Welcome to Fort St. James!

Fort St. James is the oldest established community west of the Rocky Mountains. The community began in 1806 as a post along the western fur trading route. Simon Fraser brought the North-West Company (later the Hudson’s Bay Company) to the shores of Stuart Lake and the surrounding area, naming the territory New Caledonia. New Caledonia was the administrative centre of the northern fur trade, and Fort St. James was its capital.

Today the community of Fort St. James boasts a population of about 2,200 people. It is a small northern town located along the southern shores of Stuart Lake. Fort St. James is a service centre for the 1,700 residents of smaller communities and more remote residences scattered throughout the forest district. The nearest large community is Vanderhoof, about 40 minutes away down Highway 27. The nearest city is Prince George, about an hour and a half away.

The Fort, as you will come to know it, is a lot like any other northern community: reliant on resources, community spirit, and friendships. Communities in the Fort St. James Forest District depend heavily on the forest industry. Forestry is responsible for 46% of basic employment and 39% of basic incomes in the district, with approximately 1,000 direct jobs in harvesting, processing, silviculture and non-rail transportation.

Mining was responsible for the development of access throughout the district, and continues to be an important activity. A major mine development is underway in the adjacent Mackenzie Forest District, an operation which will have economic impacts for Fort St. James.

The district includes portions of the traditional territories of four First Nations groups (Carrier, Sekani, Gitxsan and Tahltan), and is currently the subject of several land claims. The Nakadz’li Band maintains an office on their land immediately adjacent to the town, providing band members with health, housing and other services. The band operates T’loh Forest Products, a value-added mill located near town. The Yekooche Nation is located on Stuart Lake. The Takla Lake Band operates Takla Development Corporation, which includes forestry operations. A majority of the members of the Tl’azt’en Nation live at Tachie. The community operates Tanizul Timber, which holds a 25-year renewable Tree Farm Licence #42, the only TFL in the forest district. There are also small First Nations communities at Bear Lake and Middle River.

Other sawmills in the district are operated by Canadian Forest Products, Apollo Forest Products, and Stuart Lake Lumber. There are three value-added mills in the district, operated by T’loh Forest Products, Ft. St. James All Nations and Pinespar. Over fifty logging contractors and silviculture contractors are active in the District.

The town offers all the conveniences of the commercial world (including grocery stores, restaurants, beauty parlours, clothing and department stores), and supports a thriving small business community, providing everything from consulting services and computer services. Community services include provincial government offices (Government Agent, Childern and Families, Health, Water Land and Air Protection, and Forests), federal government offices (Canada Post, Employment and Immigration, Royal Canadian Mounted Police), elementary and high schools, post-secondary education, health care and employment services.

If you are out for a night on the town you have your choice of many restaurants, the neighbourhood pub, the Legion or the famous "Zoo". The local movie theatre offers a weekly line-up of first-run films. Bingo is a popular activity in the town, and there is an opportunity to daub almost every night of the week. If your tastes runs more to the cocooning side of things, you can always order pizza from one of many take-out places, and snuggle onto the couch to enjoy a video from one of four video outlets.

When you ask most people about Fort St. James the first thing they mention is recreation. The lakes. The fishing! The hunting! The snowmobiling! The skiing! and boarding! Numerous year-round recreation activities abound, and there is something for almost everyone, at any time of the year. Camping, boating, fishing and hunting are among the most popular recreation activities, while others include cross country skiing, snowmobiling, ice boating, canoeing, sailing, and hiking. There is a steady year-round tourist presence in town, whether it be for the history, the fishing,or the scenery.Fishing in this area is world renowned. The Sustut River, to the north of the forest district, is a Class 1 angling river. Fly fishers from around the world travel to the Sustut to fish for salmon and trophy-sized steelhead trout.

There are a number of recreation organizations in Fort St. James, providing activities for children and adults alike. Organized sports include hockey, basketball, curling, badminton and tennis, various forms of softball, figure skating, and speed skating. At any time of the year you can participate in indoor sports like badminton, basketball, indoor soccer and karate. The facilities at the local exercise gym help keep residents trim and healthy. And in the spring and summer you can face the challenges of one of the nicest 9-hole golf courses in the province, looking out over Stuart Lake.

It seems there is never a shortage of things to do in the Fort - if anything, there never seems to be enough time! If sports and outdoor recreation are not to your liking there are a number of community groups and organizations to keep you busy. You can immerse yourself in Guides and Brownies, the Community Arts Council or the local library. For those more musically inclined the Music Makers Society provides an opportunity to tread the boards.

The original Hudson’s Bay Fort has been reconstructed, and is maintained as a national historic park. Some of the original buildings have been restored, and are open to the public each summer. Tour groups and travellers often turn off the main highway and make the trip up Highway 27 just to visit the Fort!

The Fort St. James Forest District offers the opportunity to live and work in close proximity to all this.