Sturgeon-Weir River
Image of a birchbark canoe on a Canadian River, from Glenbow Archive, image na-843-14, used with their permission
It is time for Governor George Simpson to leave Cumberland House on his journey up the Sturgeon-Weir River to the Churchill. The year is 1820, and Simpson is leading (or actually mostly following) the other canoes that carry the Athabasca men on their way north to Fort Wedderburn, Athabasca Lake. Fort Wedderburn is the HBC post that was built one mile (or a mile and a half) away from the NWC post of Fort Chipewyan. From Historic Forts and Trading Posts, Fort Wedderburn was constructed by the HBC men “on Coal Island, one mile from Fort Chipewyan. In 1808…
the Hudson’s Bay Co abandoned the whole of the Athabaska [sic] district to the North West Co., and also Fort Nottingham built in 1802. In 1815 they returned and built Fort Wedderburne [sic]. This fort was seized by [Archibald] Norman McLeod of the North West Co. March 23, 1817, but was re-established in 1818. In 1820, Simpson, afterwards Governor, wintered there. After the union of 1821, the Hudson’s Bay Co. took over Fort Chipewyan (which has been enlarged several times), and after about 1860 Fort Wedderburne was closed.
So on August 26, Governor Simpson’s heavily loaded canoe heads up the Sturgeon-Weir River (also known as the Maligne), toward the “English River” (the Churchill). Firstly he noticed that John Clarke had converted one of his canoes into a lightly laden transportation for the women: that is, his wife Sapphira Spence (who may have been unwell as she died in 1821), and her servant. In his report, Simpson made sure that the members of the London Committee learned about Clarke’s behaviour. Then, he
started at four o’Clock a.m., the three Light Canoes in Company detained at the Entrance of the Grand Traverse from twelve till four by adverse wind and encamped on the Rat Portage at nine p.m., here we found at the further end a N.W. Half loaded Canoe for Lesser Slave Lake, passengers Mr. [William] Henry and one Primeau (a Monster) who made himself very conspicuous in the Red River Massacre; this fellow’s name is in several Warrants, but we have none in our possession otherways [otherwise] he would have been secured.
The Grand Traverse will be the crossing of Cumberland Lake, which is quite a large lake and located in the middle of a very flat area created by the massive Lake Agassiz, a glacial lake that had buried an enormous land mass under its waters. The wind would have whistled through these flatlands and made the waters of the lake dangerous for these overloaded canoes. Louis Primeau was important for his participation in the killings of Governor Robert Semple and twenty-one settlers by Metis men led by Cuthbert Grant in June, 1816. This is why Cuthbert Grant was frozen out of the HBC after coalition. And, as you see, Simpson carried warrants signed by Canadian judges that could allow him to arrest any man whose name appeared on those warrants. Primeau, unfortunately, did not. To continue Simpson’s journal:
27th, Pente Portage. Started at day break and proceeded up Rivere Mal-in [Maligne], very appropriately named as it is a continual Rapid for about thirty miles, the poles in use nearly the whole way. Gummed at the entrance of Beaver Lake, where we found Mr. Dears with the Lesser Slave Lake Canoes, and part of the N.W. Brigade, had some conversation with their people and could have had several Deserters, they appeared much dissatisfied with their treatment at Lac la Pluie [Rainy Lake]; it appears there was a great shortage of goods there, and the men could not get their full supplies of necessaries. Passed through Beaver Lake and encamped here [Pente Portage] at eight p.m. Mr. Dears encamped at the lower end of the Portage.
Pente Portage was also called Spence Portage, and was a portage of 320 yards about five miles north of Amisk or Beaver Lake. Mr. Dears may be Thomas Dears, later at Fort Colvile; however, he had no HBCA Biographical Sheet and I couldn’t find him anywhere else. And, as you can see, the place where Simpson’s party pauses for the night is the place he first names as he writes in his journal–something that can be a little confusing when you are trying to figure the story out.
By the way, do you know why this river is called the Sturgeon-Weir? Its an old name, from early days in the fur trade. A weir is a barrier that catches fish, and the Cree who live here trapped sturgeon behind gravel weirs they built in the shallow waters of this river. Simpson’s journal continues:
28th. Lac Bouleau. Embarked at day break, crossed Carp Portage, Bouleau decharge, Bouleau Portage, Petit Portage de L’Isle, and encamped at eight p.m.
Lac Bouleau is a widening in the Sturgeon-Weir river a few miles south of Mirond Lake. Today the portages between Amisk Lake and Mirond Lake, listed as if a paddler is ascending the river, are called Spence, Snake, Leaf, Birch, Dog (Portage de l’Isle) and Crow Portages.
29th, Entrance of Lac Meuron [Mirond]. Incessant rain with heavy squalls of wind during the night, and until nine this morning when we embarked. Made Portage de Pinnette [Crow Portage, just south of Mirond Lake], but the weather became so boisterous that we could not proceed and landed at eleven a.m. where we remained for the day drenched with rain.
They are camped at the south end of Lake Mirond that night. Lake Mirond, by the way, is sometimes called Heron Lake.
30th, Lac Fort de Traite [Trade Lake]. Embarked two hours before day break; passed through Lakes Meuron [Mirond] & Chetique. Made the Discharge des trois Petit Portagè, and the portages of the same name, and breakfasted at the head of these: entrance of Lac du Bois, where Mr. Clarke informed me that one of his men picked up a bag of shot which had been accidentally left on the first Portage by some of the Athabasca Canoes ahead, and that he would not deliver it unless I gave his people a Gallon of Spirits, which I considered a most unreasonable demand (value £10 sterling at the Canadian price) and objected to it with some warmth, which hurt his consequence in no small degree. Passed through [Woods] Lake and made the Discharge & Portage de Traite, deriving it’s name from the circumstance of a Canadian Trader (who had for the first time about fifty years ago penetrated so far to the Northward) meeting the Chipewyans on their Route to the Honourable Hudson’s Bay Coys establishment at Church-Hill [Churchill], and fraudulently obtaining their Furs, which they were taking to the servants of that Company in payment of the Credits advanced them the preceding year, thereby introducing a system of deceit amongst the natives with which they were formerly unacquainted.
This was the debt system used everywhere by the HBC, whereby the First Nations were given traps and equipment on credit, which they paid back when they brought in their furs. Simpson stopped it completely, but it took time. Chetique Lake, above, is Pelican Lake, which lay between Mirond Lake and Woody [Woods] Lake. Pelican Narrows will be somewhere along this piece of river. The “decharge and portages of Petit Portage” are the three portages between Woody [Woods] Lake and Trade Lake, north west of the northerly branch of Woods Lake. Trade Lake was about three miles long, and from its north west end the HBC men crossed over the famous Portage de Traite into the Churchill River. (Spelling of Portage de Traite varies somewhat; but this is how Simpson spelled it in his Athabasca journal.)
In 1775, when one of the Frobisher brothers intercepted the Chipewyans at what was then called Frog Portage, the establishment at Churchill was the Prince of Wales Fort, constructed in 1734 on Eskimo Point, at the mouth of the Churchill River. It had stone walls that were 42 feet thick at the base, but in spite of all that it was still captured and burned by the French in 1782. After Frobisher’s meeting with the Chipewyans, Frog Portage was then re-named, by the HBC men at least, Portage de Traite, and the lake that led to it was called Trade Lake.
The Waters we have hitherto ascended discharged themselves by Lake Winnipeg and Port Nelson River into the Bay [Hudson Bay] at York Factory, and those we now enter are emitted by the Churchill River. From hence there is a track to York by the Burntwood carrying place, Nelson Lake, Split Lake, and Port Nelson River, which from the information I have collected is less intricate, and materially shorter than that which is now pursued [by the Hayes River]; if it was found advisable to carry on the trade by the communication alluded to, York Factory might then be the Athabasca Depot, which would render the maintenance of an establishment at the Rock unnecessary, and save the enormous expense of forwarding goods to the Rock and Norway House, as the Servants whose contracts had expired could bring the Cargoes for the brigade coming from Montreal to Jack River [Norway House]….
Simpson’s musings on the Burntwood Carrying Place continued for some time. He did send someone to investigate the route, and in 1824, he himself travelled over that portage as he made his way from York Factory to the west side of the Rocky Mountains. Or tried to….. If you want to read the story of that attempt, it begins here: https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/nelson-river/
I hope I have managed to keep all the rivers, lakes, and portages straight in this post. When I write the next, we will be travelling up the Churchill River toward Lac Ile-a-la-Crosse, and the HBC post that is situated on it shoreline — Fort Superior. There is a ton of rapids and lakes along this river and most travellers give up on listing them — but interestingly, Simpson does not! So when we get to writing about the Churchill River, it will appear here (and it might be in two lots?) https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/whatever-i-call-it/
To return to the beginning of his Athabasca Journal, go here: https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/simpson-at-rock-depot-1820/
Copyright, Nancy Marguerite Anderson, 2026. All rights reserved.