Sieur de La Vérendrye 1685-1749

Photo by Alan L Brown - July 30, 2006

Plaque Location

The District of Rainy River
The Town of Fort Frances
In Pither's Point Park off Mill Road (Highway 11) at the east end of town

Plaque Text

Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, Sieur de La Vérendrye, was born at Trois Rivières and saw military service in North America and Europe before entering the fur trade. While stationed at Lake Nipigon in 1727, he heard stories of the 'Western Sea' which, Indians said, lay somewhere beyond Lake of the Woods. During the next twenty years, in attempting to reach this sea, he personally explored much of what is now northwestern Ontario, southern Manitoba and North Dakota, and directed the exploration of an even larger area. Throughout this territory he established numerous important fur-trading posts, including St. Pierre on Rainy Lake, St. Charles on Lake of the Woods and La Reine on the Assiniboine River.