Samuel Black
Samuel Black was the oddest of all the HBC men. Black, born in 1780, was a young highlander of enormous size when he came to Canada and joined the fur…
Read moreWicked River
The Rivière Maligne, otherwise known as the Wicked River, earned its ferocious nick-name over the years. The Maligne was, of course, the Sturgeon-Weir River that led the early free-traders, the…
Read moreFrom Ile-a-la-Crosse to the Clearwater River
In our dueling journals — that of John Work, 1823, and of Archibald McDonald, 1828 — we have reached the post of Ile-a-la-Crosse, on Lac Ile-a-la-Crosse. As you know by…
Read moreTo Moose Portage, Beaver River
Two groups of canoe-men traveled west from York Factory, on their way to New Caledonia. Both groups have arrived at Ile-a-la Crosse, and their next major hurdle is the Methye…
Read moreTwo Canoes (2) to Ile a la Crosse
In this seventh article of the Two Canoes series, we will follow Archibald McDonald’s journey up the Upper Churchill River to Ile a la Crosse post. This is a long…
Read more