Guided Sea Kayaking Tours on
Vancouver Island, British Columbia

Local History The Fur Trade The Hudson's Bay Company Charter of 1670 gave all trapping  and trading rights on all land drained by rivers flowing into Hudson's Bay to the company. This area includes the present day District of Red Lake. It was not until the late 1700's that the area of was actually charted by a European,  though some had undoubtedly already visited the area. From the late 1780's on, the Northwest Company, the Hudson's Bay Company and XY Company all operated  trading posts on the lake on a more or less constant  basis.

The only other major interruption to fur trade in Red Lake occurred in 1804. Donald McKenzie of the Northwest Company was operating a post on what was later to be known as McKenzie Island, located only a few lake miles from the present day town of Red Lake. McKenzie was alerted one day by a running that a war party of Sioux was  head his way. McKenzie, with his party and a small number of local Ojibwa people  fled eastward. They could not out run the fast moving way party, which  eventually caught up with him and his group near Sioux Lookout, Ontario. It was  there McKenzie and his party met their demise. Both the Hudson's Bay Company post and the Northwest Company's post remained  unoccupied for the next ten years. Eventually the two companies merged and a new post was established at Post Narrows. This site was close to an ancient Native burial ground. Remains of the post structures as well as the cemetery can be seen there today. In the early 1900's the post was moved to Johnson's Island. From there it was subsequently moved to the Red Lake town site in 1933 where it remained until it was closed in 1998.          Back to Top

Goldseekers Bed & Breakfast Service Stay with us at the start or at the completion of your trip. Located in a forest setting we offer clean comfortable accommodations, semi-private rooms and shared bath and shower facilities.  Breakfast includes your choice of home baked muffins or scones, bagel, toast, cereal, yogurt and fresh fruit, coffee, tea, herbal teas, hot chocolate, and a selection of fruit juices Goldseekers Canoe Outfitting & Wilderness Expeditions Bed and Breakfast 1-800-591-9282 or 807-727-2353 Inns and Motels Balmer Motor Hotel 1-888-615-2161 or 807-735-2076 Howey Bay Motel  1-800-263-4693 or 807-727-3419 Natures Inn  807-735-2626 Norseman Inn   807-727-2858 Red Lake Inn   807-727-2161 Bed and Breakfast Ace Company B&B  807-727-3018 Classic Accommodations B&B 807-727-2605 Red Lake B&B 807-727-3707 Campgrounds  Tent/RV Pakwash Provincial Park  807-222-3346 or 222-2059 Campgrounds  RV Chukuni Tent & Trailer Park 1-800-268-0910 South Bay on Gull Rock 807-727-2830 Top of Page