Winnipeg May Term Project: Lower Fort Garry

Today, we visited Lower Fort Garry, located a bit outside the city on the Red River. The fort was built in 1830 by the Hudson Bay Company and was intended to be the company post as well as an administrative center for fur trade. After a flood destroyed the original fort, it was moved to its current location on higher ground further down the river. However, many traders opted not to do business at this fort because it was not located in the city and would require more travel. This fort is one of the finest collections of early stone buildings in Western Canada and is North America's only restored stone fort from the fur trade era. Walking through all of the different buildings, we were able to see the blacksmith shop, guest cottage, master house, sale shop, men's house, and warehouse and meet interpreters of the past to tell us more about that specific building and the jobs of the people in it. We enjoyed being able to walk around these beautifully historic grounds as well as learn more about the history of fur trade in Manitoba.