Manitoba. Government House, Fort Garry

Governor’s House served as the home of several senior Hudson’s Bay Company officers. Its comfortable, spacious rooms witnessed many gatherings and parties over the years. Charles Napier Bell, a man of many professions who spent time as a soldier, hunter, trader, customs officer, treasurer, and later dedicated himself to preserving Manitoban heritage, wrote extensively about his experiences in Red River. In one story he described dinners at Government House quite fondly: 

The Governor’s residence was the centre of many a jollification… the table being well supplied with choice tid-bits in the form of game obtained from all parts of the Company’s territory. Reindeer tongues and ptarmigan from the far north, buffalo tongues and joints from the plains, smoked bear hams, carefully prepared pemmican of deer and buffalo meat made with marrow, moose nose, beaver tail, sturgeon and whitefish, and other delicacies were provided for the guests, to be washed down by the best of teas, and generally drowned with the choicest of old liquors and wines taken from the well stocked cellars of the fort. To be invited to dine at the Governor’s table was an event to be looked forward to.

Charles Napier Bell, The Old Forts of Winnipeg (1927)