Born on April 6, 1845 in India, William Cornwallis King started working for Hudson’s Bay Company when he was 17 years old and became chief trader at 51, in 1896. He retired in 1903. King trained as a clerk at Upper Fort Garry. One of his assignments was shooting pigeons for the officers’ mess —... Read More
Peguis was born in the 1770s near present-day Sault Ste. Marie. As a young man, he traveled west to Red River. He is perhaps best-known for his role in facilitating the 1817 Treaty between Lord Selkirk and the Cree and Saulteaux in the region. He was “short in stature, with a strong, well-knit frame, and... Read More
The Red and Assiniboine rivers were the lifeblood of communities in Red River during the fur trade period. They provided inhabitants with a means of transportation, a source of water, and contributed to the sustainment of abundant natural resources. However, as present-day Manitobans know, the rivers can cause a lot of trouble come springtime. Every... Read More
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... Read More
Upper Fort Garry, autumn, 1869: the people who lived along the Red, Assiniboine, Seine and Sale Rivers now faced the end of Hudson’s Bay Company government. Where could they turn? Should Great Britain govern them as a colony? Should they join the United States? Should they enter the new Canadian Confederation? Should they try to go... Read More
