Wheelstogogo Travel Tales.: Kootenay Post, NWMP Barracks at Fort Steele.

Friday 16 May 2014

Kootenay Post, NWMP Barracks at Fort Steele.

After leaving Creston we had a very pleasant 2 hour drive to Cranbrook, arriving for a late lunch, a bit of shopping and then relaxing in the sun for the rest of the afternoon.

Thursday another sunny day and off we go to Fort Steele 16km north os Cranbrook.

Lots to do and see here, but we will just concentrate on Kootenay Post, the Mounted Police Barracks.

The Administration building and Officers Mess.

The officer in charge was Sam Steele, we keep bumping into this chap all over Western Canada, the first time at Fort Battleford, Saskachewan I think he was a Sergeant there and then again at Fort Saskachewan, Alberta and now in British Columbia here at Fort Steele (named after him in appreciation of his efforts in preventing a war between the first nations and the ranchers) He sure gets around.

Here are the 4 officers and the doctor, the second in command Inspector Zachary Taylor Wood has an interesting story, his great grand father was the 12th. President of the USA and his uncle was Confederate President Jefferson Davis. He went on to become acting Commissioner of The Mounted Police and head of The Yukon Territory. His son went on to be come the Commissioner of the RCMP.

Officers mess, very upmarket they really knew how to look after themselves.

Going down market a little now the sergeants mess not so posh.

Their sleeping quarters I think there are 12 bunks in this room.

Sergeants mess room.

Sergeants mess, middle building, stable to the right and I think the one on the left is the hospital.

This is the constables mess and below where they slept. There was a school tip here and this is where the kids were bunking up. What a great place to go for a school outing, I wonder how long it will take to get the kids to get to sleep tonight, maybe they bring in a big fella in a red coat, black britches and a funny hat to growl at them.