Lower Fort Garry
We had been told that it would be worth visiting Lower Fort Garry Historic site. No kidding! Lower Fort Garry was built in 1830, by the Hudson's Bay Company, as a replacement for the original Fort Garry.
It's easy to summarize Lower Fort Garry's role in Canadian History: Western Canada started here. This was the jumping off point for fur trade in Western Canada. Furs that were brought in would be transported by York boat to York Factory, on Hudson's Bay. The trip was no picnic, as the sculpture inside the visitors' centre suggests. Despite the hardship, it was a point of pride to be a "Trip Man" for the HBC.
Years after the HBC rebuilt the original Fort Garry and relocated to the modern Forks in downtown Winnipeg, the warehouse was repurposed. After Manitoba joined Canada as a province, the warehouse served as the first jail in Manitoba.
I have to give full credit to the staff. They do a marvelous job in explaining history to the visitors. I felt is all of my old history courses were coming to life.
Read MoreIt's easy to summarize Lower Fort Garry's role in Canadian History: Western Canada started here. This was the jumping off point for fur trade in Western Canada. Furs that were brought in would be transported by York boat to York Factory, on Hudson's Bay. The trip was no picnic, as the sculpture inside the visitors' centre suggests. Despite the hardship, it was a point of pride to be a "Trip Man" for the HBC.
Years after the HBC rebuilt the original Fort Garry and relocated to the modern Forks in downtown Winnipeg, the warehouse was repurposed. After Manitoba joined Canada as a province, the warehouse served as the first jail in Manitoba.
I have to give full credit to the staff. They do a marvelous job in explaining history to the visitors. I felt is all of my old history courses were coming to life.
