York Factory National Historic Site of Canada

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York Factory Exhibit at Winnipeg's Millennium Library

York Factory, From Dawn Until Dusk

 
Enjoying Parks Canada's York Factory Exhibit 
© Parks Canada

Throughout July, August and September, 2010, the Millennium Library in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, featured a display of artifacts and archival photos of York Factory National Historic Site in Manitoba, courtesy of Parks Canada. Set at the junction of the Hayes River and nearby Hudson Bay, this northerly post (1684–1957) was one of the oldest and most important fur trade establishments of the Hudson’s Bay Company.

In this exhibit, we follow the residents of York Factory from the time they got up in the morning to the time they went to bed at night. What kind of clothes did they wear? What kind of roof did they have over their heads? What did they have for breakfast or dinner? What did they do all day? Did they have any fun? These questions and more are answered through a fascinating collection of archaeological artifacts recovered from the site. These priceless original objects reveal a world where Aboriginal and European styles and cultures intertwined, and where manufactured goods and home-made items were used side by side. They provide a captivating glimpse of the people who worked and played, lived and died, in this unique community on the shores of Hudson Bay.

The York Factory exhibit has completed its stay at the Millennium library, but check this page in the future to see where it will be travelling next!