Fort St. James
Fort St. James was the centre of the fur trade in north-central British Columbia, and played an important role in HBC’s exploration history. It was also where the HBC Brigades…
Read moreImpossible Journey
When I was doing research some time ago for another book (“The HBC Brigades”), I ran across one man who made an impossible journey through New Caledonia, heading north to…
Read moreCarlton House Journal
From John Stuart’s Carlton House Journals of 1824-25 we find some unexpected information about the Hudson’s Bay Company west of the Rocky Mountains, and the creation of the York Factory…
Read moreLeather Pass
As a fur trade descendant, I have always called the northern pass through the mountains “Leather Pass.” Today this is officially known as the Yellowhead, which comes from its original…
Read moreTwo Canoes: West from Dunvegan
So, in 1828, Governor George Simpson, and his companion Archibald McDonald, have arrived at the important Dunvegan post, on the Peace River. It is almost the end of August, and…
Read more