Working At Old Fort William Trading Post

[Alan Wade]

The technological side of the job in the Lakehad has changed over the years but how much has the human side changed? The records of the Old Fort William fur trading post, with the original spelling and grammar mistakes, can provide us with some answers.

Saturday, Feb. 28, 1824: “Masta did not come to work this week- his wife being dangerously ill.” Family sickness kept workers from their work.

Thursday, July 15, 1824: “Old Collin got drunk yesterday and this morning came over to inform Mr. McKenzie that he … had to go to Red River.” Employees got angry and quit.

Tuesday, Aug. 8, 1837: “The Hay Cuters Fountain and & Bonet Caree I believe had a sett too a fisty cuffs the latter I understand had the best of it.” Workers got into disagreements.

Monday, 25 March, 1839: “Boucher returned to take his wife to the Sugar bush for which he got a severe reprimand.” The boss gave workers “hell” when they did what they were not supposed to do.

From the diary of Delafield, leader of a survey team (the entry for July 6, 1823): “It is the custom with the Canadians (i.e. the voyageurs) always to be dissatisfied. I have faithfully tried to experiment and find that by indulging them that still some imaginary want is contrived to grumble about.” Workers grumbled about their work.

Governor Simpson had this to say about one of his employees: “His only claim to advancement is his antiquity. Speaks Saulteaux, is qualified to cheat an Indian and can make a fishing net, which are his principal qualifications, indeed he would have made a better canoeman than a partner.” Bosses dwelt on their employees’ negative side.

Cox who traveled through from the West Coast in 1817 tells us about the clerk, Willard Wentzel: “Having no family connections to place his claims in the prominent point of view which they ought to occupy, and being moreover of an honest unbending disposition, his name was struck from the house-list of favourite clerks intended for proprietors.” Sometimes employees advanced because of who they knew, not what they knew.

As the French saying goes, “Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose”- the more things change, the more they remain the same.