This statue of sits across the East Portico entrance of the Manitoba Provincial Capitol building from a statue of Lord Selkirk. The placement was not withought some planning: "The duo were honoured together and commemorated simultaneously at the Manitoba Legislative Building because “De la Vérendrye was one of the first to explore the area which was to become the province of Manitoba, Selkirk had believed in the future of the region and had led settlers there." Source: Canada History Blog (
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The intrepid explorer, noblemen, and fur trader Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye, explored much of Western Canada and large areas of what is now the western United States in the 1730s-40s.
From Wikipedia: (
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"Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye (November 17, 1685 – December 5, 1749) was a French Canadian military officer, fur trader and explorer. In the 1730s he and his four sons opened up the area west of Lake Superior and . . . added Western Canada to the original New France in the Saint Lawrence basin. He was also the first European to reach North Dakota and the upper Missouri River. In the 1740s two of his sons crossed the prairie as far as Wyoming and were the first Europeans to see the Rocky Mountains north of New Mexico.
Early life
Born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Pierre was the youngest son of René Gaultier de Varennes, who came to Canada as a soldier in 1665. . . . The Gaultier family were minor nobility or landowners and came from the Anjou area of France. Varennes and La Vérendrye were two of their estates.
... At the age of 14 he received a cadet’s commission in the colonial regulars. In 1704 and 1705 he took part in Queen Anne's War and was present at the Raid on Deerfield . . . . The next year he participated in an unsuccessful attack on Saint Johns, Newfoundland.
At 22 years of age, he enlisted in the French Army, fought in Flanders during the War of the Spanish Succession, and was seriously wounded at the Battle of Malplaquet. After recovering from his injuries and being paroled as a prisoner of war, Gaultier returned to Canada . . . For the next 15 years he supported his family by farming and fur-trading along the Saint Lawrence.
Explorations
In 1726 his fortunes changed when his brother Jacques-René was appointed commander of the poste du Nord [on the]the north shore of Lake Superior . . . . Pierre began trading in the area and in 1728 became commandant when his brother left to fight the Fox Indians. Here Pierre became involved with the quest for a route to the Pacific.
The 1713 Treaty of Utrecht had given Hudson Bay to the English and thereby blocked the French from any possible northwest passage. At this time it was thought that not far to the west was an inlet from the Pacific . . . further it was thought that one could cross the height of land and find a River of the West that flowed into the Pacific. . .
La Vérendrye questioned the Indians who came to trade. He learned of the Mandan country on the upper Missouri . . . . A Cree guide, Auchagah, made a map of the canoe routes between Lake Superior and Lake Winnipeg. La Vérendrye judged correctly that Lake Winnipeg was the geographic key which must be reached to allow further exploration.
In 1730 he met Governor Beauharnois at Quebec and worked out a plan. La Vérendrye would build a post on Lake Winnipeg. The expedition would be paid for by Quebec merchants who hoped to profit from the resulting fur trade. . . .
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In 1731 La Verendrye, three of his sons and 50 engagés left Montreal. That autumn his son Jean-Baptiste built Fort St. Pierre on Rainy Lake. Next year they built Fort St. Charles on Lake of the Woods . . . In 1734 Lake Winnipeg was reached and Jean-Baptiste built Fort Maurepas (Canada) near the mouth of the Red River at the southern end of the lake. . . .
[By] 1735 over half the beaver pelts reaching Quebec came from La Verenedrye's posts.
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In Paris Maurepas was pushing for more exploration. By this time there were two candidates for the 'River of the West'. The correct one was the Saskatchewan River which flows east into Lake Winnipeg. The other was the Missouri River in the Mandan country in what is now North Dakota.
La Verendrye picked the Missouri. In September 1738 he reached Fort Maurepas on Lake Winnipeg and ascended the Assiniboine River to Portage La Prairie where he built Fort La Reine just south of Lake Manitoba (October 1738). Joining a large band of Assiniboins, he pushed southwest across the prairie and reached a Mandan village probably somewhere near the modern New Town, North Dakota about 70 miles east of the Montana border.
In 1740 he returned to Quebec on business and in 1741 started on his fourth and last journey west. From Fort La Reine he sent his son Louis-Joseph exploring westward as far as, probably, the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming (1742–43). He worked to consolidate his hold on the chain of lakes that looks like a single lake west of Lake Winnipeg, establishing Fort Dauphin (Manitoba), Fort Bourbon and Fort Paskoya. Back in France, Maurepas was growing increasing irritated with La Verendrye, who he thought was trading in furs when he should be exploring. In 1742 Maurepas suggested that he be replaced and in 1743 La Verendrye resigned.
He returned to New France and led the life of a gentleman while doing a considerable business since his sons remained in the west. In 1746 he was reappointed to his old post. He was planning a fifth expedition, this time up the Saskatchewan River, when he died in December 1749. Shortly before his death he was awarded the Order of Saint Louis." [end]
In this statue of La Verendrye is seated, and holds a cane in his left hand. He seems to be seated in an indoor setting, since he is not wearing his overcoat but has it unbuttoned and off one shoulder.
La Verendrye has a dignified countenance, and the air of a wealthy and accomplished, well-connected nobleman. He looks left, perhaps at the dignitaries who are present at the ceremony in which La Verendye was awarded the Order of St Louis Medal. That medal is pinned to the left side of his chest, and is clearly visible.
La Verendrye is dressed in the finest period clothing of a French nobleman. His fabulous flowing frock coat features wide cuffs adorned with buttons. A shirt with a long, flowing ruffle at the throat and a vest with large buttons is worn under his frock coat. Breeches, also with wide dramatic cuffs, show off his fine leather boots.
The statue is made of stone on a local Tyndall limestone pedestal. It was made by the Piccarilli Brothers, who also made the companion statue of Selkirk on the other side of the east portico. Source: (
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The statue of La Verendrye looks about 2 times life-size to Blasterz (who admittedly are no experts). A plaque in French and English is affixed to the front that reads as follows:
LA VERENDRYE
Pierre Gaultier, Sieur de La Verendrye (1685-1749), ne aux Trois-Rivieres en Nouvelle-France. En quete de la Mer de l’Ouest, explora le coueur du continent americain jusqu’en vue des Montagnes Rocjeuses. Atteignit la Riviere Rouge a la Fource (Winnipeg) en 1738.
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Pierre Gaultier, Sieur de La Verendrye (1685-1749), born in Canada. In search of he Western sea, explored the central part of the North American continent to within sight f the Rocky Mountains. Reached the Red River at the Forks (Winnipeg) in 1738.