From Ellesmere Island to Pelee Island, from Tofino to St. John’s, we’ll show you where it all happened. You’ve read about all kinds of interesting people and events in Kayak. Get clicking to see where in Canada you’ll find them.
A Country Built on Furs
Amadjuak, Nunavut
The Hudson’s Bay Company ran a trading post here from 1921 to 1933.
Fort Norman, Northwest Territories
Now known as Tulita, this North West Company settlement was set up in 1810, where the Mackenzie and Great Bear rivers meet.
Fort Selkirk, Yukon Territory
This settlement began as a Hudson’s Bay post, set up by Robert Campbell in 1848.
Fort Chilcotin, British Columbia
Located where the Chilko and Chilcotin rivers meet, this HBC post lasted just a few years, from 1836 to 1844, mainly because local Aboriginal people weren’t terribly interested in the trade goods HBC offered.
Rocky Mountain House, Alberta
HBC set up a post in 1799 under this name, while the Nor’Westers set up Acton House nearby. When the companies joined in 1821, they kept the HBC name.
Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan
This was the site of both a North West Company post and then an HBC one, mainly because several First Nations trails crossed through the area.
Prince of Wales Fort, Manitoba
Dating back nearly 400 years to 1717, this star-shaped fort was set up by HBC’s James Knight, and was originally called the Churchill River Post.
Fort Albany, Ontario
One of three HBC forts on James Bay, Fort Albany was set up in 1683 to take in furs brought via the Albany River.
Whapmagoostui, Quebec
This Cree village — the most northern one in Quebec — was an HBC post from 1820 to 1941, and has been known over the years as Great Whale and Whale River House.
New Brunswick
In 2009, this province produced more than 85,000 wild and farmed furs.
Prince Edward Island
Canada’s first modern fur farm was set up here in 1895, mainly for silver fox; by 1923, there were 448 fox farms in the province, but most disappeared by 1980.
Louisbourg, Nova Scotia
This settlement was a fur trade post from 1651 to 1659, but soon became more important as a harbour for ships taking fish to Europe, and as a fortress to help hold military control over the area.
Aillik, Newfoundland and Labrador
George Mackenzie set up an HBC post here in 1840, calling it Eyelich.