Fort de l'Isle
Encyclopedia
Fort de l'Isle is an archaeological site
that represents the remains of three trading posts used by the XY Company, the North West Company
and the Hudson's Bay Company
during the years 1799 to 1801. All three forts were located on the same island in the North Saskatchewan River
near the present-day town of Myrnam, Alberta
. In a celebrated case, a XY trader named LaMothe killed HBC employee James King. LaMothe was tried and convicted in Montreal, Lower Canada
; but because the Rupert's Land
was a separate territory from Canada LaMothe was freed. This led the Imperial Parliament in London to pass the Canada Jurisdiction Act of 1803, giving Canadian courts the power to rule on cases in the West. This was then used by the HBC and NWC in their later disputes against each other to arrest rival force them to go to trial in the East
. The site was recognized as a Provincial Historic Site in 1976.
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
that represents the remains of three trading posts used by the XY Company, 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...
and 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...
during the years 1799 to 1801. All three forts were located on the same island in the North Saskatchewan River
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....
near the present-day town of Myrnam, Alberta
Myrnam, Alberta
Myrnam is a village in east central Alberta, Canada. It is located approximately east of the capital city, Edmonton, and about east-south-east of the town of Two Hills. Its economic base is mixed farming, cattle farming, and grain farming.-History:...
. In a celebrated case, a XY trader named LaMothe killed HBC employee James King. LaMothe was tried and convicted in Montreal, Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
; but because the Rupert's Land
Rupert's Land
Rupert's Land, or Prince Rupert's Land, was a territory in British North America, consisting of the Hudson Bay drainage basin that was nominally owned by the Hudson's Bay Company for 200 years from 1670 to 1870, although numerous aboriginal groups lived in the same territory and disputed the...
was a separate territory from Canada LaMothe was freed. This led the Imperial Parliament in London to pass the Canada Jurisdiction Act of 1803, giving Canadian courts the power to rule on cases in the West. This was then used by the HBC and NWC in their later disputes against each other to arrest rival force them to go to trial in the East
Eastern Canada
Eastern Canada is generally considered to be the region of Canada east of Manitoba, consisting of the following provinces:* New Brunswick* Newfoundland and Labrador* Nova Scotia* Ontario* Prince Edward Island* Quebec...
. The site was recognized as a Provincial Historic Site in 1976.