The North Saskatchewan River was an important artery for the fur trade. (File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Rob Mahon

Heritage House

Province designates Lower Hudson House as heritage property

Aug 15, 2022 | 5:00 PM

A place closely tied to Saskatchewan history has been given an official designation from the provincial government. Today, they announced Lower Hudson House has been designated Saskatchewan’s 56^th Provincial Heritage Property.

Sitting about 35 kilometers west of Prince Albert on the North Saskatchewan River, the property joins a closely cultivated list of others like it.

“We’re looking for heritage places that have the highest level of significance in Saskatchewan to qualify for Provincial Heritage Property designation,” said Dr. Tom Richards, executive director of the Heritage Conservation Branch. “Typically, we receive nominations from members of the public and we work with them to get nominations assessed and to get them designated.”

What made Lower Hudson House worthy of that designation was the sheer amount of history taking place there. The Hudson Bay Company, the Northwest Company, and an independent trader all set up shop there in its history.

“Lower Hudson House is basically an archeological site,” Dr. Richards said. “There is evidence of at least two and possibly three trading posts from the late 18^th century.”

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According to Dr. Richards, one of the most notable aspects of the site is not only evidence of the trade between Indigenous people and fur traders but evidence of other interactions as well. A journal from the site shows one trader in particular helping Indigenous people who came to the fort suffering from smallpox during the 1781-82 epidemic.

“Somewhat unexpectedly, it’s clear that he took the sick First Nations People in and fed them and took care of them in many cases,” Dr. Richards said. “Unfortunately, many of these people did die anyway because of impacts from smallpox. But it’s unusual to see information going back into that period of the positive relations between the traders and First Nations People, such instances where they took care of sick people like this.”

Lower Hudson House was nominated for Provincial Heritage Property designation by Philip Parr and Peter Burns of the Prince Albert-based steering committee for the Memorialization of Lower Hudson House. The history helps provide more understanding of the consequences of European settlement for First Nations people.

“We believe the designation of Lower Hudson House as a provincial heritage property will open a path for everyone to discover the history and tragedy of how the smallpox epidemic of 1781-82 affected the Indigenous populations in the area 240 years before present day and altered the course of our history as a province,” Parr and Burns said. “Many interesting stories are waiting to be told about this fascinating period in our past.”

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP