Fort St. Pierre

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Fort St. Pierre was the first La Verendrye fort built west of Fort Kaministiquia. It was built in 1731 when the first western commander started his explorations, fur trading and the search for the western sea. The fort was located at the west end of Rainy Lake near the mouth of Rainy River. The actual construction took place in the fall and was carried out by La Verendrye's nephew, Christopher Dufrost de La Jemeraye and his eldest son, Jean Baptiste de La Vérendrye while the father returned to Fort Kaministiquia for the winter. Although considered more symbolic than economic, the fort provided an early link in the important trade route from Montreal to the west.

La Colle, a Swampy Cree chief who assisted La Vérendrye a great deal, had his main camp in the vicinity of the fort. He and his warriors helped control the Sioux of the Prairies in the period that the La Vérendrye's were moving westward.

[edit] Modern Times

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A historical replica fort was built in present-day Fort Frances. This replica was destroyed in 2003 by using a flare and an accelerant due to safety concerns about the fort. The fire was so intense that you could feel the heat across the river at the La Vérendrye Parkway. The fort was part of the three attraction historical site in Fort Frances. The site consisted of the Hallet and one of the fire lookout towers in the area. It was how Fort Frances got the Fort part.