Laninga's Travel Blog

Fort Steele was founded in 1864 to support the gold rush of that area.   In fact,  more gold was mined here than in California.  After the gold rush, the city continued to grow.   However,  the railroad decided to build a new station to what is now Cranbrook,  and Fort Steele became a ghost town. 

The town was named after famed NWMP Superintendent Sam Steele, legendary lawman who settled a major dispute between town folks and the First Nation people.

In the late 1970’s there was a move to restore the town as a historical center,  and it is now open for reviewing life in the 1890’s.  It is now one of the premier tourist attractions in BC, attracting millions of visitors. 

Below is a collage of some of the images we took on our visit.