Axe Handle Hill

Axe Handle Hill Park is located at the eastern end of the Town of Fort Smith between Pine Crescent and Park Drive. The park was created to recognize the historical significance of the area and to help protect its fragile hiking and skiing trails. Snowmobiles, ATVs, and other motorized vehicles are not permitted on the trails in the park.

Axe Handle Hill earned its name in the early 1920s when the federal government established a presence in Fort Smith. A federal building constructed with logs was erected on the land between what is now the Canada Post office and the Field’s Store. The logs for that building came from trees on what became known as Axe Handle Hill. And why did it become known by that name? Because at the end of the working day, the men chopping down the trees to be used as the logs in the federal building left their axes in the stumps of the felled trees. Soon, people in the community began referring to the spot as Axe Handle Hill.

In years past, Axe Handle Hill was a popular winter tobogganing spot. The area also had a reputation as “Lover’s Lane” when a fire tower occupied the hill.

Today, the trails in the park are hiked by young families and skied by outdoor enthusiasts.