Fort William Highland Historical Park

Fort William Historical Park plays a vital role into the economic and social landscape of Northwestern Ontario. The Fort could be the world’s largest reconstructed fur trade post and one of Ontario’s leading outside tourist attractions.

The Park is working hard to aid and develop the tourism economic climate in both Thunder Bay as well as the surrounding area. Destinations offer the economy by providing things for tourist visits and spin-off advantageous assets to various other industry sectors. Included in the Ontario Tourism Strategy, the Fort has been centering on creating tourism thickness and building compelling grounds for people to go to Thunder Bay and area.

Part of this plan includes hosting larger-scale festivals including Anishnawbe Keeshigun, Rock the Fort plus the Voyageur Winter Carnival. Anishnawbe Keeshigun, brand-new in 2007, staged the region’s first-ever competitive pow-wow, attracting over 9, 000 visitors. The commercial impact with this event is expected at $1 million. The 2 sold-out Rock the Fort celebrations lured over 75, 000 clients combined, generating over $6 million in financial impact and involving over 70 neighborhood organizations.

Last year’s Voyageur Winter Carnival reached sold-out attendance, featured a patio wintertime stone concert, the town’s largest fireworks show plus the event’s first-ever pond hockey challenge. Its economic effect had been predicted at nearly $1 million.

The Fort features shown strong tourism management. In 2004, they began establishing the Kaministiquia River history Parkway (KRHP), highlighting a cluster of tourist attractions and tourism-related activities within the Kam River delta. The KRHP is a four-season, partner-based product made to increase income and attendance, and strengthen regional prosperity with a brand name that attracts domestic and US markets. Over 40 area tourist attractions and tourism-related functions have participated in the KRHP.

As an academic and social resource, the Fort welcomes college groups from across Ontario and the United States. These visits create financial benefits for assorted companies through the City of Thunder Bay.

The Fort's 25-acre website normally a favorite recording place, providing visibility for it self and Thunder Bay in outside markets. Filming at the Fort makes local economic benefits through accommodations, rentals, providing and short-term employment for technical support. Productions filmed in the Fort include “Les Printemps du Voyageur, ” “Destination Nord Ouest, ” “The Highland Empire, ” and “The Canadian Antiques Roadshow”.

Fort William Historical Park because of the numbers:
Workers: 27 full-time and 100-130 seasonal contract and summertime staff
Site visitors: over 100, 000 annually