Fort Steele Heritage Town River view from block house tower. The origin of Fort Steele can be traced to the small settlement of Galbraith's Ferry, which was born during the 1864 Kootenay Gold Rush to Wild Horse Creek. In 1888 the settlement's name was changed to Fort Steele to honour Superintendent Samuel Benfield (Sam) Steele of the North-West Mounted Police This highway parallels the Continental Divide of the Canadian Rockies This is a world class senic highway