About Fort San
The Resort Village of Fort San is situated in the picturesque Qu’Appelle Valley and stretches along the north shore of the Echo Lake for approximately 5 kilometres. The Resort Village of Fort San was incorporated in 1987 and has approximately 233 residents. The Village is 75 kilometres northeast of Regina, capital city of Saskatchewan.
The humble beginnings of the Resort Village can be traced back to the 1917 opening of a sanatorium to treat tuberculosis infections. The facility was built to treat 358 patients and was a self sufficient facility with its own gardens, livestock, power house, and much more. A local workforce was a key component in supporting the medical professionals.
As tuberculosis subsided in later years, the sanatorium was repurposed to the Saskatchewan Summer School of the Arts in 1967. Over a 25 year period, the school became a home to thousands of young people striving to advance their interest in dance, music and the visual arts.
In the 1990’s, the site was once again repurposed, and became the home to Sea Cadets from across Canada. The cadets had an opportunity, in the summer months, to enhance their skills in sailing, music and general training.
In 2004, the provincial government made the decision to no longer fund the site and the property was listed for sale. The former sanatorium site was purchased by a developer and remains private green space.
Today, the Village is home to the Trans Canada Trail. The highly regarded Trans Canada Trail, offers a safe walking path, with convenient rest points, to share additional history of the Qu’Appelle Valley and an opportunity to enjoy the song birds, and intermittent shoreline views, in a picturesque setting.
Given the close proximity to the town of Fort Qu’Appelle, the Resort Village is fortunate to have access to the All Nations Healing Hospital, a library, museum, art galleries, as well as a number of businesses, restaurants and lodging accommodations. Golfing, downhill skiing and year round lake access compliment the Resort Village of Fort San as a year round vacation destination.
We acknowledge that the land on which we gather is Treaty 4 land, the traditional territory of the Cree, Saulteaux bands of the Ojibwa peoples, and the Assiniboine, and Metis.