1. Getting around the Northwest
The Fur Trade

2. HBC vs. NWC posts

3. Hudson Bay: ice mid-Dec. to mid-June

4. St. Lawrence River: frozen late December to late-March

5. Some definitions
Voyageur: man hired to transport goods by canoe from one trading post to another
Portage: to carry boats and good around dangerous parts of a river
Beam: the most extreme width of a vessel, usually at mid-point

6. Hivernants: employees of the NWC who lived in the Northwest year-round
Factor: an agent who conducts business on someone’s behalf
York Factory: an HBC post on Hudson Bay
Fort William: main NWC post on Lake Superior

7. NWC – “Canots du Maitre”
Carried 6-12 men Cargo 2300 kg Montreal to Lake Superior

8. NWC – “Canots du Nord” Carried 5-6 men Cargo – 1360 kg
Small lakes, rivers, streams of
Northwest

9. HBC – Large and small York boats
crew of 7 or 9
Advantages:
-sturdier than canoes-could withstand
collisions with rocks
-were ice-worthy
-steadier because of wider beams
-high bow – could withstand lake storms
-sail – faster and helped crew save energy