The River's Blood: The La Prairie Voyageur Legacy -- A Chain of Canoes: Your Family's 230-Year Fur Trade Epic (1608–1830)

Chapter 2. The Epic Scale: A Chain of Canoes

Our ancestors didn't just participate in the fur trade; they helped build and sustain the entire enterprise across two centuries and two empires. The story of the Canadian fur trade, from the founding of Quebec to the dominance of the Hudson's Bay Company, is the story of our family—a chain of canoes spanning 230 years.

I. The Foundations and Monopoly (1608–1680)

The trade began as a risky enterprise centered on Quebec and Montreal, establishing the social and economic structure necessary for colonial survival. Our family's presence starts early:

• 1635: Artisan Roots: The Jesuit land grants in La Prairie set the stage for settlement. Our ancestor, Jacques Marié, arrived soon after, becoming part of the essential artisan class whose skills—like bootmaking—were vital for provisioning the first voyageur expeditions.
• The Le Moyne Fusion (1667): This event defined the power structure of the colony. The marriage of our 8th great-granduncle, Jacques Leber, to Jeanne Le Moyne forged a blood compact that fused our family into the military and economic elite of New France.
• The English Threat (1668): When the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) was chartered, the English threat emerged in the North. Our ancestors, including François Leber (8th GGF), rose to become the merchant-financiers of the French response, strategically using their lot in La Prairie to stage counter-trade operations up the Ottawa River.

II. The Golden Age of La Prairie (1680–1760)

The era of intense expansion saw the La Prairie hub become a crucible for trade, warfare, and supply, with our ancestors at its core command and supply chain:

• The Coureur des Bois Spirit: The 1680s were defined by the spirit of the unlicensed frontiersman. Our ancestors, like François Bourassa, embodied the defiant coureur des bois, navigating both the wilds and the constant danger of the illegal brandy trade.
• The Cost of Commerce: This dark side of the trade came to a tragic head in 1719, when the family of Captain Pierre Gagné (8th GGF)—the Militia leader who provisioned expeditions with salted pork and tools—was directly harmed by the consequences of illicit spirits.
• Commanding the Routes: Throughout the late 17th century, men like Jean Perras dit Lafontaine were constantly engaged, paddling to Michilimackinac and the Ottawa lands. The Pinsonneau line, another key trade family, was consistently providing guides and voyageurs, establishing the family's deep-rooted connection to the Great Lakes routes.
• Physical Dominance (1704): The 1704 Map of Fort La Prairie physically confirms our family’s dominance: the Leber lot was situated on the riverfront, flanked by the central Gagné and Pinsonneau properties. These families were the landowners, the militia, and the essential suppliers of the last great French stronghold.

III. The British Conquest and the NWC (1760–1821)

Following the fall of New France, our ancestors rapidly adapted their skills to the new British economy, becoming the indispensable backbone of the burgeoning North West Company (NWC):

• The Hommes du Nord: As the Scottish and English merchants took command, they relied entirely on the Canadien infrastructure. Our ancestor Jean-Baptiste Meunier Lagacé exemplified this continuity, signing contracts as a voyageur for the NWC, paddling to Rainy Lake, and becoming a true North Man (Homme du Nord), extending the family's reach deeper into the continent than ever before (1763–1790).
• Enabling Exploration: The skills established by our ancestors were the very means by which Britain explored and claimed the Northwest. Our cousin, Sir Alexander Mackenzie (7th Cousin), relied entirely on this voyageur culture when he made his famous explorations to the Arctic in 1789.
• The Final Shift West: The birth of Gabriel (Gilbert) Passino dit Lafleur marks the final shift (1803). He migrated away from the settled St. Lawrence, following the Great Lakes trade paths, effectively becoming a North 

• American pioneer using the skills inherited from his Leber/Pinsonneau grandfathers.

IV. The Métis Connection (1821–1830s)

As the NWC and HBC merged, our family made the critical, final move west, solidifying ties that define the modern lineage:

• Kinship in the Heartland (1815–1828): The marriage of Louis Marier and Elizabeth Tourangeau in Sandwich, Ontario, and the subsequent migration of their son Joseph Marier to St. Boniface, Red River, where he married Louise Nolin, solidify our family’s deep ties to the Métis Nation.
• Legacy Beyond Monopoly: By the 1830s, the trade—now fully controlled by the powerful HBC monopoly—shifted from independent adventure to corporate employment. Our ancestors, however, had already done the pioneering work. They established a new life in the Red River, Detroit, and the Great Lakes, using the wealth of skills and relationships forged since 1635.

Our family’s history is a chain of canoes that spans every major event in the Canadian fur trade, successfully navigating the transition from French foundation to British dominance, and ultimately leaving an indelible mark on the history of the Métis Nation and the settlement of the American West.