Fort Rouillé, French colonial fort in Toronto, Canada
Fort Rouillé was a French military post made of timber buildings enclosed by a square palisade measuring 180 feet (55 meters) on each side. The settlement at present-day Exhibition Place formed a compact defensive compound along the shore of Lake Ontario.
Pierre Robinau de Portneuf built the post in 1751 after leaving Montreal to strengthen French presence on Lake Ontario. French troops burned the compound themselves in 1759 as British forces advanced during the Seven Years War.
The French name honors Antoine Louis Rouillé, a naval minister who never traveled to Canada. Soldiers and traders lived together here, exchanging European tools for furs with the Anishinaabe peoples.
Concrete markers on the Exhibition Place grounds show the original position of the wooden palisade and its corners. An obelisk with two cannons marks the spot near the waterfront, where visitors can walk along the shoreline paths.
The palisade contained separate rooms for a blacksmith, guards, officers and storage supplies within its four timber walls. The entire structure lasted only eight years before being burned down to avoid falling into British hands.
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