Fort Steele, British Columbia

There was never a fort here. The town was originally named Galbraith's Ferry, after the name of the local river crossing. A police compound was later built and some structures looked like a fort. The town adopted the name Fort Steele in 1888.

Preservation and restoration of this historic site was once managed by a government or private entity. Sloppy and too cheap to care, that management led to bad reviews. In 2004, the Friends of Fort Steele Society took over operations at the site. The Province of British Columbia granted $500,000 to the Society, and the results are excellent. This is one of the best sites of its kind anywhere. Five stars.