Fort St. James, British Columbia
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| District of Fort St. James | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  British Columbia |
| Region | BC Interior |
| Regional district | Regional District of Bulkley Nechako |
| Founded | 1806 |
| Incorporated | 1952 |
| Government | |
| - Governing body | Municipal Council |
| - Mayor | Rob MacDougall |
| Area | |
| - Total | 22.11 km² (8.5 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 700 m (2,297 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| - Total | 1,355 |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| Postal code span | V0J 1P0 |
| Highways | 27 |
| Waterways | Stuart Lake, Stuart River, Necoslie River, Nahounli Creek |
| Website: District of Fort St. James | |
Fort St. James is a town and former fur trading post in north-central British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the south-eastern shore of Stuart Lake in the Bulkley-Nechako region, at the northern terminus of Highway 27. Founded by the North West Company explorer and fur trader Simon Fraser in 1806, it is one of British Columbia's oldest permanent European settlements. The fort, rebuilt four times, continued as an important trading post right into the twentieth century. Now the fort is a National Historic Site with some buildings dating to the 1880s. The community celebrated its bicentennial in 2006.
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[edit] History
As part of his commission from the North West Company, Fraser and his assistants John Stuart and James McDougall explored potential river routes to the Pacific Ocean from 1805 through 1808. Explorations in the Winter of 1805-06 by McDougall resulted in the discovery of Carrier's Lake, now known as Stuart Lake. In the heart of territory inhabited by the Carrier or Dakelh First Nation, this proved to be a lucrative locale for fur trading and so a post - Fort St. James - was built on its shore in 1806. In 1821, the fort came under the control of the Hudson's Bay Company, when the North West Company merged with it. It subsequently became the administrative headquarters of the Company's vast New Caledonia District.
The fur trade was slow to take route in the area, since the economy of the Dakelh people had been based on the fishery, rather than on trapping. In addition, there were customary and ceremonial restrictions which placed obstacles in the way of an efficient fur economy. Nonetheless, eventually the post became profitable, and continued to function until its closure in 1952.
[edit] Geography and climate
The community is located on the south-eastern shore of Stuart Lake, at the head of the Stuart River. Both the lake and the river are named for Fraser's assistant John Stuart, who would later become head of the New Caledonia District of the North West Company. Fort St. James is located in the sub-boreal spruce zone of British Columbia, a sub-division of the hemiboreal climatic zone. It is characterised by severe, snowy winters and short, warm summers. The region is rich in wildlife.
[edit] Population and Economy
The population of Fort St. James is around 5000, of whom about one quarter identify as being of First Nations origin [1]. The town is surrounded by numerous, small First Nations communities and reserves, including Binchie, Tachie, and Nak'azdli. The local economy is well diversified, although resource-oriented. The forest industries constitute the leading sector followed by mining, agriculture and tourism. Recent developments also include a small high technology sector .
[edit] References
[1] Population profile, including aboriginal component, Statistics Canada Census, 2001.
[edit] External links
- [2] - Municipal website, includes extensive community information.
- [3] - Fort St. James National Historic Site, Parks Canada website offers a good historical background.
- [4] - Bulkley Nechako Regional District website offers information about the surrounding area.
- [5] - The Caledonia Courier is the town's paper of record and is updated weekly.
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