Lower Fort Garry

Lower Fort Garry is a former Hudson's Bay Company fort and present-day National Historic Site in the Rural Municipality of St. Andrews, Manitoba, Canada. Built in 1830 on the west bank of the Red River, about 20 mi (32 km) north of Fort Garry in present-day Winnipeg, it served primarily as a supply and distribution centre for the Hudson's Bay Company's Northern Department and became an important centre of transportation and industry in the Red River Settlement. Lower Fort Garry was the site of the signing of Treaty No. 1 on 3 August 1871, the first of the Numbered Treaties between the Crown and First Nations in western Canada. During the nineteenth century, the fort also served as a military post, the first training base of the North-West Mounted Police, and a provincial and federal penitentiary. In the twentieth century, it operated as a private country club before being restored by Parks Canada as a living museum and National Historic Site.

Site Lower Fort Garry stands on the west bank of the Red River in present-day St. Andrews, Manitoba, about 20 mi (32 km) north of the original Fort Garry in present-day Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Early history After the 1826 Red River flood destroyed Fort Garry, George Simpson, governor of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), searched for a safer location for a new fort. He chose the site because of its high ground and its location below the St. Andrew's Rapids, eliminating a time-consuming portage of heavy fur packs and York boats. Construction began in 1830, and Lower Fort Garry was intended to become the HBC's administrative centre. However, most of the area's population remained centred at The Forks and objected to the additional travel required to conduct business at the new fort. As a result, Upper Fort Garry was rebuilt in stone near its original location at The Forks.

Construction Construction of Lower Fort Garry began in 1830 after the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) decided to replace Fort Garry, which had been destroyed in the 1826 Red River flood. Unlike many fur trade posts in western Canada, which were built mainly of wood, Lower Fort Garry was constructed largely of limestone, making it one of the oldest surviving stone fur trade forts in North America. Construction continued for nearly two decades. The first permanent buildings were the Fur Loft, which housed the company store, trading office and a small warehouse, and the Big House, which served as the residence of the governor and other senior company officials. Over time, the Men's House, a second warehouse, bakehouse, blacksmith shop, powder magazine and icehouse were added. The fort's enclosing walls were completed in 1848 by soldiers of the British Army's 6th Regiment of Foot during their deployment to the Red River Settlement. Four corner bastions were incorporated into the walls and housed the powder magazine, bakehouse, icehouse and one of the warehouses. Although the walls gave the fort the appearance of a fortress, they were intended mainly to protect company property rather than defend against military attack. Lower Fort Garry preserves several building techniques that were widely used in the Red River Settlement during the nineteenth century. Most of the fort's principal buildings are constructed of limestone masonry. The Farm Manager's House preserves Red River Frame construction, a local building method that combined heavy timber with vertical log infill. The Men's House and Big House Annex were built using half-timbered (colombage pierroté) construction, in which a timber frame was filled with stone rubble and covered with stucco.

Hudson's Bay Company operations From its establishment in 1830, Lower Fort Garry served primarily as a supply and distribution centre for the fur trade of the Hudson's Bay Company's Northern Department, although it also traded a small amount of furs. The fort supported the Red River Settlement and the surrounding Cree, Anishinaabe, Métis, and European (primarily Orkney Scot) communities. Furs collected at posts throughout the Northern Department were brought to Lower Fort Garry before being shipped to England through York Factory. In return, the fort traded manufactured goods to local farmers and hunters in exchange for produce used to provision company treks into the north. For three decades, Lower Fort Garry's agricultural and industrial production supplied many of the materials needed to support the fur trade. The fort provided food, livestock, York boats, and labour for the Hudson's Bay Company's operations across Rupert's Land. By the 1860s, Lower Fort Garry had become a focus for industry and transport. The complex included a flour mill, sawmill, forge, and brewery.

Military action

Although Lower Fort Garry was built primarily as a trading post and administrative centre, it occasionally served as a military post during periods of regional tension. In October 1846, the British Army's 6th Regiment of Foot, commanded by Major John Folliott Crofton, arrived at the fort after the Hudson's Bay Company requested troops during the Oregon boundary dispute between Britain and the United States. The regiment was officially sent to defend British interests in the interior, while the company also hoped its presence would help maintain order in the Red River Colony. By the time the soldiers reached the settlement, however, the immediate risk of conflict had passed. The fort was adapted to accommodate the regiment. The Big House was used to house the officers, while Hudson's Bay Company business was temporarily moved outside the walls to make room for the soldiers. Over the next two years, the regiment completed the fort's defensive stone walls, which were finished in 1848. During the Red River Resistance of 1869–1870, Louis Riel and the Métis provisional government occupied Upper Fort Garry. After the Wolseley Expedition reached the Red River Settlement in August 1870, the 2nd Battalion (Quebec Rifles) was quartered at Lower Fort Garry, while the 1st Battalion (Ontario Rifles) occupied Upper Fort Garry. By then, Riel and many of his supporters had already withdrawn, and no fighting took place at Lower Fort Garry.

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