Upper Fort Garry Front Gate

A point of interest on the Winnipeg's Wealthy Beginnings GPS-guided audio walking tour.

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Audio Transcript

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Let’s take a step back in time again now to a world where wolves watched from shadows and fires warmed the bitter cold of Manitoba winters. Furs were prized and trading them was a currency of its own.

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Did you know that in early Canadian history “Made-beaver” was currency, just like a Loonie or a twenty-dollar bill is now? It's true. A 'Made-beaver" was the value given to one male beaver winter skin and was used in a barter system of trade.

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In 1795 one "Made-beaver" pelt could buy a kettle, while ten "Made-beaver" pelts might get you a gun. Eventually, as years passed, the trading of actual skins was replaced by "Made-beaver" coins.

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In 1830 the Hudson’s Bay Company built Upper Fort Garry here, near the forks of the Assiniboine and Red Rivers, making trade easier and eventually leading to the birth of the Manitoba we know today.

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But it was replacing a lifestyle and culture that had been in existence for centuries, while at the same time angering rival fur trading companies. Lives were lost. Fighting and bloodshed were commonplace. The conditions were harsh and so were the times.

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This gate you see before you is an entry into that world.

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