In October 1738, near the site of this fieldstone monument, Pierre Gaultier de La Vérendrye built the fourth and most important of his western posts, which he named Fort la Reine. The site was chosen, in part, to intercept the trade of Indians crossing the portage to Lake Manitoba en route to the English posts on Hudson Bay. Fort la Reine served as the base for the explorations of La Vérendrye and his sons south to the Missouri River and north to the Saskatchewan River. Ordered abandoned in 1749, the post was reconstructed by Jacques Legardeur de Saint-Pierre, in 1751. During his absence in 1752 it was burnt by Indians, and probably not rebuilt.
The monument was unveiled at a ceremony on 12 June 1929 attended by Margaret Stovel McWilliams (Vice-President, Manitoba Historical Society), F. W. Howay (Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada), Louis Arthur Prud’Homme (President, St. Boniface Historical Society), Albert Préfontaine (Minister of Agriculture), William Herbert Burns (Mayor, City of Portage la Prairie), Jonathan Troop (President, Portage Old Timers Association), and Horace Chevrier, among others.
A plaque on the side of the monument was later replaced by the present one.
Fort la Reine commemorative monument (September 2010)
Source: Gordon GoldsboroughSite Coordinates (lat/long): N49.95109, W98.32725
denoted by symbol on the map above
See also:
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Fort la Reine Museum (Saskatchewan Avenue East, Portage la Prairie)
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Manitoba Plaques for Persons, Events and Sites of National Historic Significance
Historic Sites of Manitoba: Fort Dauphin Monument (Winnipegosis, RM of Mossey River)
“On inaugure au Fort la Reine un monument a La Verendrye,” La Liberté, 19 June 1929.
We thank Allen Brown for providing information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 23 August 2023
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