fur trading - Routes on the Red

FUR TRADING
FASHION RUNWAYS MAY BE SYNONYMOUS WITH PARIS, BUT THE FASHION
trend of the 1600s led to a king’s quest for beaver pelts that sparked
a new economic era in Manitoba. Rich with forest, lakes, marshes and
prairie, the keystone province became a new source of furs for French
and English explorers.
But it was a rugged frontier and one that would test the stamina and
spirit of English, French, First Nations and Métis alike. Each played
a part in the unique society that fueled the fur trade industry and
ultimately gave rise to a new province, much of which was built along
the “highway” of the day – the Red River.
The footsteps of voyageurs and explorers, York boatmen and traders
paved the way for modern Manitoba to continue a fascinating history
of opportunity and culture. Today you can follow their expeditions
and experience the drama of life along the Routes on the Red.
Paddlewheel Queen-Travel Manitoba
Forts of the Fur Trade
Centuries ago, Native North Americans
relied on the south-north flow of the
Red River as a primary transportation
route for trade. Europeans, arriving in
the mid 1700s, took advantage of the
river as a hub and made the most of
existing transportation networks to
further the fur trade.
The first European on record to reach
present-day Winnipeg was Pierre Gaultier
de Varennes, Sieur de La Verendrye, who
set out to explore the area on behalf
of New France. After receiving a fur
trading monopoly for the area,
La Verendrye established a number
of posts along the Red and Assiniboine
Rivers, including Fort Rouge.
Over the next century, the river came
alive as rival fur trading companies
– Hudson’s Bay Company and the North
West Company — built trading posts on
virtually every tributary along the Red.
Fort Gibraltar, which was later renamed
Fort Garry in 1821, was established at
the present-day site of The Forks.
Life at Upper Fort Garry
FOR MANY YEARS BETWEEN 1821 AND 1870,
Upper Fort Garry served the fur trade as
a business and social center for Rupert’s
Land – a vast area draining into Hudson
Bay. The fort had permanent residents
– traders, clerks and the Governor of
the territory and was a major
provisioning center. A huge flood
in 1826 badly damaged the fort
and another in 1852 destroyed
the remaining original buildings.
Today
The last remnant of the 2nd Upper Fort
Garry is the North Gate – a private
gateway that marked the entrance
to the Governor’s house and gardens.
Today you’ll find the gate on a site
south of Broadway between Main and
Fort Street in downtown Winnipeg. Some
remnants of dishes that would have
been used by the inhabitants were
recovered by archaeologists, along with
other artifacts such as cloth, buttons,
beads, combs and square nails. During
the reconstruction of Main Street in
1998, archaeologists also discovered
the remains of one of the bastions
and the east wall of Upper Fort Garry.
Life at Lower Fort Garry
BECAUSE THE 1826 FLOOD HAD VIRTUALLY
destroyed the facilities at Upper Fort
Garry, the Governor of the Hudson’s Bay
Company, George Simpson decided to
build a fort outside of the flood zone.
North of Winnipeg along the Red River,
he commissioned the construction
of Lower Fort Garry which was planned
to be a major business site for all in
the Red River Settlement. Besides
outfitting farmers and trappers with
their yearly supplies, the Aboriginal
communities in the surrounding area
also conducted much business with
the Hudson’s Bay Company. Although
it was often thought to be primarily
a fur trading post, the bulk of the
trade was in farm produce.
Today
Today as a National Historic Site,
Lower Fort Garry still bustles with the
activities of the day, authentically
re-created by costumed staff. Original
and the only stone fort intact in North
America, Lower Fort Garry has been
meticulously restored to its 1850s
appearance as a supply center.
Just a half hour drive north of Winnipeg,
a visit to the fort will allow you to
meet founder “Governor Eden Colvile”,
see the Aboriginal encampments
along the banks of the Red and enjoy
the blacksmith shop, fur loft and
Governor’s House.
Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site
Voyageurs
ORIGINALLY THE TITLE “VOYAGEURS”
or “coureur de bois” applied to French
adventurers who journeyed by canoe
inland from Montreal to trade for furs.
Independent traders in the 18th century,
they became employees of the XY Company
and the North West Company and then
of the Hudson’s Bay Company when the
companies merged. The voyageurs lived
off the land like the Aboriginal people
who became their trading partners,
wives and brothers. Dressed in buckskin
with beaded moccasins, the voyageur
wore a hooded coat and a muskrat hat
or a red wool toque.
A brightly coloured woven sash around
the waist was also used as a headband
to help tote large loads of supplies
over portages during their voyages.
During the 1800s there were an estimated
5,000 voyageurs west of the Great Lakes.
They worked 16-18 hours a day and
carried 80 lb loads. Each voyageur canoe
was paddled by at least four men and a
steersman. When the Hudson’s Bay and
North West Companies merged, many
unemployed voyageurs took up new
careers as buffalo hunters, carters
and farmers.
Today
Every February, Manitobans and
people from around the world gather in
Winnipeg’s French Quarter to celebrate
the hearty spirit of the voyageur at
Festival du Voyageur – a 10-day event
which features the food, entertainment
and crafts that defined this culture.
Some of the activities are along the
River Trail where you’ll discover the
thrill of dog sled racing and enjoy a
chance to skate along the Red and
Assiniboine Rivers.
Much More than a Nickel
Beaver was considered the world’s most
valuable fur and it was used to make
felt. A persistent fad in European high
fashion required men and women to wear
a felt hat, symbolizing wealth and high
social class. The trend continued until
the middle of the nineteenth century,
when the new fashion of silk hats
ruined the beaver market.
Today, many of Manitoba’s lakes and
streams are inhabited by the industrious
beaver whose image now appears on the
Canadian nickel.
Le Festival du Voyageur photos (clockwise from top left)
Snow Sculpture, Main Street Bridge - Henry Kalen
Glissade de neige, Snow slide
Voyageurs with Dog Sled
Blacksmith
Fort Gibraltar
Fort Gibraltar was built by the North
West Company at the forks of the Red
and Assiniboine Rivers in 1810, which
was the main trading post for the company
during the fur trade era. Today a replica
of the fort has been reconstructed in
St. Boniface at the corner of Saint-Joseph
and Messager St. Within the walls of
the fort, you’ll find a store, blacksmith’s
forge and trading post. The brand-new
Maison du Bourgeois (Chief Factor’s
House) is an interpretive center which
combines the amenities of a modern
facility with period décor. The Fort is
popular for special events, meetings
and conventions and is one of the sites
of the winter event Festival du Voyageur.
The Forks-Travel Manitoba
An Ancient Meeting Place
OVER THE LAST 6,000 YEARS, THE FORKS,
at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine
Rivers in downtown Winnipeg, has been
a site of intense use by First Nations
people and more recently by Europeans
and others from abroad. Archaeological
investigations over the past 15 years
have found remnants of the buildings and
evidence of trade as well as artifacts that
reveal a unique way of life.
Today, The Forks has been redeveloped
and remains the most popular gathering
place in the heart of the city. Shopping,
dining and acres of riverside attractions
are the modern-day draw however
you can discover the drama of days
gone by when you join a walking tour
of The Forks available throughout
the summer months.
Be sure to stop by The Wall Through
Time, a graphic telling of historic
events at The Forks. The Wall retains
and protects the western edge of a
major North American archaeological
find. Designated as an Archaeological
Preserve, and now developed as
The Forks Prairie Garden, this site was
a First Nations’ campsite and trading
center from thousands of years ago.
Built in 1866 by Captain William Kennedy,
a Métis explorer, entrepreneur and
trader, this period home is one of the
many must-see heritage points along
the Red River in the Rural Municipality
of St. Andrews. It’s an ideal place to stop
for a stroll through the English gardens
with a view of the river.
Kennedy House-Travel Manitoba
Captain Kennedy House
One of the World’s Treasures
NO VOYAGE INTO THE FUR TRADE WOULD
be complete without a visit to The
Manitoba Museum, the province’s largest heritage centre and renowned for
its vivid portrayal of Manitoba’s rich
history. Trek through the boreal forest
where a Cree family engages in rock
painting, experience life in a sod hut
on Manitoba’s prairies and see
the drama of a bison hunt.
The Manitoba Museum also showcases
The Hudson’s Bay Company Museum
Collection – one of the world’s most
magnificent museum collections with
more than 10,000 artifacts. Outstanding
examples of the collection include a
43-foot York boat – the last to ply
the waters of Lake Winnipeg – treaty
medals, trade goods and some of the
most stunning examples of cultural
expression ever assembled.
The Hudson’s Bay Company Gallery
adjoins the world-renowned replica
of the 17th century ketch Nonsuch,
which made a successful trading
voyage to James Bay in 1668 that led
to the formation of the HBC. A visit to
The Manitoba Museum is guaranteed
to bring to life the legendary deeds
and drama of the Canadian fur trade.
York Boat-Travel Manitoba
Manitoba Museum-Travel Manitoba
Time Travel by Train
COME FACE TO FACE WITH FUR TRADERS,
frontier folk and a cast of colourful
characters as you take a 3-D powered
trip back to the beginning of time
aboard the Millennium Express.
Part history – pure entertainment –
it’s a peek at how the west was
settled Manitoba-style. It’s your
chance to time-travel by train at
McPhillips Street Station Casino
in Winnipeg – a great stop for your
evening entertainment and dinner!
Bison for Dinner ?
BISON DIDN’T START OUT WITH A
reputation for tenderness. For Manitoba’s
First Nations people and the fur traders
and settlers who followed, bison was a
staple food, but often dried and pounded
into pemmican, then stored and eaten
throughout the winter months.
Fast forward two centuries and it’s
no surprise that times have changed
— for local bison and people. Today
more than 40 cultures live in Manitoba,
bringing with them a tradition of good
eating and the skill to prepare the
specialties of their homelands.
This influence and the international
experiences and training of the city’s
finest chefs have transformed bison
into pure gourmet, trampling its tough
reputation. In fact many of Manitoba’s
indigenous foods from the province’s
lakes, prairies, wetlands and forests
are celebrated in delicious dishes.
Look for pickerel and goldeye, elk,
wild rice, succulent berries, maple syrup
and honey at many fine restaurants or
shop The Forks Market to bring home
Manitoba’s delicious delicacies.
Plan Your Adventure
Whether you’ve got a few hours or a few days, here are some recommended
Routes on the Red for you to explore. Look for additional tour ideas plus complete
information, maps and detailed instructions for participation in any of these
packages at the Routes on the Red website at www.routesonthered.ca
The People of the Fur Trade 1/2 – Full Day Tour (Summer)
UNCOVER THE LIVES AND LOVES OF THE
rough and ready fur traders on this
driving tour of discovery into Manitoba’s
compelling past. Begin with a visit to
The Hudson’s Bay Company’s Gallery
at The Manitoba Museum, and learn
about what really went on inside these
fur trade posts. Now, drive north along
the curves of the Red River to one of
these important posts – the amazingly
well-preserved Lower Fort Garry.
Winnipeg Skyline
However, you will not be taking
a direct trip to this site, detouring to
explore the graveyards of the Fur Trade
scattered along your route. Stop in at
these cemeteries and wander through
the headstones to learn more about
the intriguing and at times scandalous
tales of the men and women who helped
create this province and develop our
nation. You’ll meet an extraordinary
cast of characters in just one day.
In The Footsteps of the Voyageurs
EXPERIENCE THE LEGACY OF THE FUR TRADE
on a walking tour as you explore the
banks of the Red River in Winnipeg.
Start at The Forks in downtown Winnipeg.
Much like today, during the time of the
fur trade this was a place for people
to discover daily sustenance as well
as exotic goods from far-away lands,
and to meet friends both old and new.
Head across the Red River to Winnipeg’s
historic French quarter – St. Boniface,
which traces its roots back to the early
days of the fur trade. Meander quiet
1/2 – 3/4 Day Tour (Spring, Summer & Fall)
streets, pass historic buildings
and enjoy the calm of the Seine River.
Enroute, stop at the St. Boniface
Museum and the striking St. Boniface
Cathedral and cemetery, where the
ghosts of the fur trade reside. Find the
homestead site of the first European
woman to live on the Canadian prairies,
Marie-Anne Lagimodière, and walk
historic paths through quiet forests
to the recreated North West Company
post, Fort Gibraltar, before returning
to The Forks.
A New Culture is Born
Although the term “Métis” means a
person of mixed racial ancestry, it also
refers to a culture and a nation that
played an important role in the history
of the Canadian west. The origins
of the Métis are in the fur trade when
European fur traders met and married
First Nations women. Their children,
the first generations of Métis,
formed unique cultural traits and
developed their own language, laws
and identity. The Métis Nation was
a key participant in the expansion
of the fur trade — acting as traders,
guides, voyageurs and interpreters.
By 1870, the Métis made up half
of the population of Manitoba.
Fort Dufferin
The construction of Fort Dufferin,
in the early 1870s and its use as a
staging point by the British contingent
of the International Boundary
Commission, the North-West Mounted
Police and immigrant settlers who
arrived by steamboat, symbolically
marked the end of the fur trade era in
southern Manitoba. Take the self-guided
interpretive trail and watch for two
federal plaques on the site.
Skyline at night-Travel Manitoba
FUR TRADING
More To Do !
Please call these attractions or visit our website at
www.routesonthered.ca for driving maps plus details on these
and many more of Manitoba’s Fur Trading Routes on the Red.
Captain Kennedy House
417 River Road, St. Andrews
1-204-334-2498
Festival du Voyageur
1-204-237-7692
The Forks
One Forks Market Road
Event Line: 1-204-957-7618
Administration Offices: 942-6302
The Manitoba Museum
190 Rupert Avenue
1-204-956-2830
Lower Fort Garry National Historic
Site Highway 9
1-877-534-3678
Millennium Express - McPhillips Street Station
484 McPhillips Street
1-204-957-3900
Riel House National Historic Site
330 River Road, Winnipeg
1-204-257-1783
St. Boniface Cathedral
190 Cathedrale
1-204-233-7304
St. Boniface Museum
494 Tache Avenue
1-204-237-4500
Discover all of the Routes on the Red
Enjoy a day or an afternoon exploring the beauty, history and culture of Manitoba’s Red River
Valley when you embark on any one of these self-directed tours along the Routes on the Red.
Choose from:
WALKING
TOURS
CYCLING
TOURS
PADDLING
TOURS
DRIVING &
WALKING TOURS
FUR TRADING ROUTES ON THE RED
PEOPLE OF THE FUR TRADE
Winnipeg and North
Uncover the lives and loves of the rough and ready fur traders on this full day tour.
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE VOYAGEURS
Winnipeg
Experience the legacy of the fur trade on a half-day tour (7.7km loop) as you explore the banks
of the Red River in Winnipeg, beginning at The Forks.
IN THE PADDLE STROKES OF THE VOYAGEURS
Winnipeg
Explore the Red River and its banks the way the voyageurs did – on the water – with this half-day
excursion (8.6km return), beginning near the confluence of the Seine and Red Rivers.
WATERS OF THE FUR TRADE
North
Embark on a one or two day exploration (up to 149km of driving and 35.4km of paddling –
over the course of 2 days) of the Red River and related waters on this itinerary, with a suggested
overnight stay in Selkirk.
MARKETS THEN AND NOW
Winnipeg
This half day walking tour (3.1km one way) lets you recreate the hustle and bustle of a thriving
marketplace from the fur trade, beginning at The Forks, passing by Upper Fort Garry and onto
North America’s oldest department store – the Hudson’s Bay Company.
N AT U R E & F I R S T N AT I O N S R O U T E S O N T H E R E D
GLACIERS TO GRASSLANDS
South
This full-day scenic driving tour (250km return) explores the rich natural heritage of the fertile
southeastern portion of the Red River Valley with many opportunities to walk around marshlands,
along ancient beach ridges and through tall grass prairie.
FIRST PEOPLES OF THE RED
Winnipeg and North
Explore the rich heritage of the First Nations people along the historic Red River on this full day tour
(154km). Sites visited along the way include: Thunderbird House, Kenosewun Centre, Lower Fort Garry,
St. Peter Dynevor Church and Brokenhead Ojibway Nation Historic Village.
SHORES OF LAKE AGASSIZ
South
This mountain biking tour (options for 19km, 45km and 65km loops) travels along the TransCanada
Trail between St. Pierre-Jolys and St. Malo highlighting the ancient shoreline of Lake Agassiz.
FLOODS OF THE RED RIVER VALLEY
South and Winnipeg
This full day driving tour (90km return to Winnipeg) explores the history of the Red River Valley’s floods,
beginning in Ste. Agathe at the Red River Valley Floods Interpretive Centre.
PREHISTORIC PRAIRIES
South
Drive and stroll through riverbottom forests, discover the origins of the Northwest Mounted Police
and glacial sites as you explore the natural and geological history of the Red River Valley.
SETTLERS ROUTES ON THE RED
PEOPLE OF THE RED RIVER SETTLEMENT
Winnipeg and North
This full-day itinerary (70km loop) delves into the lives of the individuals who settled in the Winnipeg
area and along the banks of the northern portion of the Red River. Sites visited include: St. John’s Cathedral
and Cemetery, St. Andrew’s-on-the-Red Church, Cemetery, and Rectory, Captain Kennedy House and Garden
and Lower Fort Garry.
MÉTIS AND THE PATH TO CONFEDERATION
Winnipeg
This full-day tour (80km), with the opportunity for many stops, lets you discover the amazingly rich
heritage of the Métis people in Winnipeg and the Red River Valley.
FRENCH AND MENNONITE SETTLEMENT
South
This mountain biking tour (options for 16km and 50km loops) explores the legacy of these peoples
as they settled the southern portion of the Red River Valley, visiting St. Adolphe, Niverville, Mennonite
Landing and Ste. Agathe.
WINNIPEG’S RESIDENTIAL RIVERBANKS
Winnipeg
Cycle into the history of some of Winnipeg’s oldest and most intriguing neighbourhoods,
while discovering the shifting settlement patterns of the city.
A R T S & C U LT U R A L R O U T E S O N T H E R E D
GABRIELLE ROY’S ST. BONIFACE
Winnipeg
This half-day tour (5.3 km) through St. Boniface explores this community through the works
of one of this province’s most influential authors – Gabrielle Roy.
GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS OF THE RED RIVER VALLEY
Winnipeg and North
This full day tour (113km loop) will let you explore the incredible variety of galleries and museums
that can be found in the northern half of Manitoba’s Red River Valley. Sites include: Cook’s Creek
Heritage Museum, The Costume Museum of Canada, Selkirk Community Arts Centre and Transcona
Historical Museum.
CAROL SHIELDS’ MANITOBA
Winnipeg and North
This full day tour (183km loop) allows you to discover some of the Manitoba neighbourhoods,
villages and landscapes that provided Carol Shields with the settings and inspiration for some
of her best-loved novels.
ART, ANTIQUES AND ARCHITECTURE
Winnipeg
This short walking tour (3.1km) provides you with a taste of the incredible variety of galleries,
museums and antique stores that can be found in Winnipeg’s Exchange District.
FICTIONAL WINNIPEG – MURDER MYSTERY TOUR
Winnipeg
Cycle into the settings of three murder/mystery novels by Winnipeg authors. These who-dun-its come
to life while you’re traveling the same streets as the stories’ characters.
THEN & NOW PHOTOGRAPHIC TOUR – COMING SOON!