After a couple of tough summers due to flood related damage, Fort Whoop Up is optimistic about another season of spreading the word about southern Alberta history. While the Fort is already open, the official opening is June 1.

“The biggest thing is we’re not as focused on doing flood related work. We’re able to work on training our staff and focussing on being a historical site instead of a flood zone, said Fort Whoop Up executive director Doran Degenstein.
Last June, rising flood waters forced an army of volunteers to relocate and safely store 40,000 items and staff to completely refurbish the fort.
Fortunately the floods only destroyed two of the exhibits — a covered wagon exhibit which has been replaced with a new First Nations exhibit featuring ceremonial headdresses.
Degenstein said there isn’t much they can do to prevent floods and flood damage other than to ensure they have quick access to moving boxes and supplies.
“ We have a flood plan for the society, but we have limited resources. But we have a lot to learn from the events of the past two years. We looked at improving how we protect our collection,” he continued.
“ We have had a great amount of support form the 200 people who helped us to move 45,000 items that all needed to be boxed,” he said.
“ Now we have a cargo trailer dedicated to holding emergency supplies,” he continued.
Fort Whoop-Up covers several aspects of very exciting time in Southern Alberta and early Canadian history— 1870-72, which included a lot of American traders coming north to seek their fortunes in the lucrative buffalo robe trades with the Blackfoot people.
“ Principally we’re about the robe trade. And yes that included alcohol. Independent traders moved north into the British Possessions after the Blackfoot moved north after the Baker Massacre (Jan. 23, 1870),” he related.