When he saw them tearing up the land to take away the silver, he created a great storm on the lake to capsize their canoe. As a punishment, he was turned to stone and sleeps in the harbour to this day, never to wake until all people have learned to live in harmony. Fort William is named for the fur trading fort established here in the early 1800s. Here, visitors see the daily arrival of the huge freight canoes from Montreal, the cannons fired as a greeting, and the daily life of a fort that saw its population swelled by thousands every summer. Visitors are encouraged to explore the buildings and the native encampment by the gate, and to ask all the questions they want.
Staff carries out the daily chores of feeding, housing, and caring for so many people.
You can see for yourself the class divisions, with rough, crowded rooms for the voyageurs and the curtained beds and fine dining room provided for the gentlemen. The doctor offers gruesome cures for whatever ails you, most usually involving sharp instruments and no anesthetic, and in the square, a fiddler strikes up a tune for dancing. At Old Fort William, it's easy to see that Toronto and Montreal seemed much more than a thousand miles away, while the west was on the doorstep. Travelling back in time at Old Fort William makes it rather a shock to return to the present. In the city, you'll want to visit Thunder Bay Museum, housed in a building originally meant as a courthouse, and with all the dignity marble and wooden panelling and high ceilings can provide.