Fur Trade Canoe Routes of Canada: Then and Now

by Eric Wilton Morse

Before road or rail, the canoe routes followed by voyageurs formed a transport and supply system crossing a continent and covering more than a million square miles. Eric Morse retraces these routes, linking them to modern landmarks and roads, and draws a fascinating picture of the history, economics, and geography of the fur trade.

Genres: Nonfiction

136 pages, Paperback

First published January 8, 1979

Reviews

[Kristian Blais · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book that gives an interesting perspective on how Western Canada was formed by early fur trade canoe routes. It not only focuses on the history and geography, but also covers the economics, technology, and culture that influenced these routes, which I really appreciated.

The author is obviously VERY interested in the specifics of each canoe route, and so the later chapters can get a bit dry with him recounting every portage on every possible route. This level of detail is great for anyone interested in retracing these historic routes themselves, but is definitely excessive and dry for a casual reader (like myself) who is not planning a multi-week long canoe trip in the Canadian wilderness.

That being said, after reading this book, I don’t think one can fully understand why west/north-western Canada is the way it is today without understanding how different fur trade routes utilized the interior rivers as a proto-highway system. I know this book won’t appeal to everyone, but it is incredibly insightful to understand how the geography of Canada was so influential on its development and culture.

Also, for a book written in the 60s, the author was surprisingly positive towards the contribution of Indigenous peoples on the development of these canoe routes, and their importance to the fur trade. Being of the time, it still does refer to First Nations as Indians, and it does primarily focus on the network from the British/French perspective. However, it does acknowledge that a) most of these routes were taught to fur traders by First Nations, and B) most fur trading parties would likely die if it wasn’t for the support of First Nations peoples providing provisions of food and supplies.

[Sherri Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the first two chapters but slowly lost interest in the latter chapters as it described each river of the routes. But the first two or three chapters were informative, and interesting to read.

[Thomas Funke · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best review that I have found of portage routes, history. Covers northern & eastern Great Lakes. Great bibliography.

[David T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and quick. A retracing of the canoe routes with enough details to do it yourself