Fort Whoop-Up

Where the St. Mary and Oldman rivers meet in the valley below Lethbridge, a wooden stockade recalls one of the wildest chapters in Canadian prairie history. Fort Whoop-Up was built in 1869 by American traders from Fort Benton, Montana, who came north to exchange whisky, guns and goods for buffalo robes with the Blackfoot peoples. The original was a fortified post of logs, and it quickly became notorious. Whisky traded here caused widespread suffering among Indigenous communities, and the lawlessness of the trade, together with the Cypress Hills Massacre of 1873, was a major reason the Canadian government created the North West Mounted Police in 1873. The force's famous march west in 1874 headed straight for this fort, though by the time the Mounties arrived, the traders had moved on.

The fort that stands today is a replica, built in 1967 as a Canadian centennial project in Indian Battle Park, which takes its name from the 1870 battle between Cree and Blackfoot fought on the river flats below. The buildings were reconstructed from historical descriptions and evidence, and inside you find the trading room, the living quarters and the stockade grounds, arranged to show how the fort worked. The interpretive centre uses displays, artefacts and film to explain the fur and robe trade, the Whoop-Up Trail that ran south to Montana, and the dramatic changes that overtook the plains in the 1870s.

A good visit includes the perspectives of the Niitsitapi, or Blackfoot Confederacy, whose homelands these are, and of the Métis and settlers who followed. The story is told with attention to the impact on Indigenous communities, rather than as a simple frontier adventure, and guides and exhibits explain the buffalo economy, the changes in land and power and the reasons behind the treaties. Costumed interpreters bring the post to life in summer, and special events recall the era with demonstrations, tours and community programmes. Seasonal hours apply, so check before travelling.

The fort is operated in association with the Galt Museum and Archives and sits within a short walk or drive of the High Level Bridge, which is visible from the site. The surrounding valley offers walking trails along the river, and the setting is pleasant in summer.

Visitors who are history readers, families and others interested in the early history of Alberta and the Indigenous nations of the plains find it a valuable stop.