A new, 10-year plan to increase visitorship to Fort St. Joseph has been approved by the federal government.
The Parks Canada Agency Act requires Parks Canada to prepare updated management plans on a periodic basis for national historic sites administered by the agency.
“The Government is committed to preserving our natural and cultural heritage, expanding the system of protected places and contributing to the recovery of species-at-risk,” stated Catherine McKenna, minister of Environment and Climate Change, who also serves as Minister responsible for Parks Canada, in a recently-issued official statement.
“At the same time, we must continue to offer new and innovative visitor and outreach programs and activities so that more Canadians can experience Parks Canada places and learn about our environment, history and culture. This new management plan for Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site of Canada supports this vision,” McKenna added.
“As the Minister responsible for Parks Canada, I applaud this collaborative effort and I am pleased to approve the Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site of Canada Management Plan,” McKenna wrote.
Management plans for tourist sites like Fort St. Joseph are drawn up through consultation and gathering input from various people and organizations, including Indigenous peoples, local and regional residents, visitors and Parks Canada staffers.
Currently, Parks Canada staff and volunteers tell Fort St. Joseph’s story to visitors through interactive activities and special events, the remains of the fort surrounded by natural beauty.
Visitors can enjoy several kilometres of hiking trails throughout the surrounding forest.
However, the new plan for the historic site aims to overcome what it calls ‘the seclusion of the site,’ by promoting the fort as a ‘must see’ attraction on St. Joseph Island and in the Algoma region, through integrating Fort St. Joseph in more island tourism initiatives, working in greater cooperation with local townships, the Chamber of Commerce, the Algoma Kinniwabi Travel Association and other partners, to boost the number of first and repeat visits by locals and tourists from Canada and abroad.
The goal is to increase overall visitation to the fort’s remains by five per cent within the next 10 years, the federal government report states, and raise the site’s presence on the tourism horizon through online and print media, and by offering more programs, services, activities, and special events at the fort.
There will also be a greater focus on recreation opportunities around the fort area, such as hiking, cycling and paddling, and more collaboration with First Nations and Métis communities to promote the site’s Indigenous history to visitors through cultural events and storytelling.
The Fort St. Joseph site consists of the remains of a former British outpost, constructed in the 18th century, on the southernmost point of St. Joseph Island.
The fort was a key military location in the War of 1812 and a meeting place for trade between the British and Indigenous peoples in the region.
Though Britain won the war against the U.S., ensuring eventual Canadian Confederation in 1867, American soldiers attacked Fort St. Joseph in 1814 and burned it to the ground, the British deciding not to rebuild the fort.