Inland Fur Trade/Fur Transport - Saskatchewan Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

As the plaques read.

Inland Fur Trade

Beginning in the mid-1700's the Hudson's Bay and North West Companies, and other rival fur trade groups, established Inland Trading Posts.

Copper kettles, knives, glass beads, guns, shot and other goods were exchanged with indians for furs, mainly the beaver.

Major centers on Lake Superior, Athabasca and Winnipeg were linked by over 4000 miles of canoe routes.

There were essentially three routes; the Hudson's Bay Company Route from York Factory to Fort Edmonton Via Norway House; the Montreal Fur-Traders Route from Lachine to Fort Chipewyan on Lake Athabasca; and various routes extending from these forts westward across the rockies.


Fur Transport

The most suitable craft for transporting trade goods on the water routes was the freighter canoe, a modified version of the Indian birch bark canoe.

Two types of freighter canoes were used. The 'canot de maitre'. with a payload capacity of three tons, carried a crew of eight to ten voyageurs and was used on the great lakes and the Ottawa River.

The 'canot de nord', used on Western waterway had a one and half ton capacity and carried a crew of five or six.

Furs and trade goods were wrapped in ninety pound bundles called pieces. Each voyageur, responsible for six pieces during a portage. Carried two on his back at a time.

Voyageurs worked sixteen to eighteen hours a day, but were allowed to stop a few minutes every hour for a pipe. Distance were soon measured in pipes.

Department of Natural Resources

Marker type: Plaque on Posts Marker placement date: Not listed

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