Fort Steele Heritage Town
The Friends of Fort Steele Society is a not for profit, board of director run organization established in 1989 to manage Fort Steele Heritage Town on behalf of the Province of British Columbia.
In 1961, the Province declared Fort Steele a Historic Park with a mandate to “preserve, present, and manage for the public benefit the historic settlement of Fort Steele…”
Fort Steele is a living history museum. We bring our past back to life! Activities vary by season (and pandemic restrictions).
The Friends of Fort Steele Society took over full management of operations in 2004 under a long-term contract with the Province.
The Friends strive to build a sustainable future for Fort Steele by continuing conservation initiatives, building community partnerships, developing a sustainable funding model, and providing visitors with an experience that truly enables them to visualize a day in the life of Fort Steele in its heyday.
As a non-profit organization, our support network is our greatest asset in achieving these goals. With over 150 volunteers, countless community partners, and a dedicated staff (15 year-round, over 80 seasonal), ranging from Maintenance, a small administration team, Curatorial, theatre, education, trades, livestock train, retail and food service staff! While, to the naked eye, it might not look like much going on, but, with a site the size of Fort Steele, the worker bees are spread out and are rushing around making a whole lot happen!
Your admission goes towards a LOT of animal care and upkeep, keeping the grounds looking immaculate, programs getting developed for the season, and special events!
Fun fact: while many people see the animals on site, many overlook the mountainous costs associated with maintaining such an incredible breed of Clydesdales, not to mention all of our other 8 breeds of Heritage Livestock animals! Make sure to visit the livestock team to learn about the history, and the future of the Okalla Prison Farm Horse Blood line, it is exciting!
With the backdrop of the spectacular Rocky and Purcell Mountains. During the summer months, Fort Steele employs up to 80 staff! This incredible group of people pull together to bring you the best of the best where ever they can! From Day to day operations, to special events, our staff take immense pride in showcasing the incredible sites and history that Fort Steele has to offer! Of course, we ALWAYS welcome your thoughts, opinions and aspirations, even your criticisms (but, as we tell our staff, if you have a criticism, we hope that you would have a solution to fix it!)
Fun Summer Fact: Our aging train is nearing its centennial birthday! Did you know that each lap around the 4KM railway loop, comes at a staggering cost of $800!! (Its always the small things that are the most shocking!)
