North West River
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North West River Northwest River |
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| Town | |
View from Sunday Hill of sunset over Little Lake.
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 North West River
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| Coordinates: 53°31′31.32″N 60°08′41.80″W / 53.5253667°N 60.1449444°W | |
| Country |
 Canada
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| Province |
 Newfoundland and Labrador
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| Census division | 10 |
| Region | NunatuKavut (unofficial) |
| Settled | 1743 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Derek Montague |
| • MHA | Perry Trimper |
| • MP | Yvonne Jones |
| • Nunatsiavut Assembly members | Roy Blake Patricia Kemuksigak |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5 km2 (2 sq mi) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 553 |
| Time zone | Atlantic Time (UTC−4:00) |
| • Summer (DST) | Atlantic Daylight (UTC−3:00) |
| Postal code span | A0P 1M0 |
| Area code(s) | 709 |
| Website | www |
North West River is a small town located in central Labrador. Established in 1743 as a trading post by French Fur Trader Louis Fornel, the community later went on to become a hub for the Hudson's Bay Company and home to a hospital and school serving the needs of coastal Labrador. North West River is the oldest modern settlement in Labrador.
Central Labrador has been inhabited by aboriginal groups (Innu and Inuit) for over 6000 years due to its bountiful wildlife. In 1743 French fur trader Louis Fornel was the first European to establish a year-long settlement at the present site of North West River. The site was primarily used to trade furs with the local aboriginals for European goods.
French settlers from Quebec moved to the area surrounding North West River to work as voyageurs and trappers (known as Coureur des bois in Quebec). Many took on Inuit wives creating a unique population of Métis trappers and traders. Traders would also do business trading goods with the nomadic Naskapi Innu.
European fur traders relied on the knowledge of the land possessed by the trappers and the Innu to provide them with furs. Trappers living in and around North West River would come to the trading post to exchange furs for flour, raisins, canvas tents, axes, guns and other goods Valuable furs from beavers, mink, martins, seals, foxes, bears and many other fur baring animals. Trappers maintained traplines inherited from relatives throughout central Labrador.
The fur trade collapsed after the Second World War. Many trappers abandoned their traplines to work at the new air force Base at nearby Goose Bay.
With the signing of the Treaty of Paris (1763) Labrador was passed from the French to the British. With the arrival of the British came the Hudson's Bay Company in 1836 who would enjoy a trade monopoly over central Labrador's Furs for more than 100 years. The newest of the Hudson's Bay Trading posts was constructed in 1923 and still remains as museum run and maintained by the Labrador Heritage Society.
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Wikipedia