Fort Maurepas (Canada) facts for kids

Map of the Red River Colony showing Fort Maurepas

Fort Maurepas was the name of two forts built by the French in the 1730s. They were located near Lake Winnipeg in what is now Canada. The forts were important for the fur trade. They were named after Jean-Frédéric Phélypeaux, Count of Maurepas, a powerful French official. He was like a top advisor to King Louis XVI and managed all of France's colonies.

First Fort Maurepas: On the Red River

The first Fort Maurepas was built in 1734. Explorers had found a good spot for a fort near where the Red River of the North flows into Lake Winnipeg. They even called the Red River the "Maurepas River" for a while.

Building the Fort

A famous French explorer named La Vérendrye sent a group of 12 men in three canoes to build this fort. It was located about five leagues (which is about 24 kilometers or 15 miles) up the Red River. The exact spot of this first fort is not known today.

Life at the Fort

The people at the fort explored the Red River. They found a new route from the Red River to Lake of the Woods using the Roseau River. This was important for travel and trade.

In 1735, the fort was very successful in the fur trade, collecting 600 packages of furs. La Vérendrye himself visited the fort in 1737. Sadly, in May 1737, many people at the fort died from a serious illness.

In 1738, La Vérendrye passed by Fort Maurepas on his way to build Fort La Reine on the Assiniboine River. By 1739, the first Fort Maurepas was no longer used. People moved to a new fort called Fort Rouge, which was further up the Red River, where the city of Winnipeg is today.

Second Fort Maurepas: On the Winnipeg River

The second Fort Maurepas is not as well known. Some records say the fort was moved from the Red River to the Winnipeg River in 1739. However, other historical sources do not mention this move.

Location and Rebuilding

This second fort was located on a high, round hill on the right side of the Winnipeg River. It was about six miles (about 10 kilometers) upstream from where the river flows into Lake Winnipeg. This spot is near the modern town of Powerview-Pine Falls, Manitoba.

In the winter of 1749-1750, the fort was rebuilt by Pierre Gaultier de La Vérendrye (La Vérendrye's son). It had been burned down by local Indigenous groups.

Later Years

By 1793, there was nothing left of the second Fort Maurepas except a clear area where it once stood. On the other side of the river, a fur trading company called the North West Company had a storage building. Other forts, like Fort Bas de la Rivière and later Fort Alexander, Manitoba, were also built nearby. The area around the mouth of the Winnipeg River was known as Bas de la Rivière.