Simon Fraser — Vancouver, BC - Statues of Historic Figures on Waymarking.com

Simon Fraser (20 May 1776 – 18 August 1862) was fur trader and explorer of Scottish ancestry who charted much of what is now the Canadian province of British Columbia (B.C.). He also built the first European settlement in B.C. Fraser was employed by the Montreal-based North West Company. By 1805, he had been put in charge of all the company's operations west of the Rocky Mountains. He was responsible for building that area's first trading posts, and, in 1808, he explored what is now known as the Fraser River, which bears his name. Simon Fraser's exploratory efforts were partly responsible for Canada's boundary later being established at the 49th parallel (after the War of 1812), since he as a British subject was the first European to establish permanent settlements in the area.

Fraser explored what was later named the Fraser River starting from the New Caledonia fur trade centre of Fort George, today known as Prince George. This fort is located in the centre of today's province of British Columbia and in 1805 his expedition followed the river downstream to its mouth. His expectation was this was the upper reaches of the Columbia River.

Along the way he charted a major tributary he named the Thompson River in hopes that his exploring co-worker David Thompson would travel down that river. David Thompson was exploring the upper reaches of the Columbia River system in British Columbia's Kootenays and the American Kootenai region of eastern Washington state, northern Idaho, and western Montana.

As Fraser descended the river that he thought was the Columbia he encountered the canyon section where the narrowness and velocity of the river forced his party to scale the sheer cliffs above carrying canoes and supplies. He named this section Hell's Gate.

Following the river as is becomes a more slower moving river in its last 150 km he met often with local First Nations who had settled along its shores. Finally reaching the brackish waters a few kilometers downriver from the location of this statue he grabbed his sextant to discover he was nowhere near the mouth of the Columbia River. Instead of being at 46°12' North he was actually at 49°13' North. About 340 kilometers away.

Disappointed that he did not find the mouth of the Columbia River he took his party back upstream to Fort George. In his dejection he left the river nameless. His explorer friend David Thompson finally made it to the mouth of the Columbia in 1811. He explored the upper sections that the Lewis and Clark expedition did not explore during 1805-06.

Because of the order of discovery for the mouth of the Columbia River favoured American explorers over British ones this worked in establishing the Canadian-United States border west of the Rocky Mountains along the 49th parallel instead of further south as the British government wanted.

Today British Columbians recognize Simon Fraser as an important explorer of the province opening up much the Interior to European investment and settlement. His name honours a university and many landmarks are named after him.

Here at the Marine Gateway development his is honoured in a double life sized bronze sculpture by Ken Lum. Dressed in the clothing of what he would have worn during the expedition of 1808. A rough cotton shirt and rolled up cotton pants. Barefoot as he often was noted to be, he is looking out in an appearance of Auguste Rodin’s The Thinker, he is still on stump. Looking that he is thinking what he did discover.