To 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 moreTwo Canoes to Ile-a-la-Crosse
This is the sixth article in this series: two canoe journeys on the Upper Churchill River, on their way to Ile-a-la-Crosse and beyond. Both groups of canoes are on their…
Read moreAlexis L’Esperance
Alexis L’Esperance appears regularly in the journals of the York Factory Express, but he never is traveling in their boats. His full name is Alexis Bonamie dit L’Esperance — and…
Read moreProvisioning the York Factory Express
I am writing about the York Factory Express — the annual journey the traders from the West side of the Rocky Mountains made to the HBC headquarters on Hudson Bay…
Read more