Companies%20of%20the%20Canadian%20Fur%20Trade

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Companies of the Canadian Fur Trade

• Canadian History

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The CompaniesA Brief Overview

• Hudson Bay Company
• North West Company

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HBC

• Formed in 1670
• Operated in Ruperts Landall the land that was
  drained by rivers flowing into Hudsons Bay
• London-based
• Coastal trading posts located at the mouths of
  major rivers
• Natives would trap furs bring them to the
  coastal posts

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HBCAdvantages

• Close to fur supplies in northern Canada
• Ships could enter the center of the continent via
  Hudsons Bay
• Costs were lowno inland traders

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North West Company

• Formed in 1779
• Montreal merchants / Independent traders
• Montreal-based
• NorWesters supervised trade in the west
• Other were responsible for exporting furs from
  Montreal
• French-Canadien Voyageurs paddled canoes

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NWC

• NorWesters moved into western Canada in search
  for furs
• Alexander MacKenzie, Simon Fraser, David Thompson
  explored much of western Canada
• NWC trade extended into the Rocky Mts

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NWC.PROBLEMS

• Distance (Montreal to Western Canada)
• Two-way transportation system emerged
• Montreal to Fort William (Thunder Bay)
• Fort William to the West

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HBCChanges

• When rival traders began intercepting native
  canoes on their way to HBC coastal posts, HBC
  began sending trading parties to the interior
• Cumberland House on the Saskatchewan River was
  the 1st HBC inland post
• Led to direct competition with the NWC

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