Lower Fort Garry is Canada Strong

The Canada Strong Pass encourages Canadians and travellers alike to explore the treasured places that contribute to our national identity. Exemplified in every national park and national historic site is the strength of Canada, from legacies of resilience, the power in community, forces of nature, the fortitude of architecture and even physical feats. Parks Canada invites you to celebrate the significance of these places through sharing stories of strength, respecting the wild beauty of nature and using the Canada Strong Pass to the fullest.

Powering the fur trade is strength and Parks Canada is proud to say that Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site is Canada Strong.

Lower Fort Garry was a hub of industrial and trade activity during the fur trade era. With a convenient location next to the Red River, the Fort became a distribution centre for fur and other trade goods. Here, it was not uncommon to find the lifeblood of the fur trade – the tripsmen, more colloquially known as the voyageur. These were the men that transported furs, trade goods and supplies through the wild Canadian terrain for which they were paid in coin and adventure.

When you imagine a voyageur, you might think of a jaunty red cap, a ceinture fléchée, or maybe even a cozy capot. But under those wool layers were the muscles that powered the fur trade. These were the arms that twisted the crank of the fur baler, providing hundreds of pounds of pressure to compact pelts into 45 kg burlap-wrapped cubes.

These were the backs on which they carried two bales at a time, using their sashes or leather straps to distribute the weight across their forehead. Pierre Bonga, considered the best-known Black fur trader, became the stuff of legends when he carried 200 kg of goods over a kilometre and a half during a portage. A feat of strength such as this was a common way to build social capital through competition, pushing to see who could carry more bales faster or farther than the other men.

These were the shoulders that rowed 11-metre York boats up the Red River from Lower Fort Garry to York Factory, carrying up to six tonnes of cargo and covering distances of over 1,000 km. For up to 16 hours a day, these men paddled and while this is no easy task physically, it could also be challenging mentally. Boredom, fatigue and exposure to the elements could easily take a toll on the fur traders.

To live and work in such an environment took mental fortitude and the support from those around them. Singing was one way to boost morale and keep the stroke of their paddles in perfect synchronization. On the water they would sing about love, loss, and folk tales while the rhythmic cadence propelled them forward. When the paddling was done for the day, camaraderie kept their spirits aloft until they could return home from these long excursions.

Even some of the food they ate required an iron stomach. Hard tack, a dense and bland bread, was made to survive the long journeys. What it lacked in taste and texture, it made up for in its ability to not spoil, an important feature to the tripsmen. Breaking apart the rock-like bread and soaking it in water could help improve the texture, but the taste (or lack thereof) remained.

At Lower Fort Garry the strength of the tripsmen can be felt today, not just through the history of the site, but by the visitors that choose to step back in time for the day. Whether they’re learning about the fur baler in the Fur Loft, listening to a Red River refrain in the Fort or marveling at the size of the York boat.

Join us at Lower Fort Garry to experience firsthand what makes this site Canada Strong.