| Factor Charles Thomas began his career with the Hudson's Bay
Company in 1808 and worked with them in various locations throughout
Manitoba and Ontario, until about 1830. Then he was sent to Golden
Lake to establish a Company Trading Post at the narrows of the Bonnechere
River.
Thomas was so impressed by the lake's beauty, not to mention the
prospect of gathering gold from valuable furs and timber, that he
named it Golden Lake and ended up living here for the rest of his
life.
Thomas was determined to win the favour of the local Algonquin
people. He sold the first trade gun [the length of which was used
to measure the height requirement of a pile of beaver pelts for
trade] to their Chief Stokwa. [This was possibly the father of Lamab
Stokwa (c.1814-1874), grandfather of Matthew Bernard (1875-1972)
who built the 36-foot birch bark canoe which is currently displayed
in the Museum of Civilization, Ottawa/Hull.]
The lumber harvest began in 1836, with Alexander McDonald being
the first to cut a white pine. Thomas quickly realized that the
Aboriginal rights had been violated, and proclaimed, in a meeting
with Algonquin leaders outside his Trading Post's stockade, that
McDonald was also a subject of the 'Great Father' and that he merely
wished to cut trees in order to build houses. Thomas also promised
that McDonald's men would not harm the beaver.
The Old Post, as it came to be known, may not have had a long life,
but at least it put Golden Lake on the map. |
