The fur that fur traders desired the most was that of the beaver. Beaver underfur made an exceptionally fine felt, and for that reason it fetched the highest price back in Europe, where it was turned into things like beaver hats. Unfortunately, the more beavers the Hudson’s Bay Company acquired through trade with native trappers, the harder the animals were to find.
By the time John Tod appeared on the scene in 1811, beavers and many other animals were very hard to find indeed. In the Hudson Bay region, where most of the forts were located, fur-bearing species were becoming scarce. People were killing animals faster than the animals could reproduce themselves. Journeys further west were necessary in order to tap the supply of furs and pelts available in the more remote parts of the country.
As part of this effort to exploit other territories, John Tod was reassigned to the New Caledonia Department, more than 2,000 kilometres west of Hudson Bay. Geographically, New Caledonia roughly corresponds to the northern half of the present-day province of British Columbia. It was a long way away, and in John's day there were no roads to travel on. There was only one practical way to get there: by canoe.
Join John Tod on his cross-country canoe trip! You'll encounter many of the same obstacles that he would have, and you'll have to make choices. Choose wisely, and you'll forever be remembered in fur trading lore. Choose poorly, and...well, you'll see!
