Fort Espérance
Encyclopedia
In 1787, Fort Espérance was constructed on the south side of the Qu'Appelle River
near the present day Saskatchewan
-Manitoba
border. It was built by the North West Company
and was one of the important pemmican forts for the Assiniboine River district. As well as that significant role, it formed a vital link to the Company's northern fur trade
.
The fort moved a number ot times during its history and in 1816 moved to its last location on higher ground near the original fort. In 1819 the fort was closed due to hostilities with the local native people. Its provisions and functions were relocated to a post on the Assiniboine River
.
Qu'Appelle River
The Qu'Appelle River is a Canadian river that flows 430 km east from Lake Diefenbaker in southwestern Saskatchewan to join the Assiniboine River in Manitoba, just south of Lake of the Prairies, near the village of St. Lazare....
near the present day Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
-Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
border. It was built by the North West Company
North West Company
The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what was to become Western Canada...
and was one of the important pemmican forts for the Assiniboine River district. As well as that significant role, it formed a vital link to the Company's northern fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
.
The fort moved a number ot times during its history and in 1816 moved to its last location on higher ground near the original fort. In 1819 the fort was closed due to hostilities with the local native people. Its provisions and functions were relocated to a post on the Assiniboine River
Assiniboine River
The Assiniboine River is a river that runs through the prairies of Western Canada in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It is a tributary of the Red River. The Assiniboine is a typical meandering river with a single main channel embanked within a flat, shallow valley in some places and a steep valley in...
.