Also known as Stuart Lake Post, this historic place is valued for its role as a fur trade post established in 1806 by the North West Company and in 1821 passed to the Hudson’s Bay Company. Both trading companies have strong affiliations with Francophone culture, in that many Voyageurs, trappers and traders were Francophones travelling with early European explorers.
As headquarters for HBC’s New Caledonia District, Fort St. James played a prominent role in the fur trade industry in north-central British Columbia. It was an important administrative communication and transportation link with Indigenous people throughout the north.
Though the post ceased trade operations and closed in 1952, it later opened for visitation as a museum. It features archaeological resources as well as several original buildings which help to interpret the history of the fort. The fort contains archaeological resources from the period 1806-1952 as well as original buildings.