The story of Pope John Paul II’s visit to Fort Simpson is well known across the territories.

In 1984, Pope John Paul II expressed that he wanted to meet with the Indigenous peoples in Canada during his upcoming cross-country tour. But he was prevented from landing due to fog.

He did so in September 1987. On his way to the United States for a papal visit, he stopped over in Fort Simpson for five hours.

Fort Simpson is situated on an island where the MacKenzie River meets the Liard River.

Photo: the Archives of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto