Portage, a way by land around an interruption in a water source

Until the early 19th century most inhabitants of what is now Canada traveled mainly by water. Alexander Mackenzie and Simon Fraser demonstrated that it is possible, by portaging 100 times, to canoe from the St. Lawrence to the Arctic or Pacific oceans.

The first trails around waterfalls and rapids were often made by moose. Then Indians used the same paths, carrying their marvelously light birchbark canoes. The organized fur trade required the transport of heavy goods. Voyageurs were expected to hoist 2 packs each weighing about 41kg. The first was slung on the back with a tumpline across the forehead and second was placed on top. It was fatiguing work, usually done at a slow jog to reduce the strain on the back. On a long portage, the voyageurs would dump loads at poses every kilometer or so and go back for more loads. Two or 4 voyageurs would combine to carry the North or Montreal canoes, and when heavy York Boats came into widespread use in the 1820s, portages were often equipped with the rollers.

Packhorses were used on the trail to Ft Assiniboine and across the Athabasca pass. Oxcarts were needed for the heavier freight on Portage La Loche and at Ft Smith. In eastern Canada, canals and roads improved and supplemented water routes. At Niagra and between Montreal and the Richelieu R, early “portage railways” were a partial answer to transport needs. The Grand Trunk Ry in the 1850’s and the Canadian Pacific Ry in the 1880s marked the shift to continuous land transport across southern Canada.

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