Map from Canadian Heritage Rivers System (www.chrs.ca)

The Hayes River was a major route used by fur traders and native people. This was also the way the Selkirk Settlers took to reach Lake Winnipeg and then the Red River Settlement, after landing off Hudson’s Bay. The river begins near Norway House and runs NE through Oxford and Knee Lakes, reaching Hudson’s Bay at York Factory, a distance of 600 kms.

A loading dock on the Hayes River at York Factory c. 1880 (National Archives of Canada)

The young Swiss artist Peter Rindisbacher always practiced his skills using materials at hand. People who knew of his gift and were in a position to supply him with paint often did. He preferred watercolours, and he often sketched in ink his subject prior to completing a painting. Rindisbacher sometimes used these sketches or studies to create several paintings, which he would sell to HBC employees, military or government officials and publishers.

One of his gifts to researchers of the RRS is a series he made of his own voyage from York Factory to the Colony.

Extremely wearisome journeys at the portages 1821 (National Archives of Canada)

Arrival at Norway House on the great Lake Winnipeg 1821 (National Archives of Canada)

Cold night camp on the inhospitable shores of Lake Winnipeg 1821 (National Archives of Canada)

As I have read through the literature researching this topic, it has become apparent that, in the early days of the RRS – and well into its history – man’s best friend functioned mainly as the sled dog. A good breeding stock must have been in the area before the settlers arrived. Although there is mention of dogs being used at York Factory, I didn’t see any reference to them being brought down in the boats.

Most of the mention of dogs at work in the Red River Journals indicated that they were busiest at hauling meat from the winter kill sites back to Fort Daer or Fort Douglas.

Archibald McDonald mentions that two dog teams helped relay his goods and some supplies from Churchill Creek to York Factory when 51 members of the 1813 Group made their famous snowshoe trek, but most of the sledges used were pulled by the men in the expedition. In April of 1815, two small groups of settlers intending to desert to Canada in NWCo. canoes left for Point Futre on the Winnipeg River with their belongings packed in dog sleds.

The winter expresses, carrying mail packets from fort to fort or post to post, were taken by dog team. Hargrave gives an excellent description of the specially designed sleds:

The starting of the Northern Packet from Red River is one of the great annual events in the colony. It occurs generally about the 10th December, when the ice having been thoroughly formed and the snow fallen, winter travelling is easy and uninterrupted. The packet arrangements are such that every post in the Northern Department is communicated with through its agency. The means of transit are sledges and snowshoes. The sledges are drawn by magnificent dogs, of which there are three or four to each vehicle, whose neatly fitting harness, though gaudy in appearance, is simple in design and perfectly adapted to its purposes, while the little bells attached thereto, bright looking and clearly ringing, cheer the flagging spirits of men and animals through the long run of the winter’s day.

In the course of the long distances traversed by the winter runners, every pound weight laid on the sledges tells. So jealously was all excess in the amount of mail matter transmitted through the packets guarded against in the old times, before the institution of Red River mails, that the carriage of newspapers was disallowed, with the exception of an annual file of the ” Montreal Gazette,” forwarded to head quarters for general perusal. Newspapers were then rare and highly prized, but now the bulk of the contents of the Company’s inward bound packets consists of newspapers addressed to private individuals.

A pair of stoutly constructed wooden boxes, measuring about three feet in length by eighteen inches deep and fourteen wide, when well packed, contain an astonishing amount of printed and written matter. These receptacles are secured to the dog sledges, and the party sets forth on its journey, the dogs running at a gentle jog trot from about daylight till dusk, and the drivers accompanying them on foot.

Detail of a painting depicting a dog sled at Lower Fort Garry in 1869 - Private Collection

Although he is writing about a period some time later (1850s/1860s) than the days of the early settlement, it is unlikely that the teams and sleds had changed much.

(references: pages  16967, 18180, 18184, 18185, 18186, 18305, 18308, 18320 of the Selkirk Papers, M186, Manitoba Archives; James John Hargrave. Red River. Montreal: 1871 pages 100-1, 155-6)

It rained hard in the night with lightening & thunder we all got completely drenched- the rain ceased and we set off, but it soon began again we continued going on in the rain till 11 o clock when we were forced to put up on South side opposite a Lopt Stick at the Sugar Loaf Hill.- It continued to rain for the rest of the day.

- Journal of Miles Macdonell

Macdonell wrote this during his return trip from York Factory to the RRS, illustrating some of the discomforts of travelling in open boats, as the Settlers were forced to do.

Lobsticks were tall trees that were stripped of their branches either on one side or all the way up to the uppermost branches, which were left intact. These trees were named – this one could have been called Sugar Loaf Lobstick, for example – and served as landmarks along the main travel routes. Traders would often arrange to meet each other at particular lobsticks to discuss plans or exchange packets, etc.

(reference: pages 16852 of the Selkirk Papers, M186, Manitoba Archives)

“Sunday got our last boats off in company with one of the Compy’s Crafts this afternoon exclusive of the people’s baggage & provisions they have brought few kegs of Spirits and Bales of Blankets.”  – Archibald McDonald’s Journal

The last two boatloads of Settlers to leave for the RRS had been delayed by bad weather, and so left York Factory four days after the first two departed. This second pair of boats were under the ‘command’ of Peter Fidler and Angus Matheson, one of the 1815 group of settlers who had military experience and had done some recruiting of settlers for Selkirk in Kildonan.

(reference: p. 18408-10 of the Selkirk Papers, M187, Manitoba Archives)

(reference: p. 18213 of the Selkirk Papers, M187, Manitoba Archives)

(reference: p. 18213 of the Selkirk Papers, M187, Manitoba Archives)

(reference: pp. 18211-2 of the Selkirk Papers, M187, Manitoba Archives)