Fort Richelieu, Military fort in Sorel-Tracy, Canada

Fort Richelieu was a wooden fort built at the mouth of the Richelieu River, on Île Sainte-Croix, at the site of present-day Sorel-Tracy. It was one of five forts raised along the river to protect travellers from Iroquois attacks, a chain that gave the region the name la Vallée-des-Forts. Nothing of the structure survives above ground.

Charles Huault de Montmagny had Fort Richelieu built on Île Sainte-Croix at the mouth of the Richelieu River; the first flotilla of 40 men arrived on 13 August 1642, and Father Anne de Noue blessed the unfinished fort. A week later, more than 300 Iroquois warriors attacked and were repulsed. The wooden fort was abandoned in 1646 and burned by the Iroquois in February 1647. In October 1665, Captain Pierre de Saurel rebuilt it under orders from Jacques de Chambly of the Carignan-Salières Regiment.

The fort's name honoured Cardinal de Richelieu (1585-1642), Louis XIII's chief minister. The site is tied to the birth of the Bourg de Saurel, today's Sorel-Tracy: the 1642 construction date is considered the town's founding. The region is informally called la Vallée-des-Forts, a name also given to Autoroute 35, which runs alongside these former fortifications.

The fort can be found today at a commemorative marker on du Roi Street near du Fort Street in Sorel-Tracy. The location is conveniently accessible within the city and offers information about the colonial fortifications at this historic site.

Archaeological work at this site continues to reveal artifacts from the 17th century that shed light on the daily life of colonists. These discoveries help researchers understand how people lived and worked in this early military installation.