Fort Qu'Appelle and the Valley Lakes

A Town In A Broad Glacial Valley, Once A Hudson'S Bay Company Trading Post And The Site Of The Signing Of Treaty 4 In 1874, With A Chain Of Lakes Used For Swimming, Boating, Fishing And Summer Cottages. A Close Weekend Lake Escape For Regina, With A Museum In The Old Fort Building And A Beach At Echo Lake · Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan

Fort Qu'Appelle sits in the broad Qu'Appelle Valley about 70 km north-east of Regina, squeezed between Echo Lake and Mission Lake in a chain of lakes cut by glacial meltwater. The valley walls rise roughly 60 to 100 m above the water, covered in grass and aspen, which is a surprise after the flat prairie you drive across. The Hudson's Bay Company ran a post here from the 1860s, and in September 1874 Treaty 4 was negotiated and signed nearby with First Nations leaders, an event whose terms and promises are still discussed by the Treaty 4 nations today. A museum in town tells part of that story, and local First Nations organizations offer their own perspective. In summer the town fills with cottage owners from Regina, who swim at the Echo Lake beach, fish for walleye and pike, launch boats and sit on patios. Off season it is a quiet service town. Expect mosquitoes and the occasional blue-green algae warning, and confirm the museum's season first.

Fort Qu'Appelle, a town between Echo Lake and Mission Lake in the Qu'Appelle Valley about 70 km north-east of Regina; coordinates approximate, Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan, Canada

The town and its lake shores are open all year, but the beach, boat launches, ice cream and patio season runs roughly from the May long weekend to Labour Day, with the busiest days in July and August. The museum and visitor information are commonly open only in summer, often afternoons on most days, and may close in winter, so confirm dates and daily hours before driving out. Walking the main street, looking at the valley and sitting on public shore areas are free at any hour. Winter brings ice fishing and quiet streets, with most seasonal businesses closed.

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