Kootanae House
A former North West Company fur-trading post established in 1807 near the junction of Toby Creek and the Columbia River in present-day British Columbia.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Kootanae House, also recorded as Kootenae House, was an early nineteenth-century fur-trading post operated by the North West Company in the Columbia Basin of what is now British Columbia, Canada. It was built in 1807 by Jaco Finlay under the direction of explorer and fur-trade administrator David Thompson. The post stood near the junction of Toby Creek and the Columbia River, close to present-day Invermere in the Regional District of East Kootenay. The establishment formed part of the North West Company's effort to expand its network west of the Rocky Mountains and to develop commercial relationships with Indigenous communities in the Columbia Basin. For Thompson, Kootanae House was particularly significant because it was his first post constructed in the basin and served as a base for subsequent exploration and travel through the region. The post's name reflects the company's engagement with the Ktunaxa, also known historically in English sources as the Kootenay or Kootenai people, although historical terminology and colonial records should be understood in their period context. Kootanae House was abandoned in 1812. Hostilities involving the Peigans east of Howse Pass made the post's location and supply connections difficult to maintain. After abandonment, the physical trading post ceased to operate, and it is not a continuing commercial brand or active company. Its historical importance instead lies in its role in the expansion of the North West Company's inland trading network, the exploration of the Columbia Basin, and the history of relations between fur-trade companies and Indigenous nations. The location of the post was later commemorated and protected as Kootanae House National Historic Site of Canada. The site received national historic designation in 1934, and a commemorative plaque was erected in 1938. The land associated with the former post was donated to the Government of Canada in 1935. Because early surveying and geographical calculations were imprecise, David Thompson's recorded coordinates differ from the location identified by later research. In July 2005, Parks Canada worked with members of the Ktunaxa Nation on archaeological investigations at the site near Invermere. The work confirmed that the location corresponded to a North West Company trading post and helped resolve inconsistencies between the archaeological evidence and Thompson's descriptions. Interpretive signs were installed in 2009 to explain the site's history to visitors. Today, Kootanae House is best understood as a preserved and interpreted historical site associated with Canada's fur-trade era rather than as an operating consumer brand.
History
Kootanae House was established in 1807 during the North West Company's expansion into the Columbia Basin. Jaco Finlay constructed the post under the direction of David Thompson, a leading explorer and mapmaker associated with the company. Its position near the junction of Toby Creek and the Columbia River placed it within an important interior travel and trading corridor near the modern community of Invermere, British Columbia. The post served both commercial and exploratory purposes. As a North West Company trading station, it supported the exchange of furs and other goods within the company's competition-driven inland network. It also gave Thompson a base from which to travel and investigate the Columbia Basin. The post is consequently associated with the company's efforts to establish routes, relationships, and supply points west of the Rocky Mountains. Historical records connect the post with trade involving Indigenous communities in the region, including the Ktunaxa, while also documenting tensions affecting travel across the mountain passes. In 1808, Thompson recorded a position for Kootanae House at approximately 50°32′12″N 115°56′15″W. Later examination placed the actual site farther west, at approximately 50.526624°N, 116.045440°W. The difference is attributed to the limitations of early surveying and measurement rather than to the existence of a separate post. Kootanae House was abandoned in 1812, in part because hostilities from the Peigans east of Howse Pass made continued operation unsafe or impractical. The post did not survive as an active commercial establishment. Its later significance developed through historical commemoration and archaeological research. The site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1934. The associated land was donated to the Government of Canada in 1935, and a commemorative plaque was placed in 1938. A major later phase of investigation occurred in July 2005, when Parks Canada worked with members of the Ktunaxa Nation on archaeological research near Invermere. The investigations confirmed that the location represented a North West Company trading post and helped reconcile archaeological evidence with details in Thompson's account. In 2009, interpretive signs were added for visitors. Kootanae House is therefore a historical entity rather than an active brand. Its surviving importance comes from its connection to the North West Company's fur trade, David Thompson's exploration of the Columbia Basin, the history of Indigenous-European commerce and conflict in the region, and Canada's system of national historic sites.
- 2009
Visitor interpretation improved
[1]Signs explaining the history of Kootanae House were added for visitors.
- 2005
Archaeological investigations conducted
[1]Parks Canada and members of the Ktunaxa Nation investigated the site and confirmed its association with a North West Company trading post.
- 1938
Commemorative plaque installed
[1]A plaque was erected at the nationally recognized historic site.
- 1935
Land donated to the Government of Canada
[1]The land on which the trading post had stood was donated to the Government of Canada.
- 1934
National historic designation
[1]The former trading-post site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada.
- 1812
Trading post abandoned
[1]Kootanae House ceased operating amid hostilities from the Peigans east of Howse Pass.
- 1808
Thompson records the post's position
[1]David Thompson recorded coordinates for the post, although later research found that the recorded position differed from the actual site.
- 1807
Kootanae House established
[1]Jaco Finlay built the North West Company trading post under David Thompson's direction near the junction of Toby Creek and the Columbia River.
Products and positioning
An inland fur-trade outpost and exploratory base of the North West Company in the Columbia Basin.
Product categories. Furs and pelts traded through the North West Company's inland fur-trade network · Trade goods exchanged with Indigenous communities, although the surviving reference material does not provide a complete inventory
Brand decisions
1934
National historic-site designationOtherBackground
The former trading post had ceased commercial operations but retained significance for the history of the fur trade and exploration in western Canada.
Action taken
The site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada.
Aftermath
The designation established the site's principal modern identity as a heritage place rather than an operating trading business.
1807
Establishment of an inland Columbia Basin postStrategyBackground
The North West Company was extending its fur-trade network west of the Rocky Mountains and needed a base for commerce and exploration in the Columbia Basin.
Action taken
Jaco Finlay constructed Kootanae House under David Thompson's direction near the Columbia River and Toby Creek.
Aftermath
The post became Thompson's first North West Company post in the Columbia Basin and supported further exploration, but it was abandoned in 1812 after regional hostilities affected its viability.
Recent events
- 2009
Interpretive signs added at the historic site[1]
Other
New signage was installed to provide visitors with information about Kootanae House and its historical context.
- 2005
Archaeological investigation confirms the Kootanae House location[1]
Other
Parks Canada and members of the Ktunaxa Nation conducted archaeological work that confirmed the site as a North West Company trading post and addressed discrepancies in historical location descriptions.
- 1938
Commemorative plaque erected at Kootanae House[1]
Other
A plaque was installed to mark the nationally designated historic site.
- 1934
Kootanae House receives designation as a National Historic Site of Canada[1]
Other
The former trading-post site was formally recognized for its importance in Canadian history.
Sources1 sources
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