Fort Rupert, British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Fort Rupert is the site of a former Hudson's Bay Company
fort which was built and first commanded by William Henry McNeill
in 1849 and later by John Work. It is located near present-day Port Hardy, British Columbia
on Vancouver Island
.
The community was named after Prince Rupert, the first governor of the Hudson's Bay Company
. The company attempted to exploit a local coal seam in 1851 but gave up the attempt the following year and moved its operation to Nanaimo
. Robert Dunsmuir
, later a coal baron and father of BC Premier James Dunsmuir
, began his life in British Columbia as a labourer in Fort Rupert with the Hudson's Bay Company.
by fish boat. This cannon is the only authenticated H.B. Co. brass piece in Canada. In 1976 the only cannon left overlooked the bay. Later, some scuba divers stumbled across 6 cannons on a sandy beach of an isolated bay in the region. Any cannons left in the area should be treated as museum pieces.
village of the Kwagu'ł (Kwagyewlth or Kwakiutl) subgroup where the opportunity exists to see native carvers working on totem poles or other artwork and traditional crafts. The band government of the Kwagu'ł is the Kwakiutl First Nation
.
Petroglyph
s, though difficult to find, do exist on the sandstone formations in the higher tidal zones below the old Hudson's Bay Fort site.
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...
fort which was built and first commanded by William Henry McNeill
William Henry McNeill
William Henry McNeill was best known for his 1830 expedition as the captain of the brig Llama, which sailed from Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 12,000 miles around Cape Horn, to the Pacific Northwest on a fur trading expedition.Boston merchants owned the brig whose cargo consisted of...
in 1849 and later by John Work. It is located near present-day Port Hardy, British Columbia
Port Hardy, British Columbia
Port Hardy is a district municipality in British Columbia, Canada located on the north-eastern coast of Vancouver Island. Port Hardy has a population of 3822 at last census...
on Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
.
The community was named after Prince Rupert, the first governor of 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...
. The company attempted to exploit a local coal seam in 1851 but gave up the attempt the following year and moved its operation to Nanaimo
Nanaimo, British Columbia
Nanaimo is a city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It has been dubbed the "Bathtub Racing Capital of the World" and "Harbour City". Nanaimo is also sometimes referred to as the "Hub City" because of its central location on Vancouver Island and due to the layout of the downtown...
. Robert Dunsmuir
Robert Dunsmuir
Robert Dunsmuir was a Scottish-Canadian coal miner, railway developer, industrialist and politician. -Origins in Scotland:...
, later a coal baron and father of BC Premier James Dunsmuir
James Dunsmuir
James Dunsmuir was a British Columbian industrialist and politician. Son of Robert Dunsmuir, he was heir to his family's coal fortune. The Dunsmuir family dominated the province's economy in the late nineteenth century and were a leading force in opposing organized labour...
, began his life in British Columbia as a labourer in Fort Rupert with the Hudson's Bay Company.
The Cannons
On June 6, 1889 the fort disappeared in flames. The charred remains of the fort were soon overgrown and all that remained was the huge stone chimney. The Nahwitti natives who lived near by salvaged many metal objects from the ruins. These include Knives, nails, hammers and anything useful. They also took the iron and brass canons. They even managed to take the eight pounders away from the fort. The native's village was called Ku-Kultz on the northern tip of Vancouver island. The natives kept the guns in the village. Visitors were surprised to see the guns in the village. In World War 2 an airforce base was established several miles from Ku-Kultz. Some of the servicemen learned about the cannons and after the war the cannons started to disappear. By the 1960s only 3 cannons remained at Ku-Kultz. By the end of the 60s only two pieces were left. The last remaining cannon was taken to VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
by fish boat. This cannon is the only authenticated H.B. Co. brass piece in Canada. In 1976 the only cannon left overlooked the bay. Later, some scuba divers stumbled across 6 cannons on a sandy beach of an isolated bay in the region. Any cannons left in the area should be treated as museum pieces.
First Nations
The present day village of Fort Rupert is an historic Kwakwaka'wakwKwakwaka'wakw
The Kwakwaka'wakw are an Indigenous group of First Nations peoples, numbering about 5,500, who live in British Columbia on northern Vancouver Island and the adjoining mainland and islands.Kwakwaka'wakw translates as "Those who speak Kwak'wala", describing the collective nations within the area that...
village of the Kwagu'ł (Kwagyewlth or Kwakiutl) subgroup where the opportunity exists to see native carvers working on totem poles or other artwork and traditional crafts. The band government of the Kwagu'ł is the Kwakiutl First Nation
Kwakiutl First Nation
The Kwakiutl First Nation is a First Nations government based on northern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, focused on the community of Port Hardy, British Columbia in the Queen Charlotte Strait region, and also known as the Fort Rupert Band, known in traditional Kwakwaka'wakw terms as...
.
Petroglyph
Petroglyph
Petroglyphs are pictogram and logogram images created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, and abrading. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions of the technique to refer to such images...
s, though difficult to find, do exist on the sandstone formations in the higher tidal zones below the old Hudson's Bay Fort site.