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DECEMBER, 2006 NEWSLETTER
| Peakfinder Updates
There are some 1559 peaks in the Canadian Rockies and www.peakfinder.com has information regarding each one of them. However we don't have photos of them all so when photos are contributed for those that we have no photo for, we're most grateful. Recently Allan Schierman assisted in this way with a number of peaks in the southeastern Rockies including Mount Lancaster, Mount Minton, Mount Shankland, Mount Terrion, Mount Frayn, Mount Vanbuskirk, Mount Veits, and Mount Gydosic. Thanks Allan. There are about 3000 photos on the website and sometimes errors are made in their captions. Several Peakfinder users have located errors and advised us so that they can be corrected. Please let us know if you find an error. If you have a favourite mountain photo or any information about the peaks of the Canadian Rockies that you would like included in Peakfinder please contact <dave@peakfinder.com>. Please note that all of the previous newsletters have been archived and are available on the site. If you're interested in esoteric lists, unusual mountain names, etcetera, browse through the earlier issues. |
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Enter "Dungeon Peak" to learn more about this mountain. |
| Look who's honoured in the Canadian Rockies PIERRE GAULTIER DE VARENNES, SIER DE LA VéRENDRYE Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, Sieur de La Vérendrye was born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec in 1685. After listening to stories told by the “coureurs de bois,” La Vérendrye longed for adventure. He dreamed of becoming an explorer and finding a western sea route to China. Following a military career in the French army during which he was wounded and imprisoned, La Vérendrye returned to New France and became involved with the fur trading business, learning as much as he could from the native traders. La Vérendrye asked for the Governor of New France for financial support of a western expedition. The governor was excited by the possibilities, and approved of the journey, granting him a monopoly on the furs traded. La Vérendrye had to borrow money to buy supplies and trading items. In order to repay his debts, forts were to be established to encourage fur trading along his exploration routes. Leaving Montreal in June of 1731, La Vérendrye was accompanied by two of his sons, his nephew, and many voyageur paddlers. For three years, they explored the western prairies and set up trading forts. La Vérendrye returned to Montreal in 1734 to pay off his creditors but quickly returned to the west. This time, misfortune seemed to follow him. His nephew suddenly took ill and died. His son Jean-Baptiste was killed by a warring party of Sioux at Lake of the Woods. Despite these tragedies, La Vérendrye and his remaining sons continued their explorations. In the spring of 1742, La Vérendrye's son Pierre traveled north to establish Fort Dauphin on Lake Manitoba and Fort Bourbon on the northern tip of Lake Winnipeg. Meanwhile, La Vérendyre's remaining sons Louis-Joseph and François headed west over the plains. Using local native guides, they traveled far to the southwest. On January 1st, 1743, they saw the Rocky Mountains in western Wyoming. La Vérendrye and his family pushed further west than any other explorer had, establishing forts that expanded the French fur trade all the way to the Saskatchewan River. His drive and courageous spirit is said to have opened up the western prairies. For additional information about Mount Vérendrye enter the mountain's name in the appropriate search box on the main page. |