Named by association with Moat Lake.
Portrait of Sir Sandford Fleming by John Wycliffe Lowes Forster, 1892
Wikipedia [accessed 15 October 2025]
Sir Sandford Fleming, FRSC KCMG
b. 7 January 1827 — Kirkcaldy, Scotland
d. 22 July 1915 — Halifax, Nova Scotia
By 1871, the strategy of a railway connection was being used to bring British Columbia into federation and Fleming was offered the chief engineer post on the Canadian Pacific Railway. Although he hesitated because of the amount of work he had, in 1872 he set off with a small party to survey the route, particularly through the Rocky Mountains, finding a practicable route through the Yellowhead Pass. One of his companions, George Monro Grant, wrote an account of the trip, which became a best-seller. In June 1880, Fleming was dismissed by Sir Charles Tupper, with a $30,000 payoff. It was the hardest blow of Fleming’s life, though he obtained a promise of monopoly, later revoked, on his next project, a trans-pacific telegraph cable. Nevertheless, in 1884 he became a director of the Canadian Pacific Railway and was present as the last spike was driven.
Mary Jobe posed in winter amoungst trees in beaded buckskin clothing. n.d.
Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies
Mary Lenore Jobe Akeley [1878–1966]
b. 1878 — Tappan, Ohio, USA
d. 1966 — Mystic, Connecticut, USA
Jobe Akeley was an American explorer, author, mountaineer, and photographer. She undertook expeditions in the Canadian Rockies and in the Belgian Congo. She worked at the American Museum of Natural History creating exhibits featuring taxidermy animals in realistic natural settings. She worked on behalf of conservation efforts, including being one of the first advocates for the creation of game preserves. She also founded Camp Mystic, an outdoor camp for girls.
Jobe Akeley explored the Mount Sir Alexander area in 1914 and 1915, on expeditions guided by Donald “Curly” Phillips [1884–1938] of Jasper.
In 1924, Mary Jobe became the second wife of Carl Akeley (1864–1926), an explorer, natural scientist, sculptor, inventor, and “father of modern taxidermy”. On their first visit to Africa in 1926, Akeley died of disease in the remote mountains of the Congo. Jobe remained to take charge of his work, collecting specimens, and when she returned to the United Stated in 1927 she succeeded her husband as advisor in the development of the African Hall at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. In the same year, King Albert of Belgium awarded her with the Cross of the Knight, Order of the Crown, in recognition of her courage and service.
She revisited the Congo in 1946 to study the development of the parks system. Between her travels she lectured and wrote several books on her African experiences. She died in 1966, never returning to the mountains of western Canada.
Sir Alexander Mackenzie [1764–1820] set out from Fort Chipewyan on his expeditions down the Mackenzie River and to the west coast [1].
Fort Chipewyan is Fort No. 109 in Ernest Voorhis [1859–1933], “Historic forts and trading posts” [2]:
North West Co. fort on lake Athabaska. The first fort in this region was built by Peter Pond on Athabaska river about 50 miles above the outlet, on west side. Athabaska river and lake were called Elk river and Lake of the Hills. This fort was built in 1778 and was known as The Old Establishment and Athabaska House and Pond’s House. Athabaska means “Meeting place of many waters.” In 1788 Pond’s fort was abandoned and a new fort built on south shore of lake Athabaska, about 8 miles from mouth of Athabaska river, 38 miles from the old fort, at the south-western end of the lake, on a rocky point projecting into the lake. This fort was built by Roderick Mackenzie of the North West Co. Fort
Chipewyan was styled the “Emporium of the North” and “Little Athens of the Hyperborean regions”. In 1804 this site was abandoned and a new fort (the third) was erected by the North West Co. on a rocky point on the north shore of the lake, the present site. The old fort on the south shore continued to be of us for some years, but in 1815 it was rapidly decaying and was finally abandoned in 1820. The new fort 0n the north shore was “surrounded by rocks and swamps”.
It was the most important North West Co. fort in the far north. After the coalition of 1821, the Hudson’s Bay Co. operated this fort to the present date. Dr. Macoun described the fort In 1875 as follows: “All the buildings are of most substantial character, all shingled and whitewashed, and of imposing appearance. Two large stores with glass windows, each 61 ins. by 31 ins. by 17 ins. high, stand next the landing. Eight houses are occupied by employees of the Company. In the rear is the clerk’s house, 40 x 30 x 17 ft., well plastered and warm. Then the general store and the factor’s house”. The X. Y. Co. constructed a fort in 1800 one mile north of Fort Chipewyan near site of the present R. C. mission. The Hudson’s Bay Co. built Nottingham house in 1802 and Fort Wedderburn 1815. See Forts Athabasca, Nottingham, and Wedderburn.
Wikipedia. Continental Divide
Origin of the name unknown.
