Lower Fort Garry

Lower Fort Garry was built beginning in 1830 on high ground along the west bank of the Red River. It was constructed largely of limestone rather than timber, making it one of the oldest surviving stone fur-trade forts in North America; its enclosing walls and four corner bastions were finished in 1848 by soldiers of the British Army’s 6th Regiment of Foot. The fort stands about 32 km north of Fort Garry and was sited to avoid the portages around the St. Andrew’s Rapids.

For decades the fort served as the Hudson’s Bay Company’s supply and distribution centre for the Northern Department and supported the Red River Settlement and local Cree, Anishinaabe, Métis and European communities. It produced food, boats and equipment and hosted industrial activity including a flour mill, sawmill, forge and brewery; warehouses and the Big House and Fur Loft remain key features.

Lower Fort Garry has had varied later uses: it was the signing site of Treaty No. 1 on 3 August 1871, a training site for the North-West Mounted Police, and at times a penitentiary and private country club. Parks Canada restored the site as a living museum; the grounds and buildings have interpretive displays and occasional period demonstrations that illustrate life in the 19th-century Red River Settlement.

• Stone walls and corner bastions: The limestone curtain walls and four bastions are striking examples of 19th-century masonry and the fort’s attempt to protect company property.
• Big House and Fur Loft: These principal buildings housed senior officials and the trading office and give a sense of how the Hudson’s Bay Company operated at the post.
• Men's House and warehouses: Long storage and dormitory buildings show the scale of supply, boat-building and provisioning carried out at the fort.
• Treaty No. 1 site: A historically important location where Treaty No. 1 was negotiated and signed in August 1871, marked by interpretive information on-site.
• Red River setting: The riverside location offers views and context for the transport routes that made the fort strategically important.

The nearest major city is Winnipeg; the nearby regional town of Selkirk also serves as a local gateway. The site sits about 32 km north of central Winnipeg on the west bank of the Red River.

Major air access is via Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport and rail passengers arrive at Winnipeg’s Union Station; from Winnipeg or Selkirk the fort is reached by car, taxi or regional road links and the last stretch is on local roads - check Parks Canada or local maps for the best driving route and parking information.

• Check Parks Canada’s website or contact the visitor centre for current opening days, tours and special programming before you go.
• Wear sturdy shoes: paths, yards and some interiors have uneven limestone, gravel or board floors.
• Bring layers even in summer: warm daytime highs can be followed by cool evenings beside the river.
• Be respectful at the Treaty negotiation site and read the interpretive material about Indigenous histories before visiting.
• If you rely on public transport, plan for the last mile by taxi or ride service since direct public transit to the site is limited.