Lower Fort Garry

Lower Fort Garry is a stone trading post along the Red River near Winnipeg, featuring warehouses, sales buildings, and administrative structures within fortified walls. The site preserves the original buildings from the fur trade era and shows how such a post functioned and operated.

The post was built between 1831 and 1846 for Hudson's Bay Company Governor George Simpson and served as a vital supply point for boat brigades. After the fur trade declined, the site underwent various uses before being preserved as a historic location.

The site shows how the fur trade brought people from different backgrounds together and shaped trading relationships in the region. Visitors can see today how commerce and daily interactions unfolded within these walls.

The site is accessible year-round, with guided tours and interpretive programs operating from May through September. It helps to wear comfortable shoes since the grounds are spacious and require considerable walking to explore.

The site is Canada's oldest surviving stone fortification and displays original stone buildings that preserve the craftsmanship and materials from the fur trade period. This type of construction was unusual for trading posts of that era, which were typically built from wood.