The Voyageur’s Fire-Bag
The fire-bag was an important piece of equipment to the Canadien voyageur, and to anyone else who travelled in the wilderness. Why? you might ask. Here is the answer, written…
Read moreMurder at Pillar Rock
James Birnie played a role in the punishment of the murderers of the HBC fisherman at Pillar Rock in August 1840. This is the story that I promised you a…
Read moreShipwrecks on the Columbia River
The mouth of the Columbia River was crisscrossed with dangerous sandbars, and shipwrecks were relatively common. On many occasions, James Birnie was there to help in the rescue of the…
Read moreFlood at Fort Norman
In 1852, Chief Trader James Anderson (A), who was then in charge of the Athabasca District, made a journey from the district’s headquarters of Fort Simpson, down the Mackenzie River…
Read moreJohn Kirk Townsend
John Kirk Townsend was a naturalist who trekked west to the Columbia River, travelling in with Nathaniel Wyeth’s 1834 expedition. He spent two years in the Columbia district before traveling…
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