritage, and foster public understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative...
as the "Oldest continuously operating Hudson's Bay Company post, 1833". Together with the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre
The Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre is the Government of the Northwest Territories' museum and archives. Located in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, the PWNHC acquires and manages objects and archival materials that represent the cultures and history of the Northwest...
, Parks Canada is working to preserve and protect the site, which has resulted in the chimneys being rehabilitated.
Climate
External links
- Narrative of the Arctic land expedition to the mouth of the Great Fish River, and along the shores of the Arctic Ocean in the years 1833, 1834, and 1835, complete text of the book by George Back at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
.