First Journey, Fort William

Set in 1815, this is the dramatic story of a child of the fur trade, son of a Native mother and a Scottish-Canadian fur trader. John Mackenzie's father is a wintering partner of the Montréal-based North West Company, which was for decades the wealthiest merchant enterprise in North America. To mark his entry into adulthood, twelve-year-old John is travelling for the first time to Fort William, the Company's lavish winter headquarters by Lake Superior. In following his journey, the film reveals the complex network of people--Scottish, French and Native Canadian--that made up fur-trading society and gave a unique flavor to the opening up of Canada's northwest.

Country:

Canada

Genre:

History

Duration:

23 minutes

Year:

1987

Director:

Joan Henson

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Company:

ONF | NFB

Cast:

John Mackenzie

Father

Mother

Bissonnette

Mr. McLeod

Crew:

Director

Director of Photography

Editor

Sound Recordist

Sound Recordist