The Bastion

Abstract

When Haida warriors threatened to raid the tiny community in 1852, John Muir decided to build the block house and bastion pictured here. The three-story structure was hand-built with axes and adze by Jean Baptiste Fortier and Leon Labine. It was completed in 1853. The first floor contained the H.B.C. offices and store. Later it was used as the city jail. The second floor housed the defence arsenal with its two connonades. The third floor was designed to shelter whites during an attack. The bastion was rarely used although Haida raids did disrupt coal production on a number of occasions.