BATTLEFORD — After one year of only offering self-guided tours, Fort Battleford will reopen May 23, with some staff for the summer season.
Lisa Leuty, public relations and communications officer, Saskatchewan south field unit, Parks Canada/Government of Canada tells the Battlefords News Optimist and Â鶹´«Ã½AV.ca, “Fort Battleford National Historic Site operates on a seasonal basis from May to September. This short-term operation can sometimes make it challenging to hire staff. This was the case for the 2023 summer season and the reason that the fort was only open for self-guided tours. Parks Canada’s goal is to have the site open during the summer season and this year we have sufficient staff to open for a few days a week.
Leuty said, in addition to the Fort opening, Parks Canada, Indigenous partners, municipalities and community groups from the Battlefords region have formed a working group to discuss the role of Fort Battleford in the community and region and to collaborate on ways to share the broader history through the many perspectives of those who are connected to the events of 1885.
One of the goals of the working group is to create a gathering space for the community where everyone feels welcome, and to provide input on the short, medium and long-term plans for the visitor experience offered at Fort Battleford.
Fort Battleford National Historic Site will be open five days a week, Thursday to Monday, beginning May 23, 2024. For a full list of operating hours and dates, visitors can check out the website at .
Marking the start of the season, there will be a special event held May 25 from 1 to 3 p.m. when visitors can tour the site and enjoy complimentary refreshments as well as learn more about tourism and culture in the Battlefords by checking out displays from local partners. There will be Parks Canada representatives attending the event along with working group members and tourism and cultural organizations from the Battlefords region.
The working group welcomes and encourages anyone who is interested and excited about the Fort to attend the season launch and Tourism Fair on May 25. For other activities planned this summer, keep an eye on the website and social media.
Fort Battleford will have seven staff members plus the visitor experience co-ordinator and site manager. Three staff members will be part of the maintenance team while the other four staff members will be part of the visitor experience team.
Leuty affirms some of the highlights of reopening will include: “Visitors will be able to enjoy the activities in the Visitor Centre and exhibits in the Barracks #5 building, as well as self-guided tours of the Fort and outdoor greenspaces.
“During this time of renewal, the site will be offering a series of activities throughout the Visitor Centre and Barracks #5 to invite learning through shared perspectives. It will provide an opportunity for visitors to share what they would like to do, see and experience at the Fort in the future.”
“Although we are happy to once again welcome visitors in-person, admission is free this season while we develop programming, plans for the future and seek broader community input.”
As with any summer attraction, some of the challenges Parks Canada is experiencing includes staffing a site that is only open for a few months of the year. Also challenging is preparing a Visitor Centre to welcome guests after being closed in 2023, while at the same time managing the maintenance that is necessary at a national historic site, acknowledges Leuty.
“The support from the working group and dedicated staff have helped to make this achievable. It is also difficult to reopen knowing that we do not have exhibits that tell the entire history of the Fort, particularly where the events of 1885 are concerned. We will be working on an approach to tell Indigenous stories from many perspectives in collaboration with Indigenous leaders in the community,” adds Leuty.
Fort Battleford National Historic Site shares a Facebook page with other national historic sites in Saskatchewan. You can follow their page at: or on the X (formerly Twitter) account at @ParksCanada_SK.
