The Trading Post

Holding down the fort

When a company bourgeois stayed at a trading post for an extended period, it was generally to pursue commercial ties with the Natives. The bourgeois assigned voyageurs to build, maintain and supply the posts. Sometimes, he also assigned trusted men with the task of trading en derouine. The bourgeois would outfit the voyageur with trade goods and send him to a Native community to trade. This practice was especially useful in areas where trading companies competed.

From log cabin to wilderness town

Fort William, circa 1811

Trading posts varied greatly in both form and function. Many of the remote outposts were simple log cabins with a trading counter. Administrative posts served as bases for supply and transhipment. As headquarters of the North West Company, Fort William was a bustling walled community.

Fort William, Ontario, viewed from a Native encampment

The Fort incorporated building styles popular in Quebec, and contained a forge, a hospital, a general store, and other services for accommodating brigades arriving from east and west.

Location, location, location

Summer scene near Fort Douglas on the Red River, Manitoba, July 1822

The sites of inland trading posts were generally chosen for their proximity to Native trading networks and woodlands rich in furs. A nearby river abundant in fish was also important, as was easy access to wood for fuel and construction.

All in a day's work

Trading posts were the responsibility of a bourgeois who might be a shareholder or salaried clerk in the company. The workforce included voyageur brigades who wintered there before returning to the Lake Superior Rendezvous in the spring. Voyageurs at the administrative posts were responsible for sorting, packing and storing furs.

Working on a canoe, Fort William Historical Park

At inland posts, a voyageur's tasks fell into four categories:

Build and maintaining the post, including craftsman duties
Acquire food for the people staying at the post
Trade en derouine as directed by the bourgeois
Communicate between trading posts, including transporting supplies and furs

The Bourgeois had their own set of duties:

Bookkeeping at Old Fort William

Choose the location of fur trading posts
Direct the hired men at the posts
Hire additional labour to provision the posts with food
Establish trading prices
Provide basic medical care to the voyageurs

Did you know?

Life at the forts was not without its dangers. Voyageurs staying at trading posts dealt with harsh weather and food shortages, as well as occasional violence arising from rivalry between trading companies.

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