Early
Exploration of BC |
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The first Europeans to cross the continent of North America came from East to West. They were the fur trade explorers of the North West and Hudson's Bay trading companies.
Travelling in birch bark canoes, they explored west from Hudson's Bay (HBC) or Lachine, Quebec. (NWC)
Following the inland river and lake systems, and led by MacKenzie, Fraser and Thompson, they built trading posts, explored the waterways and created the first maps of those regions. These were the Voyageurs!
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In 1778 Captain
James Cook explored the coast, as
part of his search for a western passage or significant inland waterway.
Russian traders had already established trading posts and begun trading in Alaska; they had also started exploring further down the coast. Spanish explorers had been in the area a few times, as early as 1774.
In 1793 Alexander MacKenzie
became the first person to travel across North America by land north of Mexico. Trading posts began to develop, built by both the NWC and HBC companies. |
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In the early 1800's, people began travelling from the British Isles and other parts of Europe to
British Columbia (New Caledonia,
at the time) and became Canada's first fur traders.
They traded manufactured goods
like iron pots and blankets for
furs which they brought back to Europe. These furs were made into hats, jackets and other items.
The North West Company sent more people to explore the area and try to find the best overland route. Simon Fraser charted the Fraser river from 1807-1811, and David Thompson explored the Columbia River. They were both NWC men.
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