We left Blackwell Island RV Park in Coeur, d’Arlene early this morning so that we could get to Fort Steele in time to visit the Fort Steele Heritage Town. We had no problems on the drive and surprisingly no problems crossing the border at Eastport/Kingsgate, British Columbia. They really didn’t ask too much about anything in the motorhome except to ask whether we were carrying any guns and have we ever carried any guns in the motorhome. They asked where we were from, where we were going, and what were Maryland gun laws in regard to carrying a concealed weapon. Probably the easiest crossing ever.
Fort Steele is a heritage town in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada. It is located north of the Crowsnest Highway along Highways 93 and 95, 16 kilometres northeast of Cranbrook. Fort Steele is linked to the discovery of gold on nearby Wild Horse Creek in the 1860’s. By 1865 there were approximately 5,000 prospectors. John Galbraith started a ferry that crossed the Kootenay River. At its peak use, passage was $5 per person and $10 per animal. However, the ferry was no longer needed when the first bridge was built in 1888. The name was changed from Galbraith’s Ferry to Fort Steele in honor of the Superintendent of ‘D’ Division for his efforts to establish peace between the Ktunaxa and the townspeople.
Today, Fort Steele Heritage Town represents a typical turn-of-the-century town of the East Kootenaya. Over 60 buildings and structures have been restored and reconstructed such as the Windsor Hotel (that is an open hotel that you can stay in), schools, churches, etc. We enjoyed investigating the town but especially liked the wagon ride and the train ride. When the lady that was driving the wagon heard that we would be in Calgary this weekend, she asked us to cheer for her boyfriend, Lyndon Woods who is competing in the bareback riding competition. The steam train ride is about 20 minutes with a stop halfway at a viewing platform that views the townsite of Fort Steele and the Kootenay and St. Mary Rivers. From the viewing platform above, you can see the 2 separate rivers as they have different colors. The conductor told us that is because one has traveled through a lake, while the other one has not which causes different levels of sediment, thus different colors.
It will be an early night for us tonight. No TV and very limited internet. Plus we need to get another early start tomorrow on our way to Calgary. The Calgary Stampede has been on my bucket list ever since we missed it on our last trip to Calgary over 20 years ago!
