March 1997

Government of the Northwest Territories
Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development
Parks and Tourism

Fort Smith Mission Historic Park

The Bishop's Residence in Fort Smith was built during the 1920s. For much of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, almost all Euro-Canadian activity in the Western Arctic that related to transportation, health care, education, and missionary work, centred on the residence and the complex that grew up around it.

In 1993, the site officially became Fort Smith Mission Historic Park. A master development plan was prepared in consultation with the community. The plan has guided the restoration and development of the site, so that it will become both a heritage resource valued by the community and an important tourism destination.

Work from 1993 to 1995 has included building repairs and the planting of garden plots using crops and methods in use three generations ago. Tours have been offered to give residents and visitors an appreciation both of the role that the Mission played in Western Arctic history and of the status of the restoration work.

In 1996 various outbuildings were repainted and ideas for a community garden were discussed. A hazardous waste assessment was initiated. This will develop a strategy for the identification and removal of substances such as loose asbestos fibres and two buried fuel tanks in buildings in the archaeologically sensitive area. St. Isadore’s church, originally on the site and moved when the Cathedral was built, is being moved back onto the site. The Grotto is being refurbished.

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