410:"The distance from Fort Garry to Portage La Loche was 482 French leagues (1446 miles) which we would undertake in a small vessel called a York boat. York boats are flat bottomed, pointed at both ends and displace 8 to 9 tonnes, which give them a capacity of 4 to 5,000 kilos. The keel measures normally 30 to 36 feet. It is rowed or sailed and steered with a long âavironâ called a sweep and a rudder. The York boat is crewed by nine to ten men, a helmsman called a 'gouvernail', a bossman or âdevant de bargeâ, and eight rowers called the âmilieuxâ. These milieux were also the porters. Our guide was an old French Canadian called Alexis Lesperance. At 80 years old his actions were slowed but not his voice. His boat, always the first, was guided by his son. A kind of guide, the Metis Michel Dumas, led our boat. Our cook and porter was another Metis called Baptiste Boucher, âmangeur de lardâ (greenhorn) like us who was forced to come out of need. Our brigade had seven boats, all crewed by French
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386:) who retired in 1866. In 1848 two Portage La Loche Brigades were formed. Each brigade had seven boats, each with a guide. One brigade was still guided by Alexis L'Esperance (Alexis Bonami dit Lesperance), the other by Jean Baptiste Bruce. In 1866 the HBC increased the Portage La Loche Brigades to three with seventeen boats in total. The last Portage La Loche Brigade arrived at
726:
445:, 4 smoked and cooked hams, 6 large loaves of bread, a big bag of buffalo tongues and smoked meat, a small case of eggs, a little bag of onions, 3 pounds of Congo tea, a small barrel of maple syrup; some sugar, ground coffee, salt, pepper and butter. Two blankets rolled in an oil skin bag, a hatchet and a case of clothes completed his baggage.
694:
425:
A great cry: âAoh! Aoh!â Pousse au large!â came from the lungs of
Lesperance, made me understand that the old guide, however white haired he may be, was nevertheless still green and full of energy. A savage cry: âWi ! Wi !â uttered by the crews, answered this order, and the seven York boats
302:
had been built at strategic sites along the main brigade routes and as soon as the waterways were free of ice the fur brigades would carry trade goods and food supplies to replenish the various trading posts along their route and pick up the accumulation of furs caught during the winter season. They
406:
recounts his 1862 trip with the
Portage La Loche Brigade. He left Fort Garry on 8 June as a passenger with the Lesperance brigade. The other brigade guided by Jean Baptiste Bruce had left a week earlier. He arrived at the Portage 42 days later on 20 July. In the following translation Petitot
478:, a barrel of biscuits, some ham, tea, sugar. We were to live on this for two months. Monsignor had also arranged for a MĂ©tis to do our cooking and to help us set up our tent every night and take it down every morning. He suggested that we be quick to obey the guide's signal:
725:
860:
474:"We each had our travel case, and Monsignor Taché had supplied for our voyage: thick wool blankets wrapped in oilskin, a tent, a stove, a tea kettle, plates and iron pans, knives and forks, a bag of dried meat, a large sack of
693:
434:
and I made in our boat filled with sugar boxes, barrels of powder, bolts of cloth and cases of tobacco, with only a felt hat for shade, seated on the first piece of baggage we found."
283:. Their trip from Fort Garry to Portage La Loche (known also as Methye Portage) would begin around 1 June and end around 8 October. Only one other brigade had a longer route. The
338:
as saying in French; "We are almost all MĂ©tis in the
Company. Among the chief factors there is not a single Englishman, and maybe not ten Scots with pure blood." (translation)
1370:
47:
441:, Petitot bought more provisions for his journey. His complete list of supplies included 125 kilos of flour, two bags of sea biscuits, 25 kilos of
230:
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493:'s estimates of the dates when the brigades arrived and left each section of the route. The dates are from his 1871 book,
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They arrived at York
Factory unloaded furs and reloaded supplies bound for Norway House and Fort Garry.
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535:
arrived at Norway House. There they picked up supplies that had been stored there the year before from
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in the morning and not to delay getting into the boat. He led us to the river's edge, gave us his
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arrived at
Portage La Loche unloaded and portaged supplies and loaded furs brought there by the
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486:, embraced us tenderly like a father would and we took our place on the boat." (translation)
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Norway House where supplies were unloaded to be picked up again next year.
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who was travelling with
Petitot also described the experience in his book "
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with
Laurent Cadotte as guide. The guide in 1833 was Alexis L'Esperance (
275:. This famous brigade travelled 4000 miles every year and was part of the
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649:
483:
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516:
430:. Twenty five years later I still seem to see the pitiful figures that
379:
260:
985:(Red river. ed.), Montreal: Printed for the author by J. Lovell,
463:
had made arrangements for our passage, Father
Petitot and I, with the
1054:
956:
468:
295:
960:
Souvenirs de mes soixante ans d'apostolat dans l'Athabaska-Mackenzie
454:
Souvenirs de mes soixante ans d'apostolat dans l'Athabaska-Mackenzie
1314:
475:
442:
419:
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arrived at Norway House and continued on to York
Factory by the
358:
234:
The La Loche
Brigade route from Lake Winnipeg to Methye Portage
861:"Alexis L'Esperance - Leader of the Portage la Loche Brigade"
781:"Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online (Alexis Bonami)"
980:
710:detailing the Churchill River fur trade route from
684:They arrived at Fort Garry with supplies and mail.
354:
in 1821 showing sails being used as boat coverings.
883:"Jean Baptiste Bruce-La Loche Boat Brigade Leader"
350:Brigade of York boats camping on Lake Winnipeg by
294:By the 1820s the Hudson's Bay company had several
287:brigade travelled 4200 miles from York Factory to
1337:
298:brigades travelling distinct routes. Permanent
957:Grouard, Ămile-Jean-Baptiste-Marie (c. 1922),
839:"Laurent Cadotte-La Loche Boat Brigade Leader"
1040:
937:"History of La Loche (Portage La Loche 1862)"
902:
803:
378:brigade of 1826. The brigade consisted of 7
310:as were almost all the men employed by the
166:
1047:
1033:
70:
1371:Historic trails and roads in Saskatchewan
905:En route pour la mer Glaciale (Page 203)
806:En route pour la mer Glaciale (Page 277)
357:
345:
306:The boat brigades were mostly crewed by
243:A brigade of York boats at a portage by
238:
198:
86:
15:
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797:
668:They left York Factory and returned to
467:on the boats leaving that afternoon of
214:
150:
102:
1338:
550:crossed Lake Winnipeg and entered the
182:
134:
25:Coppermine Expedition map of 1819â1822
1366:Historic trails and roads in Manitoba
1028:
393:
880:
858:
836:
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750:portion of the fur trade route from
118:
54:
13:
303:also carried mail and passengers.
14:
1382:
1153:Company of One Hundred Associates
1008:
279:transportation system during the
1217:Lists of forts and trading posts
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314:'s Northern Department (now the
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69:
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981:Joseph James Hargrave (1871),
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407:describes leaving Fort Garry.
1:
1143:Bent, St. Vrain & Company
766:
519:in early June, went down the
400:En route pour la mer Glaciale
636:passed Cumberland House and
616:They left Portage La Loche (
573:System by crossing over the
7:
1356:Water transport in Manitoba
1020:Alexis Lesperance biography
10:
1387:
1198:Rocky Mountain Fur Company
907:, Paris: Letouzey et Ané,
808:, Paris: Letouzey et Ané,
362:A York boat in use in 1910
341:
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1264:
1237:
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523:, traveled the length of
1251:Portage La Loche Brigade
1203:Russian-American Company
1158:Dutch West India Company
1057:North American fur trade
504:
426:took their leave on the
281:North American fur trade
253:Portage La Loche Brigade
628:passed Ile a la Crosse
471:for Portage La Loche."
259:that travelled between
1178:New Netherland Company
1015:Petitot's Journey 1862
963:, Winnipeg: La Liberté
903:Ămile Petitot (1887),
881:Barkwell, Lawrence J.
837:Barkwell, Lawrence J.
804:Ămile Petitot (1887),
363:
355:
320:North-West Territories
248:
39:
491:Joseph James Hargrave
361:
349:
242:
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1351:Hudson's Bay Company
1256:York Factory Express
1229:Hudson's Bay Company
1168:Missouri Fur Company
1163:Hudson's Bay Company
1148:Columbia Fur Company
1138:American Fur Company
983:Red River (page 160)
465:Hudson's Bay Company
428:âMiskwa-Kamaw Sipiyâ
372:Hudson's Bay Company
368:Red River Settlement
312:Hudson's Bay Company
285:York Factory Express
277:Hudson's Bay Company
231:class=notpageimage|
1188:Pacific Fur Company
1065:Fur trading regions
859:Pulscher, Francis.
716:Lac Ăle-Ă -la-Crosse
579:Sturgeon-Weir River
480:"LĂšve ! LĂšve!"
328:William J. Christie
174:Sturgeon-Weir River
1327:Siberian fur trade
1183:North West Company
748:Saskatchewan River
552:Saskatchewan River
489:The following are
394:Leaving Fort Garry
364:
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352:Peter Rindisbacher
322:). In 1862 Father
249:
245:Peter Rindisbacher
78:Saskatchewan River
40:
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688:
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569:then entered the
515:The brigade left
497:a history of the
374:formed the first
370:recruited by the
316:Prairie Provinces
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1361:Red River Colony
1310:Iron Confederacy
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1009:External links
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742:detailing the
740:expedition map
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744:Lake Winnipeg
741:
738:'s 1819-1822
737:
736:John Franklin
733:
727:
717:
713:
709:
706:'s 1819-1822
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704:John Franklin
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525:Lake Winnipeg
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450:Ămile Grouard
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404:Emile Petitot
401:
391:
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385:
384:Alexis Bonami
381:
377:
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366:Men from the
360:
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348:
339:
337:
336:Fort Edmonton
333:
329:
325:
324:Ămile Petitot
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300:trading posts
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273:Rupert's Land
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22:
21:John Franklin
18:
1298:Indian Trade
1277:Mountain man
1250:
1243:fur brigades
1239:Canoe routes
1122:Saskatchewan
1097:Great Plains
982:
976:
965:, retrieved
959:
952:
940:. Retrieved
931:
925:, 0665304463
904:
898:
886:. Retrieved
876:
864:. Retrieved
854:
842:. Retrieved
832:
826:, 0665304463
805:
784:. Retrieved
775:
756:Grand Rapids
752:Norway House
712:Frog Portage
673:30 September
665:10 September
646:Oxford House
589:They passed
575:Frog Portage
565:They passed
556:Grand Rapids
548:Norway House
537:York Factory
494:
488:
479:
473:
458:
453:
447:
436:
424:
422:Christians.
409:
399:
398:In his book
397:
388:Norway House
365:
332:chief factor
305:
293:
291:until 1846.
269:York Factory
252:
250:
126:Frog Portage
62:Grand Rapids
41:
27:showing the
1293:Beaver Wars
1265:Communities
1077:Assiniboine
888:30 December
844:30 December
650:Hayes River
484:benediction
416:Swampy Cree
414:with a few
257:fur brigade
1340:Categories
1325:See also:
1272:Longhunter
1208:XY Company
1087:California
942:12 October
914:0665304463
866:13 October
815:0665304463
786:13 October
767:References
608:brigades.
554:system at
546:They left
517:Fort Garry
495:Red River,
439:Stone Fort
380:York boats
261:Fort Garry
1346:Fur trade
1131:Companies
1072:Athabasca
1059:by region
923:24242593M
824:24242593M
681:8 October
657:31 August
641:21 August
633:15 August
606:Mackenzie
602:Athabasca
521:Red River
469:Pentecost
390:in 1873.
330:then the
296:York boat
1315:Trapline
1102:Nebraska
1082:Columbia
999:6911962M
967:10 April
625:5 August
613:1 August
577:via the
476:pemmican
443:pemmican
420:Chippewa
318:and the
1092:Montana
991:5035707
652:Route.
597:17 July
562:24 June
543:12 June
532:10 June
448:Father
437:At the
432:Grouard
402:Father
342:History
326:quoted
247:in 1821
1224:French
997:
989:
921:
911:
822:
812:
586:9 July
512:1 June
263:, the
1286:Other
1117:Peace
505:Route
412:Metis
308:MĂ©tis
31:from
1241:and
987:OCLC
969:2014
944:2012
909:ISBN
890:2013
868:2012
846:2013
810:ISBN
788:2012
746:and
604:and
527:and
456:"
418:and
267:and
251:The
758:to
754:to
714:to
334:of
271:in
35:to
23:'s
1342::
995:OL
993:,
919:OL
917:,
820:OL
818:,
796:^
648:/
620:)
581:.
501:.
1048:e
1041:t
1034:v
946:.
892:.
870:.
848:.
790:.
459:"
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