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York Factory National Historic Site
Located approximately 750 kilometres north of Winnipeg, York Factory was founded in 1684 by the British as a fur trading post at the mouth of the Hayes River on Hudson Bay. The establishment served as a headquarter for a massive fur trading empire that was supported by Aboriginal people and as a port where millions of dollars of goods were shipped in and out of Canada. From 1812 to the 1850s, it also served as the main port-of entry for immigrants coming to central and western Canada. The Factory was designated a national historic site in 1936 and closed its doors in 1957.
Throughout its history, York Factory has been important to local Aboriginal people, as they were crucial to the post’s success, participating in its business as traders, provisioners and labourers. First Nations continue to hold a bi-annual gathering there to celebrate their history, culture and traditional ties to the site.
Whereas 50 buildings once stood on York Factory site, today only four structures and features are still visible – the depot building, the library, the remains of a powder magazine and the cemetery. All of these features are threatened by erosion from tidal action and erosion of the silty soils on which the site is built. The site also sits on discontinuous permafrost which may be melting. At the current rate of erosion, it is estimated that the depot building—the oldest building in Canada—as well as most of the archaeological evidence of site use could be lost to the Hayes River in 50 to 100 years.
As part of the Saving York Factory Project, the Government of Canada is currently attempting to improve surface and subsurface drainage, clearing willows, which trap and hold snow and water, to help keep the site as dry as possible and determining whether permafrost degradation can be controlled. A section of the riverbank has also been armoured with rocks and protective material to prevent further bank slumping and slow erosion at the river.
Results of the intervention continue to be monitored and a report, which will inform decisions about the way forward, is expected in 2013.
