February 08, 2010
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The key factor in the establishment of Cumberland House was it's location. It is located on the Saskatchewan River, which was a key route in the fur trade. From Cumberland House, you can travel east to Hudson Bay, via Lake Winnipeg and the Nelson River. You can also travel west as far as the Rocky Mountains. It's location as an island was also important to it's establishment. The island was a meeting place even before the trading post was established here, which provided the settlement with some initial status, along with the fact that as an island, it would have been easier for travellers to locate. The settlement of Cumberland House provided the Hudson's Bay Company with it's first inland trading post. Its establishment was considered by many to be overdue, because of the growing competition between the HBC and independent fur traders, and the different policies between the two. The HBC's policy had been to trade with trappers as they travelled to York Factory, while the independent traders travelled inland, offering greater convenience to the trapper. It's establishment in 1774 offered trappers an option, providing a way to trade with the Hudson's Bay Company without travelling to Hudson Bay. The settlement was later also home to a North West Company trading post, and served as the base of the Hudson's Bay Company's operations. In 1885, following the Metis rebellion, the Northcote, a paddle wheel boat used by government officials in the battle of Batoche, was grounded and disabled on the shore of the Bigstone River. The remains can be seen to this day in Cumberland House's park, located close to where the Bigstone is now. The Northcote is a symbol of the hard battle fought by the Metis, in their struggle for recognition and equal treatment. In 1840, Cumberland House was the home of the first school in western Canada, founded by catechist Henry Budd, who was the first native ordained minister. It was later home to Charlebois School, which was established in 1890 by Bishop Ovide Charlebois, a small one-room school, which is still standing today. Cumberland House's first hospital was built in 1940, although the town had nurses in residence as early as 1920. Another mark Cumberland House is noted for is the number of young men who served in the two World wars. The town has produced the first native cabinet minister from the north, Keith Goulet, along with four-time world marathon canoeing champion, Solomon Carriere. Cumberland House's struggle for acknowledgement has made an impact on the face of the community. In 1967, the Squaw Rapids dam, later named the E.B. Campbell dam, was completed. The impact of the dam on Cumberland House's economy was catastrophic, because of it's effect on people who depended on the area's natural resources. The dam altered water levels in the Saskatchewan River, which made the area uninhabitable for a lot of animals. The impact on fishers and trappers was finally acknowledged in 1989, with a settlement of fifteen million dollars and the establishment of a government farm. Another of the town's needs was met in 1996, with the completion of the Cumberland House bridge, which made it possible for people to avoid the hazardous river crossings when the ferry was unusable. This was a jointly funded operation, between the local, provincial, and federal governments. Cumberland House has a diverse history, most of which revolves around its location on the river. The river has played a vital role in nearly every aspect of local history, from it's settlement to it's recent advancements. The town's history will continue to play a role in it's future. Source: John Desjarlais Jr. History Contest submission For a list of businesses in Cumberland House, click here. | |||||||
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Todays
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I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. -ConfuciusI hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. -Confucius |
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