Fort de l'Isle

Fort de l'Isle is not a commercial brand but a historic fur-trade site in Alberta, Canada. The site consists of the remains of three trading posts that operated on an island in the North Saskatchewan River from approximately 1799 until sometime before 1808. It lies about 47 miles west of the Saskatchewan border and approximately seven miles north of Myrnam. The western end of the island is visible from the Alberta Highway 881 bridge, although the site itself is difficult to reach because the island is accessible only by boat or, in winter, by snowshoes. Strong river current makes a relatively powerful outboard motor necessary for a boat approach. The complex developed during a period of intense competition among the North West Company, the Hudson's Bay Company, and the XY Company. A trader identified in historical accounts as Mr. de Rochblave of the XY Company may have been the first of the three operators to arrive. In 1800, the Hudson's Bay Company and North West Company decided to abandon their posts at Buckingham House, also known as Fort George, and relocate roughly 20 miles upstream. The Hudson's Bay Company established Island House, with Henry Hallett building its principal structures by the autumn of that year. Construction of its stockade had to wait until spring, when logs could be floated down the river. François Decoigne, operating from Fort Augustus farther upstream, built Fort de l'Isle for the North West Company between the two other establishments. John McDonald of Garth managed the North West Company post during its first two years. The close proximity of rival companies reflected the commercial importance of the region, where traders sought furs from Indigenous communities and competed over supply relationships and claims to pelts. The site became associated with a significant legal and political episode in 1802. James King of the North West Company and Joseph-Maurice Lamothe of the XY Company traveled to an Indigenous camp several days away to collect furs each believed were owed to his company. A dispute arose when King attempted to take furs Lamothe claimed for the XY Company. After an exchange of words, Lamothe shot King. He was later indicted by a Montreal grand jury, but after traveling toward Montreal for trial he changed course and disappeared into the western interior. The incident contributed to uncertainty about the reach of Canadian law in regions beyond the Saint Lawrence basin and helped prompt the Canada Jurisdiction Act of 1803. That legislation extended the treatment of western offenses under Upper and Lower Canadian law and authorized the governor of Lower Canada to appoint justices of the peace in the West. The trading posts were eventually abandoned as the companies consolidated operations at Fort Edmonton upstream and Paint Creek House, later Fort Vermilion, downstream. David Thompson's 1808 journal indicated that the establishments were no longer operating by the time he passed the area. The surviving physical evidence is limited mainly to cellar depressions and piles of chimney stone. A commemorative marker was erected in 1960. The site is therefore best understood as an archaeological and historical location connected with the early Canadian fur trade rather than as an active business, consumer brand, or corporate organization.

Fort de l'Isle formed part of a cluster of competing fur-trade establishments on an island in the North Saskatchewan River in what is now Alberta. The location was roughly 47 miles west of the Saskatchewan boundary and about seven miles north of present-day Myrnam. Its development occurred during a period when trading companies were extending and reorganizing their western networks in response to competition for furs and Indigenous trading relationships. The earliest possible arrival at the location was Mr. de Rochblave of the XY Company, although the historical record does not establish this with certainty. In 1800, the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company decided to move their posts at Buckingham House, or Fort George, approximately 20 miles upstream. Henry Hallett of the Hudson's Bay Company built the principal structures of Island House by the autumn of that year. The stockade was postponed until spring because logs could then be floated down the river more effectively. François Decoigne, associated with Fort Augustus, built Fort de l'Isle for the North West Company between Island House and the XY Company establishment. John McDonald of Garth served as the North West Company post manager for its first two years. The presence of several posts in close proximity illustrates the rivalry among the Hudson's Bay Company, North West Company, and XY Company at the turn of the nineteenth century. In 1802, a conflict at the site or within its immediate trading sphere produced consequences that extended beyond the fur trade. James King of the North West Company and Joseph-Maurice Lamothe of the XY Company separately traveled to an Indigenous camp located several days away to recover furs they believed were owed to their respective employers. King attempted to take furs claimed by Lamothe, leading to an argument and Lamothe's shooting of King. A Montreal grand jury subsequently returned a true bill against Lamothe. Although he initially traveled to Montreal to face trial, he abandoned that course and disappeared into the western interior, beyond the immediate reach of colonial authorities. The prosecution highlighted unresolved questions about whether Canadian jurisdiction extended into territories beyond the Saint Lawrence basin. The controversy contributed to the enactment of the Canada Jurisdiction Act of 1803. The act provided that offenses committed in the western territories would be handled in a manner comparable to offenses in Upper and Lower Canada. It also enabled the governor of Lower Canada to appoint justices of the peace in western regions. The resulting extension of legal authority was itself controversial and later contributed to further difficulties in the administration of the western fur trade. The three establishments did not remain in operation for long. They were abandoned in favor of Fort Edmonton upstream and Paint Creek House, subsequently known as Fort Vermilion, downstream. David Thompson's journal entry from 1808 suggests that the posts had disappeared or ceased operating by the time he passed the area. Their short life reflects the fluidity of early western trading networks, in which companies opened, moved, and consolidated posts as commercial priorities and competitive conditions changed. The remains are archaeological rather than architectural. Visible traces include depressions marking former cellars and piles of stone from chimneys. A marker was installed in 1960 to identify and commemorate the location. The island can be reached by boat, subject to strong current, or by snowshoes in winter. The western end can be viewed from the Alberta Highway 881 bridge, but the site is not an accessible operating settlement or business. Its significance lies in its connection to the early North Saskatchewan River fur trade and to the legal history surrounding the extension of Canadian jurisdiction into the West.

• 1960

  Commemorative marker installed

  [1]Fort de l'Isleen.wikipedia.org

  A marker was erected at the site to commemorate the former trading posts.

• 1808

  Posts are reported as abandoned

  [1]Fort de l'Isleen.wikipedia.org

  David Thompson's journal implied that the trading posts were no longer operating when he passed the area.

• 1803

  Canada Jurisdiction Act is enacted

  [1]Fort de l'Isleen.wikipedia.org

  The legal controversy surrounding Lamothe's case helped lead to legislation extending the handling of western offenses under Upper and Lower Canadian law and allowing the appointment of western justices of the peace.

• 1802

  Lamothe–King shooting

  [1]Fort de l'Isleen.wikipedia.org

  A dispute over competing claims to furs ended when XY Company trader Joseph-Maurice Lamothe shot North West Company trader James King.

• 1800

  Hudson's Bay Company and North West Company relocate upstream

  [1]Fort de l'Isleen.wikipedia.org

  Both companies abandoned their posts at Buckingham House or Fort George and moved approximately 20 miles upstream, leading to the establishment of the island trading-post complex.

• 1800

  Island House structures are built

  [1]Fort de l'Isleen.wikipedia.org

  Hudson's Bay Company trader Henry Hallett completed the main buildings of Island House by autumn; the stockade was built the following spring when river transport of logs was practical.

• 1800

  North West Company fort is established

  [1]Fort de l'Isleen.wikipedia.org

  François Decoigne built Fort de l'Isle for the North West Company between the neighboring Hudson's Bay Company and XY Company posts.

• 1799

  Trading activity begins at the island site

  [1]Fort de l'Isleen.wikipedia.org

  The three-post complex is generally dated from approximately 1799, with Mr. de Rochblave of the XY Company identified as a possible early arrival.

1. 1Fort de l'Isleen.wikipedia.org