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128-572: Francophones were the first Europeans to visit the province, with French Canadian voyageurs employed in the fur trade exploring the region in the late 18th century. French Canadians settled into a number of communities in the Northwest Territories during the 19th century, including communities in present day Alberta. Several French toponyms exist in Alberta, exemplifying the Francophone presence in

256-471: A decharge . Those where the cargo could be floated in the canoe if split into two trips were called a demi-charge . There is a report of a voyageur named La Bonga , a 6-foot-5-inch (196 cm) freed slave carrying 7 bales (630 lbs.) for one-half mile when applying to become a voyageur, a feat which trumped the usual requirement that voyageurs be short. Being a voyageur was dangerous, not just because of exposure to outdoor living, but also because of

384-548: A French-speaking audience, and a number of folk dancing troupes tour the province. The Centre d’arts visuels de l’Alberta provides a venue for francophone artists and craftsmen, and the annual Franco-Alberta Festival showcases French language and culture. Francophones in Alberta receive broadcast media service primarily from the television and radio services of the Société Radio-Canada , the French-language division of

512-451: A canoe man, and forty-one years in service; no portage was ever too long for me, fifty songs could I sing. I have saved the lives of ten voyageurs, have had twelve wives and six running dogs. I spent all of my money in pleasure. Were I young again, I would spend my life the same way over. There is no life so happy as a voyageur's life! After the British conquered Canada in 1763 , management of

640-515: A company chaplain. Rundle's tenure lasted until 1848, and his ministry and missionary work was met with competition of a sort by Jean-Baptiste Thibault , a Catholic priest who, like Rundle, was attempting to evangelize natives in the area. A chapel was erected inside the fort in 1843, which the Reverend Rundle boasted could host "(one) hundred Indians"; the structure also had two small rooms for Rundle's private use. Meanwhile, Rowand complained that

768-417: A day. Most of their diet consisted of a few items from a short list of food used for provisioning voyageurs. One was pemmican , consisting primarily of dried meat (pounded into small pieces) mixed with fat. Another was rubaboo or other dishes made from dried peas. Salt pork was more prevalent on the eastern routes. Montreal-based voyageurs could be supplied by sea or with locally grown crops. Their main food

896-459: A derogatory term. These men were seasonal workers employed mostly during the summer months to transport goods which could weigh as much as four tonnes by canoe. Up to ten men could be required to safely navigate with so much on board. They would travel to the western end of Lake Superior to drop off their goods. Those who overwintered were called hommes du nord (northern men) or hivernants (winterers). Those who were neither primarily traveled

1024-718: A different set of voyageurs. Once or twice a year a larger gathering took place to transfer furs and trade goods among these groups of voyageurs. The largest gatherings occurred at transfer points on the shore of Lake Superior at Grand Portage or Fort William. A rendezvous was also a time for rest and revelry. Since most voyageurs began their careers in their early 20s, the majority of them were not married while they were working. Those who did marry continued to work while leaving their family behind in Montreal. Few voyageurs are recorded as having married later in their lives in New France. There are

1152-519: A gathering place for aboriginals in the region for thousands of years. It is possible the HBC officials on the ground might have adopted a new name for the new fort. But an 1800 directive from HBC main offices in London had instructed them to stop switching names. (Later after Fort Edmonton was moved to its third site, the head office staff instructed them to stop using the same name for differently-located forts. It

1280-475: A larger part of the fur trading business process. The authorities began a process of issuing permits ( congés ). Those travellers associated with the canoe transportation part of the licensed endeavour became known as voyageurs, a term which literally means "traveller" in French. The fur trade was thus controlled by a small number of Montreal merchants. New France began a policy of expansion in an attempt to dominate

1408-479: A long-serving member of the HBC, John Edward Harriott , became the chief trader under Rowand. The two gained family ties when Harriott married one of Rowand's daughters. On a couple of occasions when Rowand joined HBC Inland Governor George Simpson for travel abroad, Harriott acted as chief factor. Rowand's administration from the 1830s onward coincided with a great change in the Saskatchewan District. For

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1536-651: A part of the Alberta Bilingual Municipalities Association (ABMA). Thirteen communities formed a part of the AMBA in 2018 The first Europeans to visit Alberta were French Canadians during the late 18th century, working as fur traders and voyageurs for the Hudson's Bay Company , or the North West Company . French was the predominant language used in some early fur trading forts in the region, such as

1664-491: A place with them Men; however dismal the prospect is for subsistence, they follow their Master wherever he goes. By 1815, the HBC took his advice and began hiring substantial numbers of French-Canadian voyageurs for trading expeditions into Athabasca. Colin Robertson led the first of these HBC expeditions and claimed to have difficulty hiring voyageurs in Montreal because of NWC efforts to thwart him. The NWC realized how important

1792-420: A plan of Edmonton. The artist Paul Kane first visited the fort in 1845. He produced several works of art based upon his time there. In May 1854, John Rowand died while accompanying the annual York Boat trip eastward. Accounts suggest that he tried to break up (or join) a skirmish between some of the tripmen while at Fort Pitt , and in his rage he fell suddenly dead. He was initially buried at Fort Pitt, but

1920-536: A three-storey house in the heart of the fort for the exclusive use of him and his family, denoting his station to his subordinates, visitors and trade partners alike. This was nicknamed "Rowand's Folly." Two Catholic missionaries, Francois-Norbert Blanchet and Modeste Demers, were the first to visit Fort Edmonton (called Fort-des-Prairies ) in 1838. Starting in 1840, the Fort housed the Wesleyan missionary Robert Rundle as

2048-470: A variety of explanations possible for this (including the higher than normal death rates for voyageurs and the opportunity to marry native and Métis women at the rendezvous through local custom weddings). However, it is likely that many voyageurs left for Mississippi or settled in the Canadian West. As French-Canadian voyageurs engaged and brought the fur-trade West, they established multiple settlements in

2176-405: A voyageur was penned by John Mongle who belonged to the parish of Maskinongé . He most likely used the services of a clerk to send letters to his wife. These chronicle his voyages into mainland territories in quest of furs. Three major influences molded the lives of voyageurs. First, their background of French-Canadian heritage as farmers featured prominently in their jobs as voyageurs. Working as

2304-448: A voyageur was seen as a temporary means of earning additional income to support their families and expand their farms. Most voyageurs were born in New France. However, fur trading was not an everyday experience for most of the colonial population. Roughly two thirds of the population did not have any involvement in the fur trade. The second influence came from indigenous communities. Voyageurs learned from indigenous people how to survive in

2432-658: A while then merged in 1821. Management was taken over by the capital-rich HBC, but trading methods were those of the Montreal-based NWC voyageurs. After the merger of the NWC and HBC, much trade shifted to York Factory (the Hudson Bay route) and later some went south to Minnesota . After 1810, the western posts were linked to British bases on the Oregon coast. By mid-century the HBC ruled an inland empire that stretched from Hudson Bay to

2560-605: Is a popular French-Canadian tale of voyageurs who made a deal with the devil in order to visit their sweethearts during the night, who are located a long distance away. It is a variant of the Wild Hunt . Its most famous version was written by Honoré Beaugrand , and was published in The Century Magazine in August 1892. For voyageur-based fur trade, that main route was divided into two (occasionally three) segments, each traversed by

2688-422: Is a report of a voyageur carrying seven bundles for half a mile. Hernias were common and frequently caused death. Most voyageurs started working in their early twenties and continued working until they were in their sixties. They never made enough money to consider early retirement from a physically grueling lifestyle. Fur trading was done by canoe and largely by French Canadians. In the fur trade context,

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2816-572: Is from this muddle that the present-day City of Edmonton bears the name that it does.) The first woman of European descent known to live in this region was the French-Canadian Marie-Anne Lagimodière (née Gaboury) , who was also noteworthy as the grandmother of Louis Riel . She had accompanied her fur trader husband, Jean-Baptiste Lagimodière , into the west shortly after their marriage in Trois-Rivières , Lower Canada, and

2944-457: Is no official signage on the site. Perhaps a local name for a creek that enters the Saskatchewan on the south side of the river opposite the site commemorates the old forts - its name is Fort Creek. Coordinates: 53°31′44″N 113°29′53″W  /  53.52889°N 113.49806°W  / 53.52889; -113.49806 Fort Edmonton and Fort Augustus moved back to the second site at

3072-518: Is now northeast Edmonton. The Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company merged in 1821. After the amalgamation, the companies used the Hudson's Bay Company name. The name Fort Augustus was dropped, and John Rowand, the former NWC factor, became chief trader of the HBC's Fort Edmonton . Fort Edmonton became the headquarters for the Saskatchewan District of Rupert's Land, which stretched from

3200-482: Is now the U.S./Canada border, and in fact the border was largely defined by that route. The route from Fort William was slightly farther north. The two routes led to and joined at Lac La Croix . Each was a rendezvous point of sorts for the routes that reached into the interior. The other main route started at York Factory where the Hayes River empties into Hudson Bay. It led to Norway House on Lake Winnipeg. Later,

3328-512: Is titled "C'est l'aviron qui nous mène". It goes as follows: M'en revenant de la joli'Rochelle, J'ai rencontré trois jolies demoiselles, C'est l'aviron qui nous mèn', qui nous mont' C'est l'aviron qui nous monte en haut. To this day, school children learn this song as part of French Canadian culture. These songs served a dual purpose for the voyageurs. Not only were they entertaining on long voyages, but their rhythm helped synchronize their paddling. One fur trader, Edward Ermatinger, had

3456-647: The Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta , an organization formed in 1928, and officially incorporated by the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in 1964 in order to ensure its independence. The government of Alberta also established the Francophone Secretariat in 1999 to serve as a government liaison to the Franco-Albertan community. The secretariat forms a part of Alberta Culture , a ministry of

3584-489: The Blackfoot , yet the generally more southerly Blackfoot refused to travel so far off of their normal circles and consequently took their trade south to Americans. While the Hudson's Bay Company and North West Company still operated separate posts, in direct competition with each other, the two posts were built inside a shared palisade . After its abandonment in 1812, the forts fell into ruin and little remains of them. There

3712-834: The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation , including Ici Radio-Canada Télé 's station CBXFT-DT , Ici Radio-Canada Première 's CHFA-FM and Ici Musique 's CBCX-FM . Francophone community radio stations exist in Edmonton ( CFED-FM ) and Plamondon ( CHPL-FM ); a third community radio station, CKRP-FM in Falher , was shut down in 2017. In print, the province is served by the French-language weekly newspaper Le Franco . Voyageurs Voyageurs ( French: [vwajaʒœʁ] ; lit.   ' travellers ' ) were 18th- and 19th-century French and later French Canadians and others who transported furs by canoe at

3840-497: The Canadian Rocky Mountains in the west to Fort Carlton in the east; from the 49th parallel in the south to Lesser Slave Lake in the north. In 1823, Rowand was promoted to chief factor. Rowand managed Saskatchewan District from Fort Edmonton until his death in 1854. Coordinates: 53°31′55″N 113°30′24″W  /  53.53194°N 113.50667°W  / 53.53194; -113.50667 Due to floods in

3968-751: The Columbia District . It also was a connection to the Great Northland, as it was situated relatively close to the Athabasca River whose waters flow into the Mackenzie River and the Arctic Ocean. Located on the farthest north of the major rivers flowing to the Hudson Bay and the HBC's shipping posts there, Edmonton was for a time the southernmost of the HBC's forts. From 1795 to 1830 it was located in four successive locations. Prior to 1821 each location

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4096-624: The Dalles des Morts rapids: They preferred running the Dalles; they had not gone far, when to avoid the ridge of waves, which they ought to have kept, they took the apparent smooth water, were drawn into a whirlpool, which wheeled them around into its Vortex, the Canoe with the Men clinging to it, went down end foremost, and [they] all were drowned; at the foot of the Dalles search was made for their bodies, but only one Man

4224-791: The East Central Francophone Education Region , the Northwest Francophone Education Region , the Southern Francophone Education Region , and the Greater North Central Francophone Education Region . All four public school boards are mixed secular/ separate school boards, operating 42 elementary and secondary schools in 27 different communities. There were 7,814 students enrolled in Alberta's public francophone elementary and secondary schools during

4352-503: The Festival du Voyageur , and Franco-Albertans celebrate with the Festival du Canoe Volant. Additionally, French and Francophone communities across Canada wear the ceinture fléchée as part of their traditional clothing and cultures. The ceinture fléchée or "arrowed sash" was an important part of the voyageur uniform. Fort Edmonton Fort Edmonton (also named Edmonton House)

4480-556: The Government of Canada in 1868, pursuant to the Rupert's Land Act 1868 , thus ending the HBC's administration of the vast territory and beginning an era of settlement in the 1870s. By the 1890s, the fort was in disrepair and largely abandoned. The Hudson's Bay Company transitioned to retail stores, and business in Edmonton ran from one of those instead. In 1841 James Sinclair stopped at Fort Edmonton to receive instructions on where to cross

4608-716: The Great Lakes had been opened. The Hudson's Bay Company opened in 1670. The North West Company opened in 1784, exploring as far west and north as Lake Athabasca . The American Fur Company , owned and operated by John Jacob Astor , was founded in 1808. By 1830, the American Fur Company had grown to monopolize and control the American fur industry. By the late 18th century, demand in Europe grew substantially for marten , otter , lynx , mink and especially beaver furs, expanding

4736-643: The Legislative Assembly of Alberta passed the Languages Act in 1988, in which English was declared the province's official language, and replaced many of the French language rights permitted under the North-West Territories Act ; although the Act still permitted the use of French in its legislature, and for judicial cases concerning provincial offences as directed by the court. French language access to

4864-848: The Nile Expedition to relieve Major General Charles George Gordon , who had been besieged by the Islamist Mahdist movement. Wolseley demanded the services of the voyageurs and insisted that he could not travel up the Blue Nile without the voyageurs to assist his men as river pilots and boatmen. The demand for the voyageurs, however, slowed down the British response, and ultimately the relief of Khartoum came two days too late. The voyageur's routes were longer distance fur trade water routes that ships and large boats could not reach or could not travel. The canoes travelled along well-established routes. These routes were explored and used by Europeans early in

4992-519: The Oblate missionary Albert Lacombe first visited Fort Edmonton. With Rundle having trouble controlling the department in 1848, Lacombe easily took up residence in the former Methodist chapel. Lacombe took pity on the fur trade labourers, opining that, "during the summer months, [Hudson's Bay labourers' toil] was as hard as that of the African slave.". He found little sympathy for the workers from John Rowand or

5120-699: The Supreme Court of Canada , who made a ruling in March 1990, stating that language minority groups, such as Franco-Albertans, were guaranteed a "degree of management and control," of their education system. Another decision made by the Supreme Court in 1993 on Franco-Manitoban schools also further French language rights in other anglophone provinces in Canada, when the court asserted the rights of linguistic minorities to control their own education. The following decision prompted

5248-660: The York Factory Express overland trade route, was peripherally involved in the Oregon Boundary Dispute . A pair of British Army lieutenants, Mervin Vavasour and Henry James Warre , were sent on a mission in the guise of eccentric gentlemen to reconnoitre the lower Columbia River valley and Puget Sound . Among other objectives, they were to determine which HBC posts could be used in a military conflict. The trip had been encouraged by Sir George Simpson Governor of

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5376-399: The prairie , the pemmican trade was as important a source of trade goods as the beaver trade was for First Nations further north. This trade was a major factor in the emergence of a distinct Métis society. Packs of pemmican would be shipped north and stored at the major fur posts Fort Alexander , Cumberland House , Île-à-la-Crosse , Fort Garry , Norway House and Edmonton House ). Music

5504-474: The 1660s. By the late 17th century Europeans had wintered on Rainy Lake west of Lake Superior, and by the 1730s regular routes led west from Lake Superior. Montreal was a main origination point for voyageur routes into the interior. From Montreal the route divided in two routes. The main trade route from Montreal went up the Ottawa River , then through rivers and smaller lakes to Lake Huron . The other followed

5632-481: The 2016 census reporting they only had proficiency in the French language. There were 264,715 Albertans or 6.6 per cent of the population that reported that they were bilingual in English and French, although that figure includes Albertans that speak French as a second language . The francophone community in Alberta is largely made up of migrants, with only 25 per cent of francophone residents of Alberta having been born in

5760-510: The 2016 census, 411,315 Albertans, or 10.5 per cent of the provincial population, reported having partial or full French ancestry. French is the sixth most commonly reported ethnic group in Alberta after Canadian, English, German, Scottish, and Irish. The majority of Franco-Albertans reside within the Alberta's two largest metropolitan areas, Greater Edmonton , and the Calgary Region . The former holds 39 per cent of all francophone residents in

5888-482: The 2017–18 academic year. There is no independent francophone post-secondary institution in the province, although the University of Alberta operates as a bilingual institution, offering several bachelor and master's degree programs in the French language at its Saint-Jean campus . The campus originated as the private francophone educational institution established in 1928, Juniorat Saint-Jean , before being absorbed by

6016-500: The 9th Earl of Southesk visited on his way to the Rocky Mountains , hoping that the fresh mountain air would improve his health. He recorded his observations in the 1874 book Saskatchewan and Rocky Mountains and also published a book on Cree syllabics in 1875. Viscount William Milton and William Butler Cheadle came through Edmonton in 1862/3 and published accounts of their journey. The spring of 1870 saw Fort Edmonton come under

6144-579: The CPR station at Calgary, to ensure that no local outbreak would occur. Most of the soldiers went on out to chase down Big Bear and his band. What remained of the fifth Fort Edmonton was dismantled in October, 1915. It was seen as a crumbling eyesore next to the Alberta Legislature Building, which had been completed three years earlier. The Government of Alberta indicated at the time that it would use

6272-596: The European traders of both companies in a land where they were all intruders. Edmonton House, and the subsequent forts, was named by John Peter Pruden , clerk to the HBC's George Sutherland. The Fort was named after Edmonton , Middlesex , England , birthplace of both Pruden and HBC Deputy Governor Sir James Winter Lake. In addition to the NWC-HBC rivalry, two or three competing fur-trading posts were also built nearby. Grants Company, independent fur buyer Francois Beaubien and

6400-405: The HBC clerks. The following year, Lacombe moved to Lac St. Anne , but had a new Catholic chapel constructed in the fort in 1857 (but did not dwell there); this chapel lasted nearly twenty years before being moved outside of the fort. A Methodist follow-up to Robert Rundle, Reverend Thomas Woolsey , was dispatched to Edmonton in 1852. His arrival in the fort coincided with Lacombe's residency in

6528-491: The Hudson's Bay Company. Fifteen years later, on March 19, 1885, during the North West Rebellion , the telegraph wire connecting Edmonton to the rest of the world was cut. Fearing imminent attack, many local settlers and their families took shelter within the fort's old wooden palisade walls. No attack happened. Within a few weeks, marching and mounted troops arrived from southern Alberta and from eastern Canada by way of

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6656-707: The Hudson's Bay Company. Warre and Vavasour reported that the mountain passes were unsuitable for troop transport. Their mission took them through Fort Edmonton in the fall of 1845, and again on their way back to Montreal in 1846. They wrote: "Without attempting to describe the numerous Defiles through which we passed, or the difficulty of forcing a passage through the burnt Forests, and over the high land, we may venture to assert, that Sir George Simpson's idea of transporting troops. . . with their stores, etc. through such an extent of uncultivated Country and over such impracticable Mountains would appear to Us quite unfeasible." As with other forts he visited on this mission, Vavasour drew

6784-458: The Montreal trade was taken over by English speakers, while the trapping and physical labour continued to be done by French Canadians. The independent coureurs des bois continued to be replaced by hired voyageurs. Since the west country was too far for a round trip in one season, each spring when the ice broke up, boats set out from Montreal and winterers started east. They exchanged their goods at Grand Portage on Lake Superior and returned before

6912-459: The North American fur trade declined, although it continues to this day. Fur animals became less plentiful, and demand for furs dropped. Products such as silk became popular and replaced beaver fur, reducing the fur trade further. With the completion of the railway and the closure of Fort William as a rendezvous point, both occurring in 1892, that year is considered by some to mark the end of

7040-569: The North West Company reportedly built forts near the Fort Edmonton/Fort Augustus location. Coordinates: 53°31′44″N 113°29′53″W  /  53.52889°N 113.49806°W  / 53.52889; -113.49806 In 1802, due to several years of declining fur returns and increasingly scarce firewood, Fort Edmonton and Fort Augustus were moved upstream, to what is now the Rossdale area of downtown Edmonton. This area had been

7168-494: The North-West Territories, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, British Columbia, and Yukon. These French/Francophone settlements and communities still exist and thrive today. The Métis Nation (Indigenous/Michif), Franco-Manitobans , Fransaskois , Franco-Albertans , Franco-Columbians, Franco-Ténois and Franco-Yukonais all have origins heavily linked to voyageurs. Franco-Manitobans celebrate their history and heritage with

7296-555: The Pacific. The Carlton Trail became a land route across the prairies. HBC land claims were transferred to Canada by the Rupert's Land Act 1868 . From 1874 the North-West Mounted Police began to extend formal government into the area. The fur trade routes grew obsolete starting in the 1880s, with the coming of railways and steamships. Several factors led to the end of the voyageur era. Improved transportation methods lessened

7424-703: The Rockies. With him were about 116 to 121 mostly Métis settlers from the Red River Colony , hired by the Pugets Sound Agricultural Company to settle on Fort Nisqually and Cowlitz Farm within modern Washington state . Captain John Palliser stayed in Fort Edmonton for a time in 1858 while on his famous expedition . With the help of the factor's wife, Palliser held a ball there. In 1859,

7552-427: The Rossdale flats, it having proven to be a site more amenable for Natives to visit. A crew of workers was sent from Fort Edmonton at White Earth to begin construction of a new post at the Rossdale location on October 6, 1812. Post Factor James Bird marked out the layout of the new post on October 10. James Bird's son William Bird was born at Fort Edmonton and later played a role in the naming of today's Mill Creek. In

7680-460: The Saint Lawrence River and Lake Erie to Lake Huron. Grand Portage on the northwest shore of Lake Superior was the jumping-off point into the interior of the continent. It was reached with a very long portage, (nine miles) hence its name. By 1803, the NWC had moved its rendezvous point from Grand Portage slightly farther east to Fort William . In the late 18th century, Fort William supplanted Grand Portage. The trunk from Grand Portage followed what

7808-405: The University of Alberta in 1977. The university also operates a college on the same campus, offering two-year diploma programs in French since 2014. In 2018, there were 842 students registered at the Saint-Jean campus. There are more than 100 francophone non-profit organizations in the province that operate in a wide variety of fields. L’Unithéâtre in Edmonton and the Société de Théâtre serve

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7936-404: The bark of large paper birch trees, stretched over a frame of white cedar . The Maître canoe, or canot de maître (master's canoe), was used on the Great Lakes and the Ottawa River . It was about 36 feet (11 m) long and 6 feet (1.8 m) wide, weighed about 600 pounds (270 kg) and carried three tons of cargo or 65 90-pound (41 kg) standard packs called pièces . Their crew

8064-564: The bilingual programs was made primarily for anglophone, or bilingual students. Regulation 250/76 was introduced by the province in 1976, which permitted schools to use French as an instructional language for up to 80 per cent of the school day. The enactment of the charter eventually led the province to establish its first two publicly-funded francophone schools in 1984, and an independent francophone public elementary and secondary school system in 1994. The province's public francophone schools are administered through one of four public school boards,

8192-407: The coast or waterways accessible by ship. Soon, coureurs des bois achieved business advantages by travelling further inland to trade. By 1681, the King of France decided to control the traders by publishing an edict that banned fur and pelt trading in New France. As the trading process moved deeper into the wilderness, transportation of the furs (and the products to be traded for furs) became

8320-488: The context of the fur trade business were more distinct. Voyageurs were canoe transportation workers in organized, licensed long-distance transportation of furs and trade goods in the interior of the continent. Coureurs de bois were entrepreneurial woodsmen engaged in all aspects of fur trading rather than just transportation of furs and trade goods. The coureurs de bois came before the voyageurs, and partially replaced them. For those coureurs des bois who continued,

8448-421: The downstream portion of this route was traversed by York boats rather than canoes. A significant route led from Lake Winnipeg west to Cumberland House on Cumberland Lake , a hub with routes leading in four different directions. Most routes ended at the limits of what could be travelled in a round trip from a major transfer point (such as Grand Portage) in one season. Voyageur canoes typically were made from

8576-438: The final Fort Edmonton (near the present-day Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton). A few months later (on Oct. 5, 1795), Hudson's Bay began to construct Edmonton House close by, taking advantage of the same two rivers; in a possible revelation of the competitive nature of the companies, Fort Augustus and Edmonton House's distance was described as being a "musket-shot" apart, yet the proximity also offered mutual security to

8704-408: The first Fort Edmonton (in present day Fort Saskatchewan ). The early 19th century saw the introduction of French language education in the region, when French missionaries of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate were dispatched to evangelize the First Nations in the area. Roman Catholic French Canadian settlers were present in Calgary, Edmonton, Lac La Biche , Lac Saint-Anne , and St. Albert by

8832-494: The first time, missionaries, artists, and curious travellers came to Edmonton to visit, sometimes for extended periods. This frustrated Rowand to some degree. Prior to this time, the only Europeans to come that far into the west were men on some sort of company business. With Rowand making Edmonton his home, the fort became an important centre in the west. It was a necessity for any traveller going any further west of Edmonton to go through there for provisions first. Rowand constructed

8960-449: The fleeing traders as they were unable to ford the North Saskatchewan due to high spring waters. Th Blackfoot encamped nearby, plundered the wagons and harassed the fort with their muskets. The men in the fort armed themselves and prepared to fight. But the fort was not attacked in force. Chief Factor William J. Christie ordered the Bay men not to go out to attack the Blackfoot, apprehensive that to do so would invite further violence against

9088-434: The forethought to record some of these songs. This is how eleven voyageur's songs came to be known today. Ermatinger travelled for the HBC from 1818 to 1828 as a clerk and learned these songs firsthand. These came to light only in 1943 when the Ermatinger family archives gave them to the Public Archives of Canada so that they may be copied. The Chasse-galerie , also known as "The Bewitched Canoe" or "The Flying Canoe,"

9216-430: The former Methodist chapel, a discovery which distressed Woolsey. Conflicts and private frustrations with Catholic missionaries, and failures to convert Catholics to Protestantism, marked Woolsey's twelve-year residence at the fort. In 1854, the mission St. Joachim was officially founded in turn at Fort-des-Praires (Fort Edmonton). Though somewhat distant from the territory in question, Fort Edmonton, an important stop on

9344-546: The government, and joined the Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie. The push for linguistic rights by minority French Canadian populations in the 1980s and 1990s saw a reaction from anglophones in the province, prompting the provincial government to curtail the French language in other areas. Following the Supreme Court's ruling on R. v Mercure , a case involving a Fransaskois in Saskatchewan,

9472-411: The history of the settlement of the continent. Most led to Montreal. Later many led to Hudson Bay. Hudson Bay and Montreal routes joined in the interior, particularly at Lake Winnipeg . The 1821 merger of the NWC and HBC resulted in a shift towards using the route with direct access to the ocean, the Hudson's Bay route, away from the Great Lakes route. Both shores of Lake Superior had been explored by

9600-410: The influx of anglophone settlers made English the predominant language of the territory by the 1890s. In 1892, French was stricken as an official language of the territory's education system, and its legislature, with English made the only official language for deliberations in the legislature. The English-only policies of the 1890s were continued after the region was severed from the territory to form

9728-472: The interior (beyond Grand Portage) without wintering in it. They would pick up the goods from Lake Superior and transport them inland over large distances. Because of their experience, approximately one-third of the mangeurs de lard became hommes du nord . The voyageurs worked for trading companies such as the North West Company (NWC) and the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). They were retrieved furs from all over North America but were especially important in

9856-443: The interval between these stops. Between eight and ten in the evening, travel stopped and camp was made. Voyageurs were expected to work 14 hours per day and paddle at a rate of 55 strokes per minute. Few could swim. Many drowned in rapids or in storms while crossing lakes. Portages and routes were often indicated by lob trees , or trees that had their branches cut off just below the top of the tree. Canoe travel included paddling on

9984-535: The late 1820s, a new fort was built on the terrace above the riverflats in 1830. This fifth and final fort stood for 85 years, though its use as a fur trading post was phased out starting in 1891. During its final years, the Fort co-existed with the Alberta Legislature Building . The Legislative Building opened in 1913 on a terrace just north of the fort on the site of "Rowand's Folly", the large house built for Chief Factor John Rowand ... At this time,

10112-528: The latter was later expanded in 1995, when a francophone service system was created for criminal proceedings. In 2017, the government of Alberta established its first French language policy, and adopted the Franco-Albertan Flag as an official symbol of the community. In the following year, the provincial government declared March as Alberta Francophonie Month. After the Alberta Languages Act

10240-613: The long trek to Hudson Bay. As a result, Colin Robertson sent a message to the HBC London Committee in 1810 suggesting that they begin hiring French Canadian voyageurs of their own: I would warmly recommend to your notice the Canadians; these people I believe, are the best voyageurs in the world; they are spirited, enterprising, & extremely fond of the Country; they are easily commanded; never will you have any difficulty in setting

10368-549: The mid 1860s; with colonizing clerics actively recruiting farmers from Quebec in the late 19th century. In 1870, the Hudson's Bay Company ceded Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory to the government of Canada, most of which was administered as the North-West Territories . Although English and French were official languages in the North-West Territories, the latter was quickly relegated in status; as

10496-462: The most spoken Indigenous language in the region during the 19th century. In the late 18th century, the HBC, established in 1670, was in fierce competition with the NWC for the trade of animal furs in Rupert's Land . As one company established a fur trading post, the other would counter by building its post in close proximity or even farther upstream. Expansion up the Saskatchewan River

10624-584: The mouth of White Earth Creek, 100 km northeast of modern Edmonton at the northernmost point of the North Saskatchewan near present-day Smoky Lake, Alberta . The place is also known as Fort White Earth, or Terre Blanche. This is located in Township 58-16-W4. This location was only active for two years for two main reasons: the Cree had been encouraged to visit other posts to avoid violent confrontations with

10752-521: The need to transport of furs and trade goods by canoe. The presence and eventual dominance of the Hudson Bay York boat -based entry into the fur trade areas eliminated a significant part of the canoe travel, reducing the need for voyageurs. Completion of the Canadian Pacific rail line in 1882 finally eliminated the need for long-distance transportation of furs by voyageurs. Also, the volume of

10880-500: The old fort's timbers to create a heritage site elsewhere in the city, but it never did. A few were saved and still possibly exist in city museums or in Rowand House, but most were said to be accidentally burned in a Boy Scout jamboree in May 1937. In 1923 the suspected site of the original Forts Augustus and Edmonton at Fort Saskatchewan was declared a National Historic Site of Canada, and

11008-809: The peak of the North American fur trade . The emblematic meaning of the term applies to places ( New France , including the Pays d'en Haut and the Pays des Illinois ) and times where that transportation was over long distances, giving rise to folklore and music that celebrated voyageurs' strength and endurance. They traversed and explored many regions in what is now Canada and the United States . Despite their fame, their lives were arduous and not nearly as glamorous as folk tales made out. For example, they had to be able to carry two 90-pound (41 kg) bundles of fur over portages . Some carried four or five, and there

11136-432: The presence of ministers in his fort was a distraction for the natives, and was ostensibly impeding the fur trade business. On a personal level, however, Rowand had taken a liking to Rundle, and entrusted the minister with teaching his children. Father Pierre-Jean De Smet spent the winter of 1845-46 at Fort Edmonton having traveled and explored from Oregon Country to meet the natives of the Rocky Mountains . In 1852,

11264-459: The province of Alberta; with no mention of linguistic rights in the province's establishing statute. Attempts to advance French language education rights were made by the French Canadian clergy, as they involved themselves in public separate school boards. In 1925, francophones in the provinces formed the Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta as a lobby to demand linguistic rights from

11392-415: The province to create five new regional francophone school boards in 1994. In 1997, the province signed the first Canada-Alberta Agreement on French Language Services, which is a joint federal-provincial fund aimed at funding French language services in the province. In 1999, the government of Alberta created the position of Francophone Secretariat to act as a liaison between the Franco-Albertan community and

11520-535: The province's two largest cities, Edmonton , and Calgary . A number of other communities also form part of the Alberta Bilingual Municipalities Association. The province is home to more than 100 francophone non-profit organizations. Radio-Canada , the country's French-language public broadcaster, serves as the main French-language media broadcaster in Alberta. Alberta holds the fourth largest francophone population in Canada, following

11648-455: The province, whereas the latter holds 33 per cent of all francophone residents in the province. The remaining Franco-Albertans are spread throughout the other regions of Alberta. There are four municipalities in Alberta are officially bilingual and offer municipal services in French, Beaumont , Falher , Legal , and Plamondon . The four communities, in addition to Morinville , St. Albert , St. Paul , Bonnyville , and Smoky River also form

11776-521: The province. Nearly 50 per cent of all Franco-Albertans migrated to Alberta from another Canadian province or territory, whereas 24 per cent of francophones in Alberta were born outside of Canada. Among the Franco-Albertans that were born outside Canada, approximately half originated from Africa, 23 per cent from Europe, 15 per cent from other countries in the Americas, and 13 per cent were from Asia. In

11904-551: The provinces of Quebec, Ontario, and New Brunswick; as well as the largest francophone community in Western Canada . According to the 2016 Canadian Census , the number of people that reported French as a mother tongue in Alberta was 86,705 (or 0.021 per cent of the population), making it the most common mother tongue in the province after English and Tagalog . The majority of Franco-Albertans are bilingual in English and French, with only 3,895 respondents (0.1 per cent of Albertans) in

12032-496: The provincial government. French language education rights for minority francophone populations in Canada is guaranteed under section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms , and is further reinforced under section 14 of the province's Education Act . Prior to their enactment, francophone rights were limited in Alberta, with most public schools in the province being anglophone institutions. French language education

12160-567: The provincial government. The mid 20th century saw the early development of several Franco-Albertan institutions, such as agricultural cooperatives, credit unions , and new Roman Catholic parishes. The Edmonton-based CHFA-FM , predecessor of Radio-Canada 's French-language regional radio station, made its first broadcast in November 1949. The enactment of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982 prompted Franco-Albertans to approach

12288-411: The public Catholic and secular school boards of Edmonton to establish a fully francophone school, although both school boards rejected the proposal. The refusal to provide public funding for a francophone school led the Association de l’École Georges et Julia Bugnet to bring forward a case that the provincial School Act conflicted with Section 23 of the charter. The case was eventually accepted by

12416-512: The region. In 1928, the Association canadienne-française de l'Alberta was formed to promote francophone rights, and to lobby the interests of Franco-Albertans to the province. Following the enactment of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982, Franco-Albertans pushed for further linguistic rights within the province, eventually resulting in the province establishing an independent public francophone school system in 1994. Approximately 72 per cent of Franco-Albertans are situated within

12544-573: The regions they travelled and adopted many traditional methods and technologies. Voyageurs also brought Western materials and techniques that were valued by the communities they encountered. The final influence was the social structure of the voyageurs life. Since this group was limited to men , it was highly masculine. These men engaged in activities such as gambling, drinking, fighting; interests which were reserved for men of this trade. The terms voyageur, explorateur , and coureur des bois have had broad and overlapping uses, but their meanings in

12672-459: The rights afforded in the Languages Act ; or the Education Act , the latter act only establishing the province's francophone public school system. There are four municipalities in Alberta that provide municipal services in both English and French, although the majority of communities in the province provide municipal services in only English. Franco-Albertans interests are formally represented by

12800-484: The rivers froze five months later. To save the cost of hauling food from Montreal, Métis around Winnipeg began large-scale production of pemmican . The Hudson Bay trade was diverted southwest to the edge of the prairie, where pemmican was picked up to feed the voyageurs on their journey northwest to the Athabasca country. Competition from the NWC forced the HBC to build posts in the interior. The two companies competed for

12928-407: The rough work. Drowning was common, along with broken limbs, compressed spines, hernias, and rheumatism. Outdoor living also added to the hazards to life and limb with swarms of black flies and mosquitoes, often kept away by sleeping with a smudge fire that caused respiratory, sinus and eye problems. It was dangerous work, despite their expertise. David Thompson 's narrative describes an attempt to run

13056-510: The rugged Athabasca region. Athabasca was one of the most profitable fur-trade regions in the colonies because pelts from further north were thicker and of superior quality to those trapped further south. Originally the HBC was content to stay close to its trading posts along the shores of Hudson Bay and have indigenous trading partners bring the pelts to them. However, once the NWC began sending voyageurs into Athabasca it became easier for indigenous trappers to simply trade with them than to make

13184-570: The spring they would carry furs from these remote outposts back to the rendezvous posts. Voyageurs also served as guides for explorers such as Pierre La Vérendrye . The majority of these canoe men were French Canadian; they were usually from Island of Montreal or seigneuries and parishes along or near the Saint Lawrence River ; many others were from France. Voyageurs were mostly illiterate and therefore did not leave many written documents. The only known document left behind for posterity by

13312-414: The term picked up the additional meaning of "unlicensed". Another name sometimes given to voyageurs is engagés , indicating a hired wage-earner. There were several types of voyageurs, depending on the job that they carried out. Because of their diet, which consisted largely of salt pork , voyageurs who travelled only between Montreal and Grand Portage were known as mangeurs de lard (pork eaters)

13440-498: The threat of violence due to a war between the Blackfoot and Cree, resulting from the slaying of Cree Chief Maskipiton . A group of the Blackfoot approaching the fort from the south caught some traders with wagons of goods on the south bank, in today's Walterdale neighbourhood of Edmonton. The traders escaped by ferry but had to leave their wagons behind. The ferry was not sent back to the Blackfoot and they were not able to give chase to

13568-487: The trade and adding thousands to the ranks of voyageurs. From the beginning of the fur trade in the 1680s until the late 1870s, the voyageurs were the blue-collar workers of the Montreal fur trade. At their height in the 1810s, they numbered as many as three thousand. For the most part, voyageurs were the crews hired to man the canoes that carried trade goods and supplies to trading locations where they were exchanged for furs, and "rendezvous posts," such as Grand Portage at

13696-415: The trade. French influence extended west, north, and south. Forts and trading posts were built with the help of explorers and traders. Treaties were negotiated with native groups, and fur trading became very profitable and organized. The system became complex, and the voyageurs, many of whom had been independent traders, slowly became hired laborers. By the late 17th century, a trade route through and beyond

13824-463: The voyageur era. Later, many French Canadians stayed in the bush for the prospecting and mineral exploration trades that grew from the middle of the 19th century into viable industries, especially in Northern Ontario . Nonetheless, the voyageurs enjoyed one prominent revival in the minds of the British public – at the end of 1884, Field Marshal Garnet Wolseley was dispatched to Khartoum with

13952-466: The voyageurs were to their success and were unwilling to give them up easily. This competition for experienced labour between the HBC and the NWC created the largest demand for voyageurs in Montreal since before the merger of the XY Company and the NWC. James H. Baker was once told by an unnamed retired voyageur: I could carry, paddle, walk and sing with any man I ever saw. I have been twenty-four years

14080-399: The water with all personnel and cargo, carrying the canoes and contents over land (this is called portaging ). In shallow water where limited water depth prevented paddling with the cargo in the canoe but allowed canoes to be floated, methods that combined these were used, such as pulling by hand, poling, or lining with ropes. Circumstances where only an empty canoe could be floated were called

14208-415: The western end of Lake Superior . They then transported the furs back to Lachine near Montreal, and later also to points on the route to Hudson Bay . Some voyageurs stayed in the back country over the winter and transported the trade goods from the posts to farther away French outposts. These men were known as the hivernants (winterers). They also helped negotiate trade in indigenous communities. In

14336-491: The word also applied, to a lesser extent, to other fur trading activities. Voyageurs were part of a licensed, organized effort, a distinction that set them apart from the coureurs des bois . Additionally, they differed from engagés (hired men, actually indentured servants), who were much smaller-scale merchants and general laborers. Mostly immigrants, the engagés were men required to go anywhere and do anything their masters told them as long as their indentureship

14464-530: The years immediately succeeding that move, the two furtrading companies, the HBC and the NWC, had a strong and violent rivalry, peaking with the Battle of Seven Oaks at Winnipeg. Violence broke out at Edmonton in 1826 when fort staff fought off an attempt by several Nakoda to steal some of the fort's horses. Six Nakoda were killed and five Bay men wounded in a brisk exchange of gunfire and arrow-flight. Already by that time, horses were being kept at Horse Hill in what

14592-525: Was 6–12; 8–10 was average. On a portage they were usually carried inverted by four men, two in front and two in the rear, using shoulder pads. When running rapids they were steered by the avant standing in front and the gouvernail standing in the rear. The northern canoe or canot du nord was used west of Lake Superior. It was about 25 feet (7.6 m) long and 4 feet (1.2 m) wide with about 18 inches (460 mm) of draft when fully loaded, and weighed about 300 pounds (140 kg). Its cargo

14720-656: Was a part of everyday life for the voyageur. Voyageurs sang songs while paddling and working, as well as during other activities and festivities. Many who travelled with the voyageurs recorded their impressions from hearing the voyageurs sing, and that singing was a significant part of their routine. But few wrote down the words or the music. As a result, records of voyageur songs tend to be skewed towards those that were also popular elsewhere in Canada. Examples of voyageur songs include " À la claire fontaine ", " Alouette ", " En roulant ma boule ", " J'ai trop grand peur des loups ", and " Frit à l'huile ". Another such song

14848-506: Was dried peas or beans, sea biscuit and salt pork. In the Great Lakes area, some maize and wild rice could be obtained locally. By the time trade reached what is now Winnipeg, the pemmican trade developed. Métis would go southwest onto the prairie in Red River carts , slaughter bison , convert the meat into pemmican, which they carried north to trade at NWC posts. For people on the edge of

14976-476: Was found, his body much mangled by the Rocks. When traveling, the voyageurs did not have time for hunting or gathering. They carried their food with them, often with re-supply along the route. A northern canoe with 6 men and 25 standard 90-pound packs needed about four packs of food per 500 miles. A voyageur's day was long, rising before dawn and travelling before their first meal. Voyageurs typically ate two meals

15104-452: Was half or less of that of a Maître canoe, about 25–30 pièces , and its crew was 4–8, with 5–6 being average. It was carried upright by two men. The canot bâtard (hybrid canoe) was between the Maître canoe and north canoe in size. The canoes used by Native Americans were generally smaller than the freight canoes used by the voyageurs, but could penetrate smaller streams. The express canoe

15232-531: Was heated in the 1790s. Coordinates: 53°46′5″N 113°10′19″W  /  53.76806°N 113.17194°W  / 53.76806; -113.17194 In the summer of 1795, the North West Company constructed Fort Augustus where the Sturgeon River meets the North Saskatchewan River , just north of the present-day city of Fort Saskatchewan , approximately 35 kilometres (22 mi) northeast of

15360-788: Was known to take part in hunting expeditions. The couple lived in Fort Augustus from 1807 to 1811. John Rowand , the Chief Factor at Fort Edmonton from 1823 to 1854, first worked at Fort Augustus from 1804 to 1806; he was stationed there again from 1808 onward. Evidence of this Fort Edmonton was found in 2012, when crews were excavating under a demolished machine shop at the Rossdale Power Plant . Coordinates: 54°3′40.88243″N 112°16′11.9″W  /  54.0613562306°N 112.269972°W  / 54.0613562306; -112.269972 Both Fort Augustus and Fort Edmonton moved to

15488-488: Was later exhumed and buried in Montreal as per his last will and testament. Following a few short-lived administrations in Rowand's wake, William J. Christie was a long-lasting chief factor at Edmonton from 1858 to 1872. Christie's protégé Richard Charles Hardisty , later a Canadian Senator , served as chief factor in Edmonton for an interim period from 1862 through 1864. The Hudson's Bay Company relinquished Rupert's Land to

15616-401: Was not a physical type, but a canoe used to rapidly carry messages and passengers. They had extra crew and carried no freight. Voyageurs often rose as early as 2 am or 3 am. Provided that there were no rapids (requiring daylight for navigation) early in the day, they set off very early. They would stop for a few minutes each hour to smoke a pipe. Distance was often measured by "pipes",

15744-476: Was not limited to beaver pelts. Beavers were not particularly valued and people preferred "fancy fur" or "fur that is used with or on the pelt". The fur trade was viewed as secondary to fishing during this era. The earliest North American fur trading did not include long-distance transportation of the furs after they were obtained by trade with the First Nations ; it started with trading near settlements or along

15872-407: Was paired with a Fort Augustus of the North West Company (NWC). Sometimes other fur companies also built forts nearby as well. The fifth and final Fort Edmonton, 1830–1914, was the one that evolved into present-day Edmonton . Fort Edmonton was also called Fort-des-Prairies , by French-Canadians trappers and coureurs des bois , and amiskwaskahegan or " Beaver Hills House" in Cree ,

16000-522: Was passed in 1988, English was made the only official language in the province. However, the same legislation provides stipulations that permits the use of French for deliberations in the legislature of Alberta, as well as provincial judicial system as directed by the courts. Access to government services in the French language was promoted in the "French Policy", introduced by the provincial government in 2017. However, no legislation exists that mandates provincial services provide accessibility in French, outside

16128-512: Was permitted in Albertan public schools since 1896, although was limited and only conducted in anglophone elementary schools. Following the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism , the province of Alberta introduced bilingual schools, that saw teachers split between English and French for the instructional languages used in classes from Grades 3 to 12. Although open to Franco-Albertans,

16256-598: Was still in place. Until their contract expired, engagés were servants of their masters, who were most often voyageurs. Fewer than fifty percent of engagés remained in New France when their contracts ended. The others either returned to France or died while indentured. After the French presence in Canada ended following the British conquest during the Seven Years' War , fur trade was still continued by their descendants. The early European fur trade with Indigenous peoples

16384-546: Was the name of a series of trading posts of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) from 1795 to 1914, all of which were located on the north banks of the North Saskatchewan River in what is now central Alberta , Canada. It was one of the last points on the Carlton Trail , the main overland route for Metis freighters between the Red River Colony and the points west and was an important stop on the York Factory Express route between London , via Hudson Bay , and Fort Vancouver in

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