Tidbits of Coureurs de Bois History.
Table of Contents
- What's in a name?
- 2005 Insurance Crisis
From about
1660 to 1715, Coureurs de Bois were independent fur traders working
outside of the emerging colonial systems. They travelled deep into the
wilderness to interact and trade with Indigenous communities, reducing the flow
of furs by Indigenous traders to Montréal and Trois-Rivière. By 1680 some 500 Coureurs
de Bois were in the Lake Superior area in spite of being prohibited by the
Catholic church and colonial authorities. To discourage Coureurs de Bois,
Jean-Baptiste Colbert, France’s Minister of Finance, established the Congé
System in 1681 which made licenses necessary for legal fur trading.
Thus, was
born the “Voyageur,” travelers hired by trade companies to transport goods.
About 25 licenses per year were granted. In contrast to the respected and
licensed Voyageur, from 1681 onward, Coureurs de Bois were considered unlicensed,
illegal traders nicknamed “wood-runners” by the English and “Bush-lopers” by
the Anglo-Dutch (in Dutch, the verb “lopen” means “to walk”, so literally “bush
walkers”.) No matter what they were called, they were an economic thorn in the
side of colonial interests.
Coureurs
de Bois were
physically fit, brave, skilled hunters, fishers and they spent long hours in
their canoes. They were effective negotiators and profited from their
interaction with Indigenous people.
Coureurs de
Bois Outdoor Club of Elliot Lake is a thriving member of the Voyageur Trail
Association. There is something mildly satisfying about being part of an
organization named after a group considered to be outlaws and “existing outside
the system.”
Cadeau, C. “Voyageurs
and Coureur des Bois”. All About Canadian History. 12 July 2016.
ttps://cdnhistorybits.wordpress.com/2016/07/12/voyageurs-and-coureur-des-bois/
Accessed 02 December 2021.
Dominy, Steve (on
behalf of the V.T.A.). Steve did the leg work to find the first mention of
Coureurs de Bois with the VTA and provided a copy of the Winter 1991, Voyageur
Trail News where the announcement was reported. Dec. 26, 2021.
Wien, Tom.
"Coureurs des bois". The
Canadian Encyclopedia, 07 November 2019, Historica Canada.
www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/coureurs-de-bois. Accessed 02
December 2021.
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Insurance Crisis of 2005
In the April 20, 2005 issue of
the The Standard, Kevin McSheffrey reported that the Voyageur Trail
Association and Coureurs de Bois Outdoors Club learned that their liability
insurance would rise by almost 14 times what they paid in the past. The premium
for $5 million of coverage went from $1 659.72 to a staggering $23 000.
The insurance fiasco precipitated
a provincewide movement called “Black Week” to protest skyrocketing insurance
rates on recreational trails. The Coureurs de Bois Outdoor Club organized a
two-hour woodland march in solidarity with this initiative. There are about 30
individuals in Deborah Aarts photograph in the May 18th ,2005 issue
of the The Standard so the event was well supported. The 2005 executive
of Coureurs de Bois, led by Thomas Benian – President and Nancy-Jo Wannan –
secretary-treasurer and Alan Day – Trail Master, also garnered the support of
Elliot Lake City Council to pressure the Provincial Government to pass
legislation to limit liability.
The attached articles from The Standard are an interesting read about this event in the club’s history.
