The Forks National Historic Site

Where history, culture, and the arts meet

Strategically located at the junction of two major rivers which form part of a vast continental network, this spot has witnessed many of the key events of Western Canadian history. This was a traditional native stopping place and for this reason La Vérendrye erected Fort Rouge near here in 1738. It has been a centre for trade and exploration, a focus for the first permanent European settlement in the Canadian West, cradle of the province of Manitoba, nucleus of the city of Winnipeg, a hub of rail and road transport, and the gateway for the settlement of the prairies.