Birchbark Canoes
From a book titled Canoe Crossings, I learned that what made birchbark canoes so special was that the grain of the bark that covered them was transverse rather than longitudinal.…
Read moreAurora Borealis
The Aurora Borealis was a familiar sight to all the Hudson’s Bay men, but no York Factory Express man, other than Aemilius Simpson, ever wrote about it. Where did he…
Read moreBuilding a York Boat
As I am reading through the Fort Selkirk post journals, I realized the HBC men at that post are building a York Boat. From scratch! Now, this is interesting! You…
Read morePemmican
Pemmican was not eaten west of the Rocky Mountains, and it was not part of our experience. As a matter of fact, when the men of the York Factory Express,…
Read moreThe York Factory River
The York Factory River? As far as I can tell, it is the lower Hayes River where it flows past York Factory into Hudson Bay. It’s a good name for…
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