Kootanae House
former trading post in Regional District of East Kootenay, British Columbia, Canada
Kootanae House, also spelled Kootenae House, was a North West Company fur trading post built by Jaco Finlay under the direction of David Thompson near present-day Invermere, British Columbia, Canada in 1807. The trading post was established near the junction of Toby Creek and the Columbia River. In 1808 Thompson reckoned its location as 50°32′12″N 115°56′15″W. The actual location is Kootenae House National Historic Site, located at 50.526624°N 116.045440°W / 50.526624; -116.045440 (the discrepancy is due to inaccuracies in Thompson's measurements). The trading post was abandoned in 1812 due to hostilities from the Peigans east of Howse Pass.
The site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1934, with a plaque erected in 1938. The land the trading post was once on was donated to the Government of Canada in 1935.
In July 2005, Parks Canada, in cooperation with several members of the Ktunaxa Nation conducted archaeological investigations at the site of Thompson's Kootanae House, near Invermere BC. Kootanae House was David Thompson's first post constructed in the Columbia Basin and his "jumping off point" for further explorations throughout the region. The archaeology confirms that this site is the location of a North West Company trading posts and lays to rest some inconsistencies between the site and Thompson's description of the trading post. In 2009, signs describing the history of the site were added for the benefit of visitors.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Kootanae House” is former trading post in Regional District of East Kootenay, British Columbia, Canada. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Kootanae, House and former, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “former trading post in Regional District of East Kootenay, British Columbia, Canada” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 28, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3198828. Authority coordinates are 50.527, -116.045. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1807, 1808, 1812 and 1934.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Kootanae House”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Kootanae House primary sources, Kootanae House archive and Kootanae research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Kootanae House”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Kootanae House” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.