The North West Company and the Development of Canada
The North West Company played a major role in Canada's development as a nation decades before Confederation.
In their quest for fur during the latter 1700s and early 1800s, the NWC explored a huge portion of the North American continent, linking the St. Lawrence to the Pacific and Arctic Oceans. Today, many lakes and rivers in the north-west bear the names of Mackenzie, Pond, Fraser, Thompson, among others, clearly illustrating the ambition, energy and drive of the Nor'Westers.