Fort Toronto facts for kids

Fort Toronto was an old French trading post built near the Humber River in what is now Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The French built it in 1750. Its main goal was to help them trade with the First Nations people who lived in the "Pays d'en Haut" region of New France. This was the second French trading post in the Toronto area. The first one, called "Magasin Royal", was built in 1720 by order of Governor Philippe Rigaud de Vaudreuil. It was near a place called Baby Point, about 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) north of the Humber River's mouth. The French left Magasin Royal by the late 1720s and didn't build another post until Fort Toronto.

The success of Fort Toronto in attracting First Nation traders led to another fort being built nearby, called Fort Rouillé, just one year later. Both of these forts were mainly used for trading between the French and the local First Nations people.

Fort Toronto: A Trading Post Story

During the Seven Years' War, a big conflict between France and Britain, both Fort Toronto and Fort Rouillé were left by the French. Fort Rouillé was even burned down to stop the British from capturing it. After the war, Great Britain took control of Quebec City and the entire French colony of New France. Fort Toronto was then fixed up and used again as a fur trading post by a man named Jean-Bonaventure Rousseau.

Images for kids

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  Map of French trading posts near the Humber River