Peter Fidler (explorer)

Peter Fidler
Plaque to Peter Fidler erected in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan
Born	(1769-08-16)August 16, 1769 Bolsover, Derbyshire, England
Died	December 17, 1822(1822-12-17) (aged 53) Fort Dauphin, Manitoba
Occupation	Explorer and Map Maker
Spouse(s)	Mary Fidler
Children	Thomas (1795), Charles (1798), George (1800), Sally (1802), Decusroggan (1824 - died at 24 days), Andrew (1806), Alban (1809), Mary (1811), Faith (1813 - died at 6 weeks), Clement (1814), Colette (1817), Margaret (1819 - died at 1 month), Peter (1820), Harriett (1822)
Parent(s)	James and Mary Fidler

Peter Fidler (16 August 1769 – 17 December 1822) was a British surveyor, map-maker, chief fur trader and explorer who had a long career in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company in what later became Canada. He was born in Bolsover, Derbyshire, England and died at Fort Dauphin in present-day Manitoba. He married Mary Mackagonne, a Cree woman, and together they had 14 children.

Fidler joined the Hudson's Bay Company as a labourer at London and took up his post at York Factory in 1788. He was promoted to clerk and posted to Manchester House and South Branch House in what later became Saskatchewan within his first year. In 1790, he was transferred to Cumberland House and given training in surveying and astronomy by Philip Turnor who also trained David Thompson. On 23 December 1788, Thompson had seriously fractured his leg, forcing him to spend the next two winters at Cumberland House convalescing which gave Fidler the opportunity to accompany Turnor on an exploration expedition to the west from 1790 to 1792 attempting to find a route to Lake Athabaska and Great Slave Lake and therefore a route to the Pacific Ocean. Although the river route to the west his employer sought was found not to exist, on this and following expeditions Fidler gathered data for the first of several maps that he produced. Information he gathered was incorporated into the maps of North America produced by Aaron Arrowsmith.