TRAVEL LIKE A LOCAL | Top 10,000 Places to Visit in Canada
| Photo by Lindsay, ivebeenbit.caFort Smith is home to the Wood Buffalo National Park, which is the largest national park in Canada and the second-largest in the world.
It was established in 1922 to protect the world’s largest herd of free-roaming wood bison, currently estimated at more than 5,000.
Photo: Darren Roberts, NWT Tourism
Paddlefest is a celebration of the Slave River, one of the world’s best lesser-known whitewater paddling destinations. In Fort Smith, we are blessed to have access to this beautiful and mighty river, where pelicans and paddlers of all skill levels come to play in the world-class whitewater for the August long weekend.
Paddlefest includes all kinds of fun events like flat-water canoe races (tandem and voyageur), guided hikes, kids paddling games, whitewater kayak rodeos and races (beginner and advanced), stand-up paddleboard jousting, a beach-themed party, awards dinners, amazing food, and more.
Photo: slaveriverpaddlefest.ca
The Radium King was built in 1937 to haul ore on the Mackenzie River, and her tributaries. This included uranium used in the US atom bombs of World War II. Later in her active career, she hauled barges on Great Slave Lake.
In 1967 the boat was retired. Currently, she is on display outside the Northern Life Museum.
The Slave River white pelicans are a memorable wildlife experience.
Some of the most well-known birds of the Slave River are the majestic American White Pelicans. Each year around April 20, the white pelicans return from their southern wintering grounds to Fort Smith. They raise a new generation of pelicans.
The colony nest, feed and live on turbulent, whitewater rapids near Fort Smith. It is a unique habitat for this species. All other white pelican colonies nest and feed on calm-water lakes and ponds.
One of the best places to view the pelicans is at the Rapids of the Drowned right next to the town. The pelicans can also be seen on the Mountain Portage rapids just outside of town.
Photo: www.fortsmith.ca
The night is wrapped up with viewing our pristine northern skies, and with some luck, an aurora borealis display.
The annual Dark Sky Festival is hosted typically mid-to-late August in Fort Smith NT and the world’s largest dark sky preserve Wood Buffalo National Park.
Join us for an exciting multi-day journey of exploring the wonders of our universe and the sciences that makes it all work.
Our program offers a variety of afternoon activities and workshops for all members of the family and then it continues with evening events.
Photo: Mike Vassal, CBC
Northern Life Museum and Cultural Centre is a gem for history buffs and cultural enthusiasts. It features impressive cultural and natural collections from the region known historically as Thebacha (northern Alberta and the southern Northwest Territories).
The Northern Life Museum has a collection of over 13,000 artifacts.
Fort Smith Mission Heritage Park is all that remains of the original 151 acres / 61 hectare Oblate Catholic Mission.
For a period of a century between 1876 and the early 1980s, the Roman Catholic Church operated its mission to the entire western arctic from here.
The Fort Smith Mission Historic Park contains the only remaining official Catholic Bishop’s residence in the Northwest Territories.
A Canadian economist and banker Mark Carney was born in Fort Smith in 1965.
Carney served as the Governor of the Bank of Canada from 2008 until 2013.
He served as the Governor of the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020.
The Rusty Raven is a gallery and gift shop specializing in custom framing, northern art and crafts and great tea and specialty coffee.
Berro’s Pizzeria is the most well-known pizza place in Fort Smith. It is well-loved and admired by most of the residents for its authenticity and its specialty of ranges of pizza and other foods on the menu including burgers and donair.
It’s one of the local family businesses. It is also the most recommended place to go for tourists.
Richard Van Camp is well-known as an Indigenous author (Tłı̨chǫ Nation) and storyteller/writer for writing novels, short stories, and other writing crafts. Richard was born and raised in Fort Smith.
He is the author of 24 books. He also had a film adaptation of one of his popular novels called The Lesser Blessed. The film was released in 2012.
