Grand Portage

Just a short drive from Thunder Bay is the border and Grand Portage.  Grand Portage has a reconstructed Northwest Company fur trading post and is located at the lake end of the nine mile long portage that the voyageurs had to carry to reach the inland lakes.

We happened to visit on the first day of a three day major reenactment including filming of the voyageur landing.  They expected 300 participants all dressed in period costume.

Main Buildings of Grand Portage

Encampment

Voyageurs Arriving

Voyageurs Landing

Residents Greeting Voyageurs

Unloading Goods

Carrying the Partner Ashore

Ojibway Mother & Baby

Pelts

Kitchen Fire

Water Buckets

Smoking Whitefish

In the early 1800s there were over 2000 Voyageurs roaming the north woods buying furs from the Indian trappers.  We enjoyed our visit and wished we could have stayed for the weekend.