Provincial Plaque – Fur Trading
Fur Trading at Saugeen – August 21, 2004 unveiled by the Ontario Heritage Foundation
Location: In Pioneer Park, Southampton, Ontario
Plaque Text:
The Anishnabe lived by the mouth of the Saugeen River for centuries before Pierre Piché arrived in 1818 to begin fur trading in the region. By 1826, the Hudson’s Bay Company established an outpost at Saguingue to compete with independent fur traders like Piché. From La Cloche, its main post on Lake Huron, the Hudson’s Bay Company employed First Nations, French, Métis, and British fur traders who largely depended on Anishnabe hunters to supply deer, bear and marten skins. By 1832, the supply of premium furs was exhausted and the company closed its post. Although many Anishnabe gave up hunting and settled in an agricultural village, fur trading continued here until the mid-19th century when Southampton was founded.