1. Cartier, Jacques Born about 1491, died An explorer who went to Canada three times, in 1534, 1535 and He gave Canada its name, after he mistook the Mohawk word for village (kanata) as the name of the whole land.

2. In 1534, Jacques Cartier set sail from France hoping to find the Northwest Passage. Explorers hoped it would lead them over North America to Asia. Instead, Cartier landed on the rocky shores of Labrador. He found the land to be harsh and uninviting. He continued his journey and stopped at the Gaspé Peninsula in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. They traded furs for knives.

3. At first, fur was not the most important thing that was traded. Then, around the year 1600, something happened: hats made from beaver felt became very fashionable. Everybody wanted one! At the same time, beavers were becoming extinct in Europe.

4. One of the first to realize the potential of trade in North America was Samuel de Champlain. In 1603, he made his first trip to North America. He returned several years later to establish a permanent settlement. He wanted to bring many more people to settle in Canada. The King of France gave him permission to do so, but in return Champlain was told to develop the fur trade.

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6 The first couriers des bois learned everything from their Native American guides. Thanks to these allies, the French identified the main fur basins, they discovered the main rivers that led to them and learned to survive in conditions that were often perilous.

7. In 1712, surveyor and military engineer Jean-Baptiste de Couagne drew the maps of the main regions of New France. In 1712, he released a survey of all the lands explored by the French, from Hudson Bay to south of the Great Lakes

When the Europeans began trading with Native Americans, they soon realized that their money was worthless. Native Americans wanted goods such as metal knives and guns. The beaver pelt (fur) became a currency (money). There were even tokens made. Items to be traded were measured against the value of a beaver pelt. SuppliesValue of Supplies in Beaver Pelts 2.25 kg of sugar1 beaver pelt 1 gun12 beaver pelts 2 scissors1 beaver pelt 20 fish hooks1 beaver pelt 1 pair of shoes1 beaver pelt 8.

Beaver pelt stretching on frame

10. Beavers in Canada The French explorers did not find the gold and diamonds they were expecting when they set foot in New France. However, their expeditions were rewarded by the abundance of furry animals on the entire territory. This potential wealth raised the interest of the French merchants and was the source of the first investments in Canada. In the early 1700’s, trading activity in New France was mostly based on fur, which accounted for two thirds of the exports to France.

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12. From 1675 to 1685, the average annual production of beaver pelts was about 89,500 pounds (weight) That number rose to 140,000 pounds from 1685 to In 1869, 160 canoes arrived in Montréal with a cargo of about 800,000 pounds of beaver pelts to be shipped to Europe. In 1869, France could only purchase 40,000 to 50,000 pounds of pelts per year from its colonies in New France.

13. It was not long before the English also saw how much money could be made in the fur trade. The competition between England and France became fierce. They both wanted to be in control of the land and its resources.