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Explorers of Canada, Part XXVII: David Thompson

© David Newman

David Thompson was arguably one of history's leading geographers and cartographers, exploring and mapping the main travel points between Canada through the territories to the Pacific. David Thompson was born in London, England in 1770. At the age of fourteen, David Thompson was apprenticed as a clerk at the prestigious Hudson's Bay Company and later left the Isle for Canada. His first station was at fort Churchill and later more western fortifications, mostly along the Saskatchewan. He spent time with the Peigan Nation learning their language and culture.

Suffering from a broken leg in a horrible accident proved beneficial to Thompson as it allowed him to learn astrology and surveying from HBC's astronomer at Cumberland House.

At that time, Western British North America was not very well known and was mainly uncharted (at the time only the Canadas and the Maritime Colonies were really inhabited). Thompson therefore felt he should be the one to chart it and he set off to do so, armed with sextant, compass and other surveying materials. By 1793, he had mapped most of what is now known as northern Manitoba and Saskatchewan, but were then part of the Hudson's Bay Company lands and territories. Since the conquest, another Trading company had set foot in north America, mainly employing Canadiens and Scots, known as the North West Company. This was HBC's rival and appeared, in David Thompson's view, as a more energetic and adventurous company. He switched his allegiance and began to work for the NWC.

With the North West Company, Thompson was able to map out the area between the Missouri, the Mississippi and the Great Lakes. The North West Company sent Thompson and other NWC employees to find a safe passage through the Rocky Mountains. This was unsuccessful yet it allowed Thompson to chart rivers such as the Bow and the Red Deer. Early in the new century (about 1803-1806) Thompson charted and explored the Peace River until he reached Fort William on Lake Superior.

Again, the Northwest Company was looking for a route to the Pacific via the Rockies and Thompson led this project, known as "Columbia Enterprise". This time, a pass was found where Kootenay House, a trading post, was built near the Columbia River. Thompson surveyed the river, setting posts all over what is now British Columbia, Alberta and Northwest US States. When it was found out that the Americans were trying a similar enterprise, Thompson was ordered to get to the Pacific before the Yankees did. However, this was not to be, as Lewis and Clark arrived to the Pacific four months before Thompson.

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