Fort Steele

Fort Steele grew from an 1864 gold rush on Wild Horse Creek and was named for Sam Steele, the North-West Mounted Police superintendent who defused a confrontation between settlers and the Ktunaxa in 1887 without a shot. The town expected the Crowsnest railway and did not get it; the line went to Cranbrook in 1898 and Fort Steele emptied within years. It was made a heritage town in 1961 and now has over sixty buildings, some original and some moved in, with costumed staff working a bakery, blacksmith, print shop and dry goods store, a steam locomotive running in season and horse-drawn wagons.

Highlights

• The 1890s streets - over sixty buildings with costumed staff at work.
• The steam train - a locomotive running a short line on the site.
• The working trades - bakery, blacksmith, printer and general store.
• The Ktunaxa and NWMP story - the 1887 standoff settled without violence.

When to go

May to September for full operation with staff, animals and the train; the site opens with reduced programming in shoulder seasons and largely closes in winter apart from Christmas events.

Practical notes

Outside summer most buildings are shut and there are no staff, which makes the ticket poor value. The site is large and involves a lot of walking on gravel. The steam train runs limited times.

Nearby

Kimberley lies northwest; Cranbrook is south.

Key facts