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Voyageur

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Le Voyageur | The Voyageur 

Three Voyageurs Travelling by Canoe ("Voyageurs", 1846 oil painting by Charles Deas held at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Wikimedia Commons)

Three Voyageurs Travelling by Canoe ("Voyageurs", 1846 oil painting by Charles Deas held at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Wikimedia Commons)

The voyageurs were engaged in the transporting of furs during the fur trade years, often over long distances, by foot and canoe. They were normally Canadians, colonists or sons of colonists who were used to the rigours of winter and difficult canoeing from a young age. They were either workers, minor partners or independent contractors involved in the fur trade.

Being a voyageur meant that you were part of a licensed, organized effort, which was different from the coureurs des bois, or wood runners, who would partake in illegal or non-sanctioned trading.

In 1861, a trading licence system was established in an attempt to formalize the fur trade and cut down on illegal activity. Merchant or military officers with permits would hire voyageurs on a contract basis. These voyageurs transported goods to trading posts and were normally forbidden from doing any trading of their own. Some voyageurs would eventually become “canoe masters” and supervised engagés (contract workers) as they travelled to the Pays d’en haut (“upper country”) and transported goods to merchant-suppliers, returning to Montreal with furs. These men normally did not trap and process the animal pelts themselves — the Indigenous did.

A Hard Life

The voyageur's life was physically exhausting and not nearly as glorious as modern folk tales make it out to be. For example, they had to be able to carry two 90-pound (41 kg) bundles of fur over portage. Some carried up to four or five, and there is a report of one voyageur carrying seven for half of a mile. Hernias were all too common and were often fatal. Voyageurs also spent a lot of time in the water — jumping out of the canoe if it meant making the canoe lighter and traverse over certain rapids easier.

Some voyageurs were included in military campaigns, though they did not partake in attacks. They carried weapons, small canons, powder, tools and sufficient food for the troops. Their role was crucial not only to military operations, but also to the expansion of New France. Without their help, the vast tracts of land claimed by France in North America would not have been possible.

Clothing & Appearance

Today, most of us have a stereotypical image of what a voyageur looked like — fringed-leather clothing with a woven sash. In reality, voyageurs and engagés involved in the fur trade wore a variety of clothing over the years.

“From the early days of the colony, they wore a mixture of European clothing, Aboriginal garb and colonial adaptations for travelling the continent. Certain garments disappeared over the years to be replaced by others. In the 19th century, men no longer wore the Aboriginal breechcloth, which had replaced French breeches; they preferred trousers instead. However, tuques (knitted wool caps) and capotes (hooded coats) remained essential.” (Foster & Gousse, “Voyageur”)

The fact that voyageurs spent a lot of time in the water and travelling in bad weather meant that leather was a terrible choice of clothing. Wet leather was heavy and took an extremely long time to dry, not to mention that it lost any ability to retain warmth. Various textiles and wool were much better options. Aboriginal people recognized this as well, and started to ask for these goods in exchange for furs.

Men who had direct dealing with indigenous peoples would often shave their beards, as aboriginals were repulsed by facial hair and took great care in keeping their own faces clean-shaven. The indigenous were often tattooed and some voyageurs would report that they would not pass for “real” men in the Pays d’en haut if they didn’t get tattooed by the aboriginals. Voyageurs who were adopted by an indigenous tribe would often get a tattoo of that nation’s totemic animal.

Voyageurs Heading West ("Canoe Manned by Voyageurs Passing a Waterfall", 1869 oil painting by Frances Ann Hopkins, Library and Archives Canada).

Voyageurs Heading West ("Canoe Manned by Voyageurs Passing a Waterfall", 1869 oil painting by Frances Ann Hopkins, Library and Archives Canada).

In French-Canada, stories of voyageurs and their adventures are still popular today. The most famous tale is called La Chasse-galerie, and tells the story of a flying canoe manned by voyageurs who make a deal with the devil.

Two major annual festivals celebrate the legacy of the voyageurs: Winnipeg’s Festival du Voyageur and Trois-Rivières’ Rendez-vous des coureurs des bois de Trois-Rivières.

Note that in Louisiana, voyageurs were called “traiteurs” (traders).

Watch Rick Mercer as he heads to St. Boniface in Winnipeg for the Festival du Voyageur

Example of a voyageur permission to travel (this permission granted by the governor of Montreal in 1733 to Pierre Cosme, for a canoe and five men, to go to the Detroit trading post). Source: BAnQ.

Example of a voyageur permission to travel (this permission granted by the governor of Montreal in 1733 to Pierre Cosme, for a canoe and five men, to go to the Detroit trading post). Source: BAnQ.

Known men who were voyageurs: Pierre Achin dit Saint-André, Marie-François Alavoine, Charles Amelin, Daniel Amiot dit Villeneuve, Jean-Baptiste Angers, Pierre Aramy, Louis Arsenault, François Aubuchon, Louis Baby Grandpré, Simon Baillargé, Jean Beauvais, François Becquet dit Saint-Sauveur, Joseph Bénard dit Carignan, Laurent Benoit, Laurent Bertrand, François Besnier, François Bibeau, Jacques Bigras, Louis Bigué, Jean Bineau, François Blais, Joseph Blondeau, Gilles Boissel, Louis Boisselle, Louis Bonodeau dit Chatellerault, Paul Bouchard, François Boudier dit Cadieu, Pierre Bourassa, Joseph Bouron, Jacques Boutin, Jean-Baptiste Brossard, François Brunet, François Cadieux, Étienne Campeau, Henri Campeau, Jacques Campeau, Pierre Cardinal, Claude Caron, Nicolas Caron, Henri Catin, Jean Chaperon, Pierre Chartier, François Chesne, Pierre Chesne dit La Butte, Jacques Chevalier, Jean-Baptiste Chevalier, Paul Chevalier, Joseph Chevaudier dit Lépine, Pierre Cosme, Charles Couturier, Jean-Baptiste Couturier, Joseph Couvret, Pierre Crevier dit Duvernay, Jean-Baptiste Cuillerier, Lambert Cuillerier, Joseph Dandonneau DuSablé, Jacques Danis, Julien de Linel, Paul Delorme dit Lemay, François Delpé dit Saint-Cerny, François Demers dit Montfort, Noël Deniau, Jacques Deniau dit Destaillis, Gabriel Descaries, Jean Descaries, Jean-Baptiste Desnoyers, Jean-Baptiste Desroussels, Jean Dubeau, Antoine Dubois, Claude Dubosq, Louis Ducharme, Louis Duchouquet (son), Nicolas Duclos, Jean-Baptiste Dupré, Louis Dupuis, Claude Dupont, Louis Durand, Dominique Étienne, Philippe Étienne dit Durivage, Charles Fafard dit Joinville, Jacques Filiatrault, Charles Flibot, Jean-Baptiste Forestier, Pierre Forestier, André Forsan dit Léveillé, Nicolas Gagné, Jean Gagnon, Pierre Gareau dit Saint-Onge, Pierre Gatien, Joseph Gaudry dit Bourbonnière, Joseph Gauthier, Lambert Gauthier dit Landreville, Jean-Baptiste Giguère, Jacques Godefroy, Louis Gouin, Jacques Grignon, Barthélemi Groinier dit Métivier, Louis Groton, Paul Guillet, Simon Guillory, Louis Hamelin, Louis Hubert dit Lacroix, Marien Huet dit Dulude, François Hunault dit Deschamps, Marin Hurtubise, Robert Janot, Jean-Baptiste Jarry dit LaHaye, Louis Jeudon, François Jolliet, Pierre Juillet, Antoine Laguerce (son), Louis Lalumaudière, Jacques Langlois, François Larchevêque, Jacques Larchevêque, Pierre Lapointe, Joseph Lareau, François Laverdure (son), Pierre Leboeuf, Joseph Lecourt, Jean Lécuyer, Joseph-Marie Lécuyer, Philippe Leduc, Charles Charles Lefebvre, Louis Lefebvre Duchouquet (son), René Lemoine, Joseph Lepage, Charles Lepailleur, François Léveillé, Joseph Lombard, Joseph Lorrain, Jean Baptiste Magdelaine dit Ladouceur, Antoine Maison, Jean Marchand, Louis Marchand, Antoine Magnan, Michel Marie dit Sainte-Marie, Michel Massé, Pierre Maupetit, Antoine Ménard, Maurice Ménard, Antoine Moisan, Jean Mongeau, Charles Morand, Joseph Moreau, Maurice Morin dit Chênevert, Pierre Morisseau, François Neveu, Jean Paré, Joseph Parent, Madeleine Pepin dit Laforce, Gabriel Perrin, Pierre Perrotin, Étienne Petit Boismorel, Jean-Baptiste Petit Lalumière, François Picard, Jean Pilet, Antoine Pothier, Toussaint Pothier, Jean-Baptiste Poudret, François Préjean, Raymond Quesnel, Joseph Quintin dit Dubois, André Rapin dit Scaianis, Jean Rasset, Pierre Rasset, Charles Réaume, Pierre Réaume, Robert Réaume, Simon Réaume, Laurent Renaud, Pierre Renaud dit Locat, Blaise Richard, Pierre Richard, Pierre Ritchot, Jean Rivard, Julien Rivard, Alexis Rivet, Joseph Robert, Pierre Robert, Pierre Rosa, Nicolas Rose, Jean Roussin, François Roy, Pierre Roy, François Sado, Augustin Saint-Yves, Jacques Saint-Yves, Joseph Saint-Yves, Pierre Saint-Yves, Nicolas Sarrazin, Mathieu Sauton, François Soumande Delorme, Pierre Tabault, Charles Tessier, Jacques Tessier dit Lavigne, Antoine Thunay dit Dufresne, Joseph Trottier, Paul Trottier, Pierre Trottier, Joseph Truchon dit Léveillé, Jean Verger dit Desjardins, Nicolas Volant, 

 
 

Sources and further reading: