Alberta’s roots are in the North! Stretching for six kilometres along the south banks of the Peace River, Fort Vermilion beckons you to pack up and head north. The community offers many services, such as convenience and gas stations, pharmacy and hospital, golf course and RV Park. The community of Fort Vermilion dates back over 200 years, making it a candidate for the oldest settlement in Alberta.
Proud of its heritage, Fort Vermilion has preserved many of the old original buildings and has developed several displays that depict its history. The 1923 dovetailed log St. Germain House is now the Visitor Information Centre. The Lean-to Museum and Archives, built in 1955, features exhibits that include “Life Along the Peace”, “Fort Vermilion and the Fur Trade” and “58 North and Farming”, with artifacts dating back as far as the late 1700’s. Visitors will also find information on and artifacts from the Beaver, Dene and Cree First Nations, who gathered on the river banks at Fort Vermilion for thousands of years.
For more information about Fort Vermilion call (780) 927-3719.
Buttertown, the North Vermilion settlement, is located across the Peace River from Fort Vermilion. Residents of this community produced butter for trading, which lead to its name. A bridge to Buttertown was built in 1974. Prior to the building of the bridge, Buttertown was a self contained community with its own stores, churches and schools. Even though butter making is no longer a livelihood for the residents, Buttertown is still an active community and is recognized as an important part of Fort Vermilion’s past and contains several historic sites.
For more info about the Fort Vermilion Lean – To Museum and Archives call
(780) 927-4603
