Kakabeka Falls and Fort William

Today was drizzly and cool, a nice reprieve from sunny, warmer temps of 75-85. Fun fact - remember the Grand Portage? The trade route Indigenous tribes used from Lake Superior, canoeing upriver, and then portaging to avoid High Falls? After the American revolution and the establishment of America, the Grand Portage area became American territory. The Northwest Company (fur traders) did not want to pay US tarrifs, so they created a different inland headquarters, named it Fort William (after one of the founders), and then created a new portage route/strategy to get around Kakabeka Falls.

See pics to understand why they needed to avoid the falls. (Hint: it's called the Niagara of the North). We thoroughly enjoyed ambling along the cliffs and forests overlooking the Kaministiquia River and Kakabeka Falls. Stunning! On top of these views, my ever-alert birding sister noticed an American Redstart, a beautiful little bird. It hopped away too fast for a picture, so I'll supply one from the internet. It was so fun to see this colorful bird!

Fort William Historical Park is a lovely, well-maintained, and very spread-out complex of 50 historical buildings that replicate the North West company's 1815 fur trade headquarters. Workers are dressed in authentic clothing and act the parts. Armed with rain gear and umbrellas for intermittent drizzles, we roamed from building to building, learning A LOT about life in this area in the 1800s. A pleasant and entertaining day!Read more