A BRUSH WITH DESTINY: TEMPESTS AND TRIUMPHS OF OUR LA PRAIRIE VOYAGEUR KIN

Edited by “Drifting Cowboy”

In the swirling mists of New France, where the mighty St. Lawrence River cradled dreams of empire like a silver serpent under moonlit skies, the voyageur ancestors of a drifting cowboy stirred from their Normandy roots, their blood a wild torrent of adventure. Born from the salt-kissed shores of France, they crossed the Atlantic's roaring abyss, drawn by the siren call of untamed wilderness—forests that whispered ancient secrets, lakes that mirrored the stars like shattered diamonds, and rivers that thundered with the heartbeat of a continent yet unmapped.

It dawned in the golden haze of the 17th century, when François Le Ber, forged in Normandy's emerald valleys around 1626, braved the ocean's fury in 1657. His eyes, sharp as a hawk's, pierced the veil of Quebec's founding, where Samuel de Champlain, the visionary cartographer with a soul of fire, had etched the first strokes of New France upon the land. François, an interpreter among the Algonquin and Huron, plunged his paddle into the Ottawa's foaming rapids, his birchbark canoe slicing through emerald waters flecked with foam. He supplied brigades that danced in Champlain's wake—alliances forged in smoke-filled longhouses, beaver pelts gleaming like burnished gold under the sun. Kin like Jean Mignault dit Chatillon, born in Paris's bustling shadows in 1622, led expeditions into Huron Country in 1648, their voices echoing invitations to trade amid towering pines that swayed like guardians of forgotten realms, where Champlain's ghost still wandered, dreaming of a passage to the Orient's silken shores.

As centuries bled into one another like rivers merging in flood, the family's saga deepened into the pays d'en haut—a labyrinth of endless emerald canopies and sapphire lakes. François Bourassa, arriving from France's sun-drenched fields in 1659, embraced the voyageur's relentless rhythm, his sinewy arms propelling canoes from Lachine's misty docks to Hudson Bay's icy embrace in 1686. His paths intertwined with shadows of titans: Henri de Tonty, the iron-fisted wanderer whose prosthetic hand gleamed like forged lightning, descending the Mississippi's muddy veins with René-Robert Cavelier, sieur de La Salle, in the 1680s. La Salle, a tempest in human form, claimed the great river's delta for France in 1682, his Griffon vanishing into Lake Michigan's stormy maw like a phantom ship. Through merchant ties and whispered kinships—Colette Cavelier's lineage weaving faint threads—the Bourassas fueled these quests, their canoes laden with furs that rustled like autumn leaves, pushing westward where prairies unfolded like golden tapestries under endless azure skies.

In the fiery forge of the 18th century, René Bourassa dit LaRonde, François's son born in La Prairie's verdant cradle in 1688, became a legend etched in starlight and storm. A rogue trader, he danced on the edge of law, smuggling furs to Albany in 1722 and New England in 1729, his canoe a shadow slipping through blockades like a fox in twilight. His odysseys brushed the auras of luminaries: Antoine de La Mothe Cadillac, founding Detroit in 1701 amid the straits' swirling currents, where forts rose like defiant spires against the wind. Earlier, in 1671, Daumont de Saint-Lusson summoned chiefs at Sault Ste. Marie's roaring falls, claiming the Great Lakes in a ceremony of drums and eagle feathers, with Nicolas Perrot, the silver-tongued diplomat, weaving pacts among Sioux and Ottawa like threads of spider silk. René's uncles, the Le Ber merchants, poured their wealth into these northern dreams, while René himself wintered at Michilimackinac in the 1710s, trading amid birch-scented winds that carried echoes of Perrot's cunning bargains.

Yet René's crowning epic unfolded in the 1730s, when he joined Pierre Gaultier de La Vérendrye, the prairie poet whose eyes burned with visions of the Western Sea. In 1735, they carved Fort Saint-Charles from Lake of the Woods' misty shores and Fort Maurepas amid Assiniboine grasslands, mapping rivers that snaked like veins of liquid silver through buffalo-haunted plains. Ambushed by Sioux warriors in 1736 near Minnesota's shadowed borders, René fled through a maelstrom of arrows and thunder, saved by an enslaved girl's whispered wisdom—his canoe a bolt of lightning down swollen streams, rain lashing like tears from the gods. His sons pressed onward to Lake Nipigon's crystalline depths, their trades a lifeline for La Vérendrye's heirs, who chased horizons where sunsets bled crimson over uncharted prairies.

As the British Conquest thundered like a gathering storm in the 1760s, reshaping the land in cannon smoke and treaty ink, the Bourassa blood adapted, flowing into the veins of northwesters. Joseph Pinsonneau dit Lafleur, René's grandson born in 1733, voyaged to Detroit in 1763 during Pontiac's fiery uprising, his canoe gliding past flames and forts for merchant Michel Lasselle. This bridge to new eras linked to Peter Pond, the fierce Yankee trader who sketched the Athabasca's frozen wilds in the 1770s, his brutal ambition crewed by Pinsonneau kin whose paddles sang French chansons over crackling portage fires. Alexander Mackenzie, Pond's heir in cartographic fire, touched the Arctic's icy breath in 1789 and the Pacific's roaring waves in 1793, his brigades bolstered by La Prairie descendants—hardy souls enduring blizzards that howled like wolves, starvation gnawing like winter's fangs.

David Thompson, the celestial navigator, wove the continent's tapestry from 1784 to 1812, his stars-guided surveys of the Columbia River built on voyageur backs, Bourassa echoes in the crews that braved avalanches and rapids roaring like dragons awakened.

At last, as American eagles soared westward, Lewis and Clark's odyssey of 1804–1806 wove the final threads. French-Canadian guides, kin through marriage and misty alliances to Le Bers and Bourassas, joined the Corps—Pierre Cruzatte, one-eyed oracle of the Missouri, steering keelboats through canyons where eagles screamed and salmon leaped like silver arrows. Around crackling campfires along the Columbia's thunderous banks, tales of Champlain's Quebec dawn and La Vérendrye's prairie symphonies intertwined, binding old world's embers to the new frontier's blaze.

Through tempests and triumphs, these ancestors paddled the rivers of fate, their canoes etching poetry upon the land's vast canvas. From La Prairie's whispering reeds to the Rockies' jagged crowns, they were the pulsing heart of discovery, forever entwined with legends' luminous threads. And in the soul of a drifting cowboy, their eternal voyage drifts on, a ballad sung to the wind.

Above courtesy of Gock xAI and Drifting Cowboy

NOTES for “A Brush with Destiny Through Tempests and Triumphs with La Prairie Voyageur Kin,” courtesy of Google AI...

MORE ABOUT THE LA PRAIRIE SETTLEMENT'S ROLE IN THE FUR TRADE

The term "La Prairie" in the context of the fur trade most likely refers to the western edge of Montreal Island, near the Lachine Rapids, a critical portage point for voyageurs. Its name comes from the French phrase "la prairie" (the meadow), describing the landscape of the area. 

While some search results mention other locations like Fort La Reine (at modern-day Portage la Prairie) or trading posts in the American Midwest, the one near Montreal is the most historically significant as a hub for the Canadian fur trade. 

Strategic location

• Around Lachine Rapids: The Lachine Rapids on the St. Lawrence River were impassable for large ships. This made the western end of Montreal Island, where La Prairie was located, a natural transfer point.
• Gateway to the West: From this location, crews of French-Canadian voyageurs would launch their canoes laden with trade goods for the journey west.
• Return route: When returning from their expeditions into the interior, voyageurs would arrive back at La Prairie with their haul of furs, which were then transferred to ocean-going ships for the final trip to Europe. 

Major trading hub

• North West Company: The North West Company, a powerful British-Canadian fur trading enterprise, established a large stone warehouse in 1803 at what is now Lachine National Historic Site.
• Warehouse function: This warehouse served as a depot where goods from Europe were unloaded and re-packed for the westward journey, and where furs arriving from the interior were stored.
• Competition and alliances: This location was a hub for rivalries among trading companies, including the North West and Hudson's Bay Companies. Competition often defined the relationships among traders and their Indigenous partners. 

Voyageur culture

• Departure point: La Prairie was the starting point for perilous canoe expeditions involving voyageurs, Indigenous trappers, and European merchants.
• Cultural exchange: The fur trade at La Prairie and other posts fostered a unique culture shaped by interactions between French-Canadian voyageurs and Indigenous peoples. Many voyageurs married into Indigenous families, leading to the creation of the Métis people and culture. 

Decline of the fur trade

The fur trade in this region declined dramatically by the 1840s due to several factors, including: 

• Shift in fashion trends: European fashion shifted away from beaver fur hats in favor of cheaper alternatives, such as silk.
• Over-trapping: The depletion of beaver populations forced traders to travel farther west in search of pelts.
• Canal construction: The opening of the Lachine Canal in 1825 bypassed the rapids, lessening the importance of the portage and transfer point at La Prairie. 

SOME EARLY AND NOTABLE LA PRAIRIE VOYAGEURS

Numerous early voyageurs were hired from or associated with the area of La Prairie, Quebec, on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River near Montreal. Many were not famous historical figures in their own right, but rather contracted laborers for large companies like the North West Company. However, historical and genealogical records have identified several notable families and individuals tied to the area's fur trade. 

Prominent La Prairie voyageur families

• The Bourassa family: Known as the "fathers of the fur trade" and based in the La Prairie region, the Bourassa family was one of the earliest to become deeply involved. Several family members, including François Bourassa and his sons, were significant traders and merchants in the late 17th and 18th centuries.
• François Bourassa (1659–1708): As the patriarch, he established the family's strong fur trade connections.
• Rene Bourassa dit LaRonde (1688–1778), François Joachim Bourassa (1698–1775), and Antoine Bourassa (1705–1780): These three sons all became influential figures in the trade.
• The Pinsonneault family: Engagements (contracts) from merchants in Montreal reveal members of this family working as voyageurs from La Prairie. For instance, Joseph Pinsonneault dit Lafleur signed on as a voyageur in 1763. 

Notable individual voyageurs

• Étienne Duquet: Hired in the early 1750s from La Prairie to make trips to Michilimackinac, a major fur trading hub.
• François Dupuis: Hired from La Prairie for a journey to Michilimackinac in 1752.
• Jean-Baptiste Meunier: This voyageur from La Prairie was hired by merchants to travel to the Mississippi and beyond in the late 1770s. He later partnered to establish his own trading post on the Missouri River.
• François Rivet: A relative of early La Prairie families, Rivet was a winterer ("homme du nord") who traveled with the Lewis and Clark expedition in the early 1800s. He also worked for the North West Company and later the Hudson's Bay Company. 

Connection to explorers and merchants

The voyageurs of La Prairie often served as the labor force for better-known explorers and Montreal-based merchants. This makes some of their stories difficult to track, as their primary role was to carry goods and navigate the waterways for their employers, many of whom were the more visible figures of the fur trade. 

These voyageurs and their relatives not only fueled the fur trade but also played a significant role in the expansion of French-Canadian and Métis communities across North America. 

THE BOURASSA FAMILY'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FUR TRADE

The Bourassa family's influence on the fur trade spanned several generations and territories, evolving from engaged voyageurs to prominent traders and agents. Their story reflects the broader history of French-Canadian involvement in the industry, including the importance of Indigenous relations, strategic alliances, and eventual assimilation into new communities. 

Key family members and their roles

François Bourassa (1659–1708) 

• Early voyageur: The patriarch of the family, François Bourassa, started his involvement in the late 17th century as a contracted voyageur (an engagé).
• Early expeditions: His contracts included expeditions to Hudson Bay for the Compagnie du Nord in 1686 and trips to Michilimackinac and the territory of the Ottawa Nation with his brother-in-law, Joachim Leber, in the 1680s and 1690s.
• Family connections: His marriage to Marie Leber connected him to the wealthy and influential Leber merchant family of Montreal, which provided valuable trading connections. 

René Bourassa dit La Ronde (1688–1778) 

• Illicit trade: François's son René entered the illicit trade with English colonies, selling furs for a higher price in Albany, New York. In 1722, he was fined 500 livres for this activity.
• Western trade: By 1726, he shifted to legal western trade, dispatching canoes to the pays d'en haut (the upper country) in the Great Lakes region.
• Explorer companion: He accompanied the explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye, on some of his western expeditions.
• Fort Michilimackinac settlement: In 1742, René settled at Fort Michilimackinac, a key trading post where he became a permanent resident. 

Daniel Bourassa I (1752–1840)

• Mackinac Island origins: Daniel was born on Mackinac Island, a testament to his family's deep entrenchment in the Great Lakes fur trade.
• Family ties and alliances: He developed strong ties with local Potawatomi leaders, serving as a godfather to their children.
• Diverse relations: He had both French and Potawatomi children, demonstrating the prevalence of intermarriage and the integration of French-Canadian and Indigenous cultures within the fur trade.
• Post-French and Indian War: After the French and Indian War, Daniel and his family moved to Fort Detroit, continuing their fur trading activities under British control. 

Daniel Bourassa II (1780–1840)

• American Fur Company agent: As the fur trade shifted, Daniel became an agent for John Jacob Astor's powerful American Fur Company.
• Potawatomi descent: He married a Nishnabe woman named Theotis Pisange, who had Ojibwe and Odawa ancestry. They had 13 children and lived within a Potawatomi community.
• Forced removal: In a tragic chapter of the family's history, Daniel, Theotis, and their children were forced to join the Potawatomi on the Trail of Death in 1838, a devastating removal to Kansas. 

Joseph Napoleon Bourassa (1810–1877)

• Interpreter and diplomat: Joseph, the son of Daniel II and Theotis Pisange, became a key leader within the Potawatomi community. He was known for his skills as an interpreter and negotiator.
• Linguistic contributions: He compiled medicinal recipes and created the first Potawatomi dictionary in Kansas.
• Advocate for his people: Joseph used his education and skills to expose the exploitation of his people by corrupt white traders and Indian agents, leading to their removal. 

The Bourassa legacy

The Bourassa family's history in the fur trade reveals the multifaceted nature of the industry:

• Generational continuity: The family successfully adapted to the changing political landscapes, from French to British to American rule, and moved from Montreal to the Great Lakes and eventually to Kansas.
• Cultural assimilation: Through intermarriage and diplomacy, they became deeply integrated into Indigenous communities, leading to the creation of mixed-heritage families and strengthening trade relationships.
• Economic influence: By serving as voyageurs, merchants, and agents, the Bourassa family played a significant role in the economic engine of the North American fur trade. 

LA PRAIRIE AND THE LE BER FAMILY

The Le Ber family was deeply intertwined with the fur trade, with members acting as both successful merchants and as the more common laborers, the voyageurs. Their connections helped solidify the prominence of Montreal and nearby La Prairie as fur trade hubs. Most notably, Jacques Le Ber (1633–1706) and his brother François Leber (1626–1694) shaped the family's legacy. 

The merchant: Jacques Le Ber dit Larose (1633–1706) 

• Early Montreal business: Jacques arrived in New France in 1657 and quickly became a prominent and wealthy merchant in Montreal.
• Partnership with the Le Moyne family: Jacques married Jeanne Le Moyne, sister of Charles Le Moyne, another major figure in Montreal's business circles. They became business partners, and their joint fur trading enterprise was very successful.
• Lachine trading post: In 1667, Jacques Le Ber and Charles Le Moyne bought land in Lachine from the explorer René-Robert Cavelier de La Salle. They constructed a fur trading post there in 1669, strategically positioned to control access to Lake Saint-Louis and the routes to the Great Lakes.
• Influence and nobility: As one of the most influential and wealthiest men in New France, Jacques Le Ber's advice was sought by Governor General Frontenac on important matters of trade. For his contributions, he was ennobled in 1696.
• Legacy at Lachine: The Le Ber-Le Moyne House, constructed between 1669 and 1671, is the oldest intact building in Montreal and a testament to the family's early role in the fur trade. It now serves as a museum. 

The voyageur: François Leber (1626–1694) 

• Contrasting roles: While his brother Jacques became a wealthy merchant and noble, François served as a common voyageur and resided in the La Prairie area. This highlights the differing roles family members could play in the hierarchical fur trade.
• La Prairie origins: François Leber and his wife, Jeanne Testard, were early residents of La Prairie, where they raised their family.
• Link to the Bourassa family: François's daughter Marie Le Ber married François Bourassa, the patriarch of another influential fur trading family in the region. This union further cemented the network of families dominating the La Prairie and Montreal fur trade.
• Voyageur hardships: François's life as a voyageur involved real dangers. For example, he was taken prisoner by the Iroquois in 1693, showing the threats faced by those working the trade routes.
• Generational connections: Through his children and their marriages, François's side of the family maintained deep connections to the voyageur class and the fur trade for generations. His descendants were pioneers in the Great Lakes fur trade, demonstrating the lasting impact of these early family ties.

OTHER PROMINENT FAMILIES IN THE FUR TRADE AROUND LA PRAIRIE

In addition to the prominent Le Ber and Bourassa families, several other families were significant in the fur trade around La Prairie and Montreal. These families, often connected by marriage and business partnerships, included merchants, financiers, and laborers (voyageurs) who drove the industry forward. 

Robidou family

The Robidou family is a prime example of a family whose involvement in the fur trade started around La Prairie and spread across the North American continent. 

• André Robidou dit L'Espagnol: An early resident of La Prairie in the 17th century.
• Joseph Robidoux: Several members of this branch of the family later became prominent fur traders in the Missouri and Mississippi River regions, operating from St. Louis. One, also named Joseph Robidoux, founded the city of St. Joseph, Missouri. 

Le Moyne family

Closely linked to the Le Ber family through marriage and business, the Le Moyne family was one of Montreal's most powerful and influential. 

• Charles Le Moyne: As a wealthy merchant, he partnered with Jacques Le Ber to establish the first fur trading post at Lachine in the late 1660s, a critical location for the trade routes west.
• Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville: Charles's son was a celebrated explorer and naval commander who also heavily engaged in the fur trade, further solidifying the family's importance. 

Pinsonneault family

The Pinsonneault family intermarried with the Bourassa family and were early pioneers in La Prairie. 

• Joseph Pinsonneault dit Lafleur: Records from Montreal show he was hired as a voyageur from the La Prairie area in 1763.
• Paschal Pinsonneau: This later descendant became a fur trader and interpreter, eventually settling in the Midwest. 

Other related families

Through the Bourassa and Le Ber families, several other notable families became part of the broader fur trade network centered around Montreal and La Prairie: 

• Testard family: Jeanne Testard was an early resident of La Prairie who married voyageur François Leber, connecting their two families.
• Godefroy family: The Godefroy family was linked to the fur trade even earlier, with members arriving in New France with Samuel de Champlain in the early 17th century. 

This interconnected network of families, including merchants like the Le Bers and Le Moynes and the voyageurs and interpreters like the Robidous and Bourassas, made Montreal and La Prairie central hubs for the North American fur trade. These families' ventures and intermarriages laid the groundwork for French-Canadian and Métis communities far into the western frontier. 

FAMOUS EXPLORERS WHO BEGAN THEIR CAREERS AS LA PRAIRIE AREA VOYAGEURS

The term "La Prairie area" could refer to the historical settlement of La Prairie, or the wider fur trade hub of Montreal, which used Lachine (on Montreal Island, facing the south shore where La Prairie lies) as its westernmost trading post. While many explorers had links to this hub, not all started as voyageurs in the traditional sense. Most came from military, clerical, or merchant families who invested in explorations, or were later contracted to lead expeditions using voyageurs as their crew. 

However, some famous explorers and leaders of expeditions did begin their careers as fur traders and voyageurs associated with the Montreal/La Prairie area: 

Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye (1685–1749) 

• Military beginnings: Though he served as a soldier in his early career, La Vérendrye is best known as an explorer and fur trader.
• Western expansion: In 1726, he left his sedentary life to manage a fur trading post in the Lake Superior region.
• Search for the Pacific: By the 1730s, he led expeditions with his sons and other voyageurs into the uncharted Western interior, building a series of forts in what is now Manitoba and westward.
• Exploration leader: La Vérendrye organized and commanded expeditions, with his sons often leading parties of voyageurs, such as the one that reached the Rocky Mountains in 1743. 

Louis Jolliet (1645–1700) 

• Early fur trader: Jolliet was a Quebec-born fur trader who entered the western trade after abandoning seminary studies in 1667.
• Mississippi expedition: He was selected in 1672 to lead an expedition to find the course of the Mississippi River, which he undertook with Jesuit missionary Father Jacques Marquette.
• Exploration with voyageurs: Jolliet commanded the expedition, which was accompanied by five voyageurs who paddled their two canoes.
• Career shift: Later, he became an influential merchant, seigneur, and organist in Quebec, though he continued to engage in fur trading ventures on the St. Lawrence's North Shore and Hudson Bay. 

René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle (1643–1687) 

• Lachine beginnings: While not originally from La Prairie, La Salle's career in the fur trade began in the immediate area. In 1667, he received a land grant from the Sulpician order and, with his partner Jacques Le Ber, established a trading post at Lachine.
• Exploration funding: He funded his ambitious explorations of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River in part through his earnings from the fur trade.
• Mississippi expedition: La Salle later led his own expedition down the Mississippi River, relying on experienced French-Canadian voyageurs to navigate the waterways. 

Alexander Mackenzie (1764–1820) 

• Voyageur commander: Though not from La Prairie, Alexander Mackenzie rose through the ranks of the North West Company to become a leader of voyageurs on some of the most significant explorations in Canadian history.
• Western expeditions: He led expeditions that used La Prairie as an entry point for gathering men and provisions, including the first overland journey to the Pacific Ocean north of Mexico.
• Explorer status: While Mackenzie was a fur trader first and foremost, his explorations cemented his status as a renowned explorer. His expeditions depended heavily on the skills and labor of his voyageur crews, including those recruited from the Montreal area. 

WHAT SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE DID VOYAGEURS NEED?

Voyageurs required an exceptionally tough combination of physical strength, bushcraft, and social intelligence to survive and succeed in the fur trade. The demanding nature of their work meant they needed far more than simple paddling ability. 

Physical skills and endurance

• Canoeing: Voyageurs were master canoeists, able to paddle for up to 16 hours a day. They navigated treacherous rapids, powerful rivers, and vast, open lakes. Crew members had distinct roles: the avant steered from the bow, the milieux paddled in the middle, and the gouvernail navigated from the stern.
• Portaging: When waterways became impassable due to rapids or falls, voyageurs had to portage (carry) canoes and cargo over land. This backbreaking work involved carrying heavy 90-pound bales of trade goods or furs for long distances, sometimes carrying two or more at a time.
• Ruggedness and resilience: The voyageurs lived a brutal life, exposed to the elements, insects, and constant physical strain. Their bodies had to endure extreme cold, punishing heat, and a monotonous diet of salted pork, pea soup, and dried corn. 

Bushcraft and repair

• Navigation: While explorers and clerks used tools like compasses, voyageurs relied on their intimate knowledge of the land, landmarks, and waterways. They memorized the continent's complex river systems, and also used Indigenous knowledge passed down through generations.
• Canoe repair: The birchbark canoes were fragile and frequently damaged. Voyageurs were highly skilled at making quick, effective repairs on the trail. They carried repair kits containing spruce gum, animal fat, and charcoal to create a waterproof pitch, and used spruce root to sew large tears in the bark.
• Weather prediction: Voyageurs became adept at reading signs of the weather, including wind direction and cloud formations, to determine the best time to travel or seek shelter. 

Social and cultural knowledge

• Cultural sensitivity: Building and maintaining relationships with Indigenous peoples was critical for the fur trade. Voyageurs often learned Indigenous languages and customs, which fostered trust, ensured safe passage, and facilitated trade partnerships.
• Trading practices: The primary goal was to exchange European trade goods for furs, but voyageurs also relied on Indigenous communities for provisions like food and supplies, especially during long journeys.
• Survival knowledge: Indigenous peoples taught voyageurs crucial survival skills, such as how to forage for food, build shelter, and navigate unfamiliar terrain. This cultural exchange was essential for the voyageurs' survival in the unforgiving wilderness.
• Integration: Many voyageurs married Indigenous women and integrated into their local kinship networks, which further deepened trade relationships and led to the development of the Métis culture. 

THE MAIN ROUTES AND DESTINATIONS FOR NORTH WEST COMPANY CANOES

The North West Company's (NWC) main routes and destinations were part of an intricate two-stage system designed to overcome the vast distances and challenging geography of the Canadian interior. This network stretched from the company's headquarters in Montreal to the farthest reaches of the fur country, including the Pacific and Arctic coasts. 

The eastern route: Montreal to Fort William

This first stage of the journey involved the largest canoes, called canots de maître, which carried trade goods westward from Montreal. 

• Ottawa River: Voyageurs would travel up the Ottawa River, following the route pioneered by early French explorers.
• Georgian Bay and Lake Huron: From the Ottawa River, they would cross into Georgian Bay and then into Lake Huron.
• Lake Superior: Finally, the canoes would traverse the notoriously dangerous waters of Lake Superior.
• Main depots: The eastern brigade would end its journey at the company's main inland depot.
• Grand Portage: For a time, the depot was located at Grand Portage on the northern shore of Lake Superior.
• Fort William: In 1803, to avoid American tariffs after the U.S. acquired the area through the Jay Treaty, the NWC moved its depot to Fort William (modern-day Thunder Bay, Ontario). 

The western routes: Fort William onward 

At Fort William, the eastern brigade would meet the western brigade, known as the brigade d'ouest. The western voyageurs used smaller canoes, called canots du nord, to navigate the smaller, more numerous rivers of the interior. 

From Fort William, the routes branched out toward various destinations: 

• The Athabasca route: This was one of the most profitable routes, as the Athabasca country in present-day Alberta and Saskatchewan produced some of the highest-quality beaver pelts.
• Lake Winnipeg: The route headed north toward Lake Winnipeg via a series of rivers and portages.
• Fort Chipewyan: This prominent NWC post on Lake Athabasca was a key destination and the hub for the northern trade.
• The Pacific route (Columbia River): In the early 19th century, the NWC expanded its reach to the Pacific coast, eventually taking over the American Fort Astoria and renaming it Fort George.
• Columbia Brigade Route: The NWC established a route connecting Fort George to its interior posts, including Fort St. James. This linked the Pacific Northwest to Fort William and Montreal.
• Mackenzie River and Arctic routes: Explorations and trade extended far into the Canadian sub-arctic, reaching the Mackenzie River and even the Arctic Ocean. 
• The return trip
• During the annual rendezvous, trade goods from the east were exchanged for furs brought from the west. The western brigade would then return to their inland posts with supplies, while the eastern brigade would begin the long journey back to Montreal, laden with furs for shipment to Europe. This complex, grueling network of canoe routes was the lifeblood of the NWC's transcontinental fur trade empire.