Fort Kaministiquia

Fort Kaministiquia was a French trading post built at the mouth of the Kaministiquia River in present-day Thunder Bay. The location controlled a crucial route between Lake Superior and the western territories that explorers sought to reach.

French officer Zacharie Robutel de la Nouë founded the fort in 1717 as part of a chain of trading bases. It later became a base for explorer Pierre Gaultier de la Vérendrye's expeditions into western North America.

The fort served as a place where French traders and local Indigenous nations met to exchange goods and ideas. These interactions shaped the early commercial networks that connected eastern and western territories.

The original fort location now lies beneath Thunder Bay's downtown area and cannot be directly visited as a physical site. A plaque or historical marker near the City Hall building at 500 Donald Street East indicates where the fort once stood.

The fort became known more for supporting exploration journeys than for any military function. Its value lay in serving as a supply point and meeting place for traders and explorers heading westward.