DID YOU KNOW?
The Fort Vermilion Heritage Centre is operated by the Fort Vermilion Heritage Committee - and they are a committee of the Fort Vermilion Agricultural Society. This means that the Fort Vermilion Agricultural Society is the legal governing body of the Fort Vermilion Heritage Centre!
They have been faithful and generous in their support and we thank them for that!
FVAS Bursary
Offering $1000 to local students and possibility of matching NADC grant for $1000!
Download the PDF below for more information and to apply!
St. Henri Residential School
Who We Are
| |
-Tourist Information
Opened in 1995, the Fort Vermilion Heritage Centre is the nucleus of heritage preservation and conservation in the Fort Vermilion area. Boasting over 16,000 photos, 22,000 archives, 8000 objects and 2 heritage houses - there is much to explore! The history of the Fort Vermilion area is vast, fossils and bones ("Rocks Tell Tales" exhibit) are remnants of the pre-human history of the Fort Vermilion Area. "Weyiman Waskahikun Wehkohkewin (Fort Vermilion A Special Gathering Place)" is a tribute to the Dene Tha', Beaver and Cree nations. Agriculture, industry, and community events of days past compose our nuclear collection from the Fort Vermilion Experimental Farm (58° North and Farming).
"Boreal Beauty, Bounty and Balance" features the area's natural heritage. With these main exhibits, and a plethora of other displays and artifacts, the Fort Vermilion Heritage Centre is the premier historical resource in Mackenzie County.
Happy 50th Birthday to the Fort Vermilion Bridge!
Opened Sept 19, 1974 the bridge was a dream come true for locals and a tangible sign of development and progress in the area.
The plaque placed beside the bridge reads "A working monument to the explorers, missionaries, trappers, traders, farmers, teachers, workers and business men - native, white and from around the world who have worked together in this community since 1792."
Noted poet and stalwart of the community Elizabeth Ward-Rivard wrote a poem to commemorate the opening of the bridge. It reads:
THE FORT VERMILION BRIDGE
Thru the long years we waited
Tho it seemed an idle dream
To see a bridge near the old Fort
Right across this mighty stream.
Where the Peace flowed unchallenged
Since the dawn of time began
Now we see this giant structure
Built by skill and power of man.
Great chiefs and their warriors
Fought their battles here
While all our famed explores
Passed below these giant piers.
River craft from time forgotten
Made a highway of this stream
Birch canoe raft and dug-out
Boats powered by gas and steam.
Men came to seek adventure
Priest and Parson seeking souls
Rival traders fought their battles
Miners came in search of gold.
Men faced it's cruel hardships
Starved along its frozen shore
Faced its solitude and silence
Followed those who passed before..
Now no more stop or waiting
You can travel north or east
There's a bridge across the river
Near the old Fort on the Peace.
No more waiting for the breakup
Never mind the winter freeze
No more waiting for the ferry
You can cross just when you please.
This is a wonderful museum full of displays and information about the area, there are many hidden gems in this museum and any visitor to the oldest settlement in Alberta should consider visiting this museum and tourist information centre. 