Fort Vermilion
One Of The Oldest European Settlements In Alberta, A Fur Trade Post On The Peace River With A Heritage Centre, A Pioneer Era Museum, The Fort Vermilion Area Farmland And Mennonite Communities, With A Bridge Over The River. A Quiet Northern Farming And River Community · Fort Vermilion, Alberta
Fort Vermilion is a farming and river hamlet of about 900 people on the Peace River in Mackenzie County, roughly 60 km east of High Level in far northern Alberta. A fur-trade post was set up here in 1788 by North West Company traders, making it one of the oldest European settlements in the province, and it later served as a Hudson Bay Company post, a mission base and a river landing. The Beaver, Cree and Slavey people have lived along these banks for far longer. Today the hamlet is known for the Fort Vermilion Heritage Centre, which tells the story of trade, steamboats and settlement, for deep, rich farmland that grows some of the northernmost wheat and canola on the continent, and for the nearby Mennonite communities of La Crete. A bridge now crosses the river where a ferry and a winter ice bridge once did (confirm). It is a quiet, spacious stop, where summer evenings stay light well past ten and the aurora shows in winter.
Fort Vermilion, a hamlet of about 900 people on the Peace River in the Mackenzie County of northern Alberta, about 60 km east of High Level; coordinates approximate, Fort Vermilion, Alberta, Canada
The hamlet and the riverbank are open all year, and the river views, historical signs and farm roads cost nothing at any hour. The Heritage Centre is seasonal or has limited days, often open daily or on most days from about late May to early September, with shorter hours in the shoulder months and winter by appointment (confirm). Local shops, the fuel stop and the cafe keep ordinary hours, often closing early on Sundays. Summer daylight lasts past 11 pm in late June, so long evening walks are easy. Winter is cold and dark, and services are reduced.