Hudson's Bay Company Posts in Northern Ontario
A list of some of the approximately 101 Hudson's Bay Company posts in this Northern Ontario.
Temagami Island
(1834-1876) Lake Temagami
September of 1834, the Hudson's Bay Company established a post on the south
end of I Temagami Island, just beyond Wabikon, in order to secure trade of
the furs trapped by the natives.
Bear Island
(1876-1972) Lake Temagami
The Temagami Island post was moved to Bear Island in 1876 for strategic reasons,
and remained active until 1972. By the early 1900's, the fur trade had declined
considerably, and the Temagami area was opening up to settlement. From this
time forward, the post functioned more as a supply post, meeting the needs
of tourists, sportsmen and residents, than as an active fur trading post.
Wawa
(1600's), Wawa
A Hudson's Bay Company trading post.
Nagagamisis Provincial Park
(unknown dates), Hornepayne
A Hudson's Bay Company trading post.
Killarney
(unknown dates), Killarney
A Hudson's Bay Company trading post.
Little Current
(unknown dates), Little Current
A Hudson's Bay Company trading post.
Fort Laronde
(unknown - 1821), North Bay
A North West Co. trading post on LaVase Island. It was closed in 1821 and
the post moved to Garden Island on the Sturgeon River following the merger
of the Northwest and the Hudson's Bay Companies. The fort reportedly burned
down sometime after 1821.
Sturgeon River House (Museum)
(unknown dates), Sturgeon Falls,
Site of a Hudson's Bay Co. post.
Fort LaCloche
(1790 - unknown), Massey
A North West Co. and then a Hudson's Bay Co. post. The history can be traced
at the Massey Area Museum.
Fort St. Joseph (National
Historic Site)
(1796 - 1812), St. Joseph Island
Ruins remain here at the southern point of the island. It was built to protect
the fur trade and to consolidate British influence in the Upper Great Lakes
region. It consisted of a bastioned earthwork, with a large blockhouse barracks,
similar to Fort Malden, and a stone magazine, kitchen, two storehouses, officers'
quarters, and guardhouses. The guns were mounted in the river-facing bastions
only. The British captured Fort Mackinac, Michigan in 1812, and abandoned
Fort St. Joseph. The empty fort was burned by American forces in 1814. The
North West Company also had a post here at the time, but it was not destroyed
by the Americans. It was the westernmost British outpost in Upper Canada at
the time. After Fort Mackinac was returned to the United States, the garrison
moved to Drummond Island, until that island was later awarded to the Americans.
Penetanguishene was then established further south.
Sault Ste. Marie Fort
(1750 - 1867), Sault Ste. Marie
Originally a French fort which became British after 1762. The blockhouse was
built in 1799 and it was used as a trading post by the North West Co. until
1820, followed by the Hudson's Bay Co. (HBC records cover 1818 - 1864). It
was destroyed by the Americans in 1814, but it was later rebuilt.
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