History of Saskatchewan - Fur Trade Era

Fur Trade Era

In May 1670, Britain gave the lands which drained into the Hudson Bay watershed to “the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading into Hudson's Bay”, which later became the Hudson's Bay Company. In 1774, Cumberland House, the company's first trading post, was erected.

Travelling inland were the French Canadian Voyageurs of the North West Company arriving from Eastern Canada.

European fur traders, American fur traders set up forts and trading posts and established commerce with the First Nations people. First Nations people helped the early visitor adapt to the land, and supplied furs in exchange for goods.

The richest resource for this area appeared to be the fur trade industry, early development and settlement was in the northern areas. Fort Garry, Manitoba (1870–1876) was declared the very first capital of the North-West Territories. The North-West Mounted Police barracks shifted location further west. Fort Livingstone of the North-West Territories was declared capital (1876–1877), but was short lived. It began as an NWMP police barracks, however, it was not fit for living in due to hasty construction and a severe winter setting in. On October 7, 1876, the North-West Territories Act was approved by Lieutenant Governor Laird. He departed from Fort Livingstone in the summer of 1877 and proclaimed a new capital of the North-West Territories at Battleford (1877–1883). For governing purposes, the vast area of the North-West Territories was divided into provisional districts on May 8, 1882. The telegraph line linked up the northern communities.

Between 1871 and 1899, Treaties 1 through 8 have been signed between the North West Territory Government and the First Nations peoples.