Pierre Gaultier de La Vérendrye

Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye, was born in Trois-Rivières, New France, and fought in Europe during the War of the Spanish Succession, surviving nine wounds at the Battle of Malplaquet. Returning to Canada, he turned his boundless energy to the west, seeking a direct river route to the Western Sea (Pacific Ocean).

Between 1731 and 1744, accompanied by his sons, La Vérendrye established an extensive network of trading posts across northwestern Ontario and southern Manitoba, including Fort Rouge (Winnipeg) and Fort La Reine (Portage la Prairie). His daring westward expansion secured French dominance over the western fur trade and mapped the gateway to the Rockies.