Located across the river from Mackenzie Cairn, the flag shows the location of the original fort, which was erected in 1792 for the North West Company. Sir Alexander Mackenzie wintered at Fort Fork in 1792. David Thompson also wintered here in 1802. The fort was abandoned in 1805 and has since been almost completely eroded by the river. The cairn to commemorate Fort Fork was erected on River Lot 19 in 1929, on land donated by Joseph Neff.
"Paddling furiously along the Peace River to beat freeze up, Alexander Mackenzie and his crew must have been very glad to reach the area where Fort Fork was to be built and where they were able to find shelter from the coming winter weather. Soon after his arrival, Mackenzie observed “the river stopped,” indicating freeze-up had arrived! Mackenzie, a Scottish-born explorer and fur trader, was to spend the winter of 1792 – 93 at Fort Fork before continuing on his famed journey to the Pacific Ocean. Fort Fork was named for its close proximity to the convergence of the Smoky and Peace Rivers. The fort provided shelter for Mackenzie and, several years later, the explorer–geographer David Thompson. The fort was also the main North West Company post in the Peace Country until 1806, when its operations were moved to Fort Dunvegan. Stones from an original chimney in the fort have been preserved and fashioned into a fireplace for the public to view at the Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre."
