Fort offers new twist to corporate retreats.Business leaders entertaining clients and businesses looking for alternative venues for convention delegates, are taking advantage of the unique activities and ventures offered at Fort William Historical Park Fort William Historical Park (formerly known as Old Fort William) is a Canadian historical site located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, that contains a reconstruction of the Fort William fur trade post as it existed in 1815. It officially opened on July 3, 1973. in Thunder Bay. Operated by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Recreation, the site encompasses nearly 25 acres in the western sector of the city. It takes visitors back to a time when the Fort served as the trans-shipment point of furs and trade goods for the Northwest Company of Montreal, chief rival of the Hudson's Bay Company Hudson's Bay Company, corporation chartered (1670) by Charles II of England for the purpose of trade and settlement in the Hudson Bay region of North America and for exploration toward the discovery of the Northwest Passage to Asia. from 1803 to 1822. Fort William offers business travellers and their guests programs that can be as brief as a few hours, or include an overnight stay. Many of the activities tailored to immerse participants in the culture of the time period include an Aboriginal theme, says Fort William Historical Park communications officer Marty Mascarin. "The Learning Wigwam is a popular choice for visiting business leaders," Mascarin says. "This interactive day activity can be custom-designed to meet the needs of a company. Dressed in historical costume, guests experience a smudging smudging (smuˑ·jing), n in Native American medicine, the ritual of purifying the location, patient, healer, helpers and ritual objects by using the smoke obtained by burning sacred ceremony and sample Labrador tea and bannock Bannock (băn`ək), Native North Americans who formerly ranged over wide territory of the N Great Plains and into the foothills of the Rocky Mts. They were concentrated in S Idaho. inside an oversized, yet authentically built, structure that, if requested, can accommodate sleepovers for up to 30 people." Another relatively easy activity offered at the Fort incorporates adventure and enjoyment in a team-building experience. "Your group could embark on a canoe ride on the Kaministiquia River, situated right beside the fort," he says. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Groups can also participate in games of lacrosse lacrosse (ləkrôs`), ball and goal game usually played outdoors by two teams of 10 players each on a field 60 to 70 yd (54.86 to 64.01 m) wide by 110 yd (100.58 m) long. Two goals face each other 80 yd (73. and shinny shin·ny 1 also shin·ney n. pl. shin·nies also shin·neys 1. Ice, street, or field hockey played informally with a ball, can, or similar object. 2. The stick used when playing this game. . Other active program components include the firing of muskets and cannons. A craft element can also be part of an executive's experience. "We can have your group or individual guests work with a resident tinsmith tin·smith n. One that makes and repairs things made of light metal. tinsmith Noun a person who works with tin or tin plate Noun 1. to learn how to make nutmeg graters or birch-bark containers, called mukuk. All crafts made can be kept as a unique souvenir of the experience. Countless executives now have their own "mukuk" proudly displayed in their offices," says Mascarin. Depending on client needs, tours can be arranged throughout the fort. Tours can also include dramatic vignettes such as a canoe arrival and cannon salute when company executives arrive, followed by a lively council meeting to conduct company business, which is ultimately interrupted by a rebellious blacksmith. Fort William Historical Park has banquet facilities ranging from an intimate setting in a heritage building, for 40 to 50 people, to the visitors centre, which accommodates 400 to 500 guests for a sit-down meal. "Meals can be customized to represent historically accurate dishes. We call this our Voyageur voy·a·geur n. pl. voy·a·geurs A woodsman, boatman, or guide employed by a fur company to transport goods and supplies between remote stations in Canada or the U.S. Northwest. Feast. It is hosted by two or three historical interpreters, with musical accompaniment of heritage tunes played on a fiddle." www.oldfortwilliam.on.ca By Colleen Kleven For Northern Ontario Business Northern Ontario Business is a Canadian magazine, which publishes monthly in Greater Sudbury, Ontario. The magazine covers business news and issues in Northern Ontario. |
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