Building a Trading Post

Student Handout

In this lesson, you will have the chance to choose the site of fur trading posts. You will then be able to select suitable sites on a map, justify your choices, and produce an artistic representation of the post. Much information, including maps, is available from the Early Canadiana Online Exploration, the Fur Trade and the Hudson's Bay Company site.

Part 1: Using the criteria discussed as a class, and the map of Canada below, decide where you would build 5 trading posts. Make a list of pros and cons for each site.

Click on the map above to enlarge

This map is also available on the Natural Resources Canada National Atlas of Canada site, on the Quick Maps page.
URL: http://www.atlas.gc.ca/
URL: http://www.atlas.gc.ca/english/quick_maps/index_quickmaps.htm (English)
URL: http://www.atlas.gc.ca/francais/cartes-eclair/index_quickmaps.htm (français)

Part 2: You are invited to create an artistic representation of what your trading post would look like. The creation should reflect the geography and climate of the location, and other factors previously discussed in large group work. Your final presentation to the class should include:

• A name for the post
  
• A list of the advantages and disadvantages of the location
  
• A list of stores, equipment and trading supplies that would be in the post. (You will be able to obtain this information from the Exploration, the Fur Trade and Hudson's Bay Company site, and may choose extra supplies).
  

You are encouraged to present the information in a manner that evokes the spirit of the period (i.e. weather paper using tea bags, weather edges, use calligraphy, etc.)