2 0 th ▁centuries , ▁the ▁sett ler ▁community ▁has ▁been ▁moved ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁times ▁for ▁varying ▁economic ▁reasons . ▁The ▁present ▁location ▁is ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁its ▁sixth . ▁The ▁original ▁trad ing ▁post ▁built ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁was ▁named ▁Rock y ▁Mountain ▁House ▁( not ▁to ▁be ▁confused ▁with ▁the ▁modern ▁Al berta ▁town ▁by ▁that ▁name ). ▁It ▁was ▁established ▁one ▁year ▁after ▁Sir ▁Alexander ▁Mack en zie ▁expl ored ▁the ▁area ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 3 . ▁One ▁of ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁for ts ▁along ▁the ▁Peace ▁River ▁constructed ▁to ▁service ▁the ▁fur ▁trade , ▁it ▁was ▁located ▁south west ▁of ▁the ▁present ▁site ▁of ▁Fort ▁St . ▁John . ▁The ▁D ane - za a ▁and ▁S ik anni ▁First ▁Nations ▁used ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁trad ing ▁post . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁supply ▁dep ot ▁for ▁further ▁exped itions ▁into ▁the ▁territory . ▁The ▁fort ▁closed ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 5 . ▁Fort ▁d ' E pin ette ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 6 ▁by ▁the ▁North ▁West ▁Company . ▁It ▁was ▁renamed ▁Fort ▁St . ▁John ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 1 ▁following ▁the ▁purchase ▁of ▁the ▁North ▁West ▁Company ▁by ▁the ▁Hudson ' s ▁Bay ▁Company . ▁This ▁fort ▁was ▁located ▁about ▁ 5 0 0 ▁metres ▁down stream ▁from ▁the ▁mouth ▁of ▁the ▁Beat ton ▁River , ▁which ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁P ine ▁River ▁( d ' ep in ette ▁in ▁French ).