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The Fur Trade

Colton Map of British North America or Canada
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
Source

Related Guides

Hudson’s Bay Company and Northwest Company Forts at Île-à-la-Crosse, February 28, 1820

This section will help you find material in Vancouver Public Library on the Fur Trade in Canada. The Fur Trade was a very important part of the Canadian economy and from the 17th to 19th centuries attracted European merchants and settlers to Canada.  Material on this subject can be found throughout the Central Library (350 West Georgia Street). Please ask the Information staff if you need help.

Useful Websites

Presents artifacts, artworks and primary documents illustrating the fur trade in Canada.

From the Hudson's Bay Company History Foundation, this resource provides ebooks, videos, timelines and more about the history of the company.

The Archives of Manitoba includes guides to historical records, employee biographical sheets and maps of trading posts.

McGill University website includes history, maps and images of original manuscripts.

Digital Library Resources
Culture and History Subject Icon

Brief biographies of notable Canadians from the years 1000 to 1930.

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Everywhere for everyone
Culture and History Subject Icon

NOTE: this online resource will be discontinued as of December 31, 2024. A print copy is available at the Central library.

Online version of the 1999 resource that describes the nation’s 119 different ethnic groups: their process of migration, arrival and settlement, community life, intergroup relations, language and culture.

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Everywhere for VPL cardholders
Culture and History Subject Icon

Includes the complete text of the Canadian Encyclopedia in English and French, interactive resources and timelines of Canadian and world events.

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Everywhere for everyone

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Northwest History Index

This card index in Special Collection provides access to the Northwest History Collection, a heritage collection covering the early history and exploration of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest.

The collection includes:

  • magazine and newspaper articles
  • pamphlets
  • books
  • chapters in books
  • many other resources

As of August 1998, no new material has been added to the Northwest History Index. It is continued by the British Columbia Index.