by Nikki Rajala | May 22, 2026 | Voyageur
John Macdonell was born in Scotland in 1768, and his family migrated to New York in 1773 and then to Canada. He began his first trading venture in 1793, when he was 25. His diary describes his impressions of voyageur life. In this section, he has been on the...
by Nikki Rajala | May 9, 2026 | Voyageur
In 1793 John Macdonell left Lachine to serve as a clerk for the North West Company — and he kept a journal! While he commented on the trek up to Lake Winipic, I’m focusing on the first half of his journal — when his brigade left the Montreal area to their...
by Nikki Rajala | Jan 29, 2023 | Voyageur
Meet “Postmaster Gregoire” who worked at Heritage Park Historical Village in Calgary, Alberta. The person inside that authentic outfit is fur trade historian, public speaker, interpreter and re-enactor Greg Ingram. He spent his summers and falls interpreting at the...
by Nikki Rajala | May 16, 2021 | Voyageur
While we missed festivals during the pandemic of 2020, it’s exciting to see rendezvous events being scheduled for summer 2021. Do check websites below for updated info about weekend times and activities. While there still aren’t many, more are organizing...
by Nikki Rajala | May 6, 2020 | Voyageur
Don’t you just want to get outside these days? Plan something unique, historical, interactive and FUN fun this summer? Festivals feature voyageurs and Ojibwe at rendezvous or historical events with foods, crafts, re-enactors, classes, cultural displays. Visit a...
