New Caledonia (Canada) - Fur-trading District

Fur-trading District

The explorations of James Cook and George Vancouver, and the concessions of Spain in 1792 established the British claim to the coast north of California. Similarly, British claims were established inland via the explorations of such men as Sir Alexander Mackenzie, Simon Fraser, Samuel Black, David Thompson, and John Finlay, and by the subsequent establishment of fur trading posts by the North West Company and the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). However, until 1849, the region which now comprises British Columbia was an unorganized area of British North America. Unlike Rupert's Land to the north and east, the departments of New Caledonia and its southern neighbour, Columbia, were not concessions to HBC. Rather, the Company was simply granted a monopoly to trade with the First Nations inhabitants after its merger with the North West Company in 1821.

For all intents and purposes, New Caledonia came into being with the establishment of the first British fur trading posts west of the Rocky Mountains by Simon Fraser and his crew, during their explorations of 1805-08. These were Fort George (later Prince George) at the junction of the Fraser and Nechako Rivers, Fort Fraser on Fraser Lake, Hudson's Hope, near the Peace River Canyon, Fort McLeod on McLeod Lake, north of Fort George, and the administrative headquarters of the district, Fort St. James, located on the shore of Stuart Lake. In its proper sense, New Caledonia at first thus comprised the territory of the northwestern Interior Plateau drained by the Peace, Stuart and Bulkley River systems. The origin of the name is generally attributed to Simon Fraser and his companions, to whom the hills and woodlands were reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands.