Saugeen Shores | |
---|---|
Town of Saugeen Shores | |
Coordinates: 44°26′N81°22′W / 44.433°N 81.367°W | |
Country | Canada |
Province | Ontario |
County | Bruce |
Settled | ca. 1849 |
Formed | 1998 |
Government | |
• Mayor | Luke Charbonneau |
• Vice Deputy Mayor | Mike Myatt |
• Federal riding | Huron—Bruce |
• Prov. riding | Huron—Bruce |
Area | |
• Land | 170.19 km2 (65.71 sq mi) |
Population (2021) [2] | |
• Total | 15,908 |
• Density | 93.5/km2 (242/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
Postal Code | N0H |
Area code(s) | 519 and 226 |
Website | www |
Saugeen Shores is a town in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada, formed in 1998. In addition to the two main population centres of Southampton and Port Elgin, the town includes a portion of the village of Burgoyne and the North Bruce area, straddling the municipal eastern and southern boundary respectively. In 2016, the permanent population of Saugeen Shores was 13,715, in a land area of 171.05 square kilometres (66.04 sq mi). [2]
The primary employment categories are agriculture, small business, tourism and employment at the Bruce Power nuclear power station. The population doubles in the summer due to cottagers and campers who arrive in the area. [3] Close to MacGregor Point Provincial Park, the town has several beaches on Lake Huron.
The name "Saugeen" is the corrupted form of the word Zaagiing in the language of the Chippewas of Saugeen Ojibway Territory, meaning "at the river's outlet" or "at the mouth of the river". [4]
The area that is now Port Elgin was settled by Europeans in 1849, when Lachlan McLean ("Loch Buie") built a shanty and lived in it for the winter. For several years he ran a tavern, his patrons consisting primarily of settlers and sailors passing through the little port. In spring 1852 George Butchart built a dam and saw-mill on Mill Creek. [5]
According to an Ontario historic plaque, Butchart sold the mill to Benjamin Shantz who built a grist-mill, and within three years a community of 250 people had developed around these mills. Stores, hotels and tanneries were constructed and in March 1857, a village plot named Port Elgin was laid out. The enterprise of its businessmen, notably Henry Hilker, Samuel Bricker and John Stafford, contributed to the development of the settlement, which had a population of over 600 by 1867. The arrival of the Wellington, Grey and Bruce Railway in 1872 further stimulated the growth of the community and it was incorporated as a village in 1874 with a population of about 950." [6] By 1854, the community had three houses, a tavern, and mill. Shops, churches, schools, and roads followed, and ten years later the population totalled six hundred and thirty. Early industries included a steam sawmill, foundry, and woolen mill. In 1873, the railway arrived, allowing Southampton and Port Elgin products to travel out into the world.
Southampton was founded by Captains John Spence and William Kennedy in 1848.
Commercial fishing and coastal trade drove the economy, with the Saugeen River and Lake Huron making for ideal transportation before roads had been built. [7] Its name was changed from Saugeen in 1858. The Chantry Island Lightstation Tower (off Southampton) was completed in April 1859, guiding sailors clear of the underwater boulders that make navigation dangerous. Southampton was incorporated as a town in 1904; at the time, its population was 2,400. The economic base included furniture factories, a tannery and a sawmill. The town built a hospital in 1947, a post office in 1952, a library in 1956, an arena in 1961 (replaced in 1977) and a new firehall in 1974. [8]
On January 30, 1998, the provincial government amalgamated the Towns of Southampton and Port Elgin, together with Saugeen Township, to form the Town of Port Elgin-Saugeen-Southampton. On December 17, 1998, the Province renamed the entity as the Town of Saugeen Shores. [3]
The town's Official Plan (most recently completed in 2014) includes the following comment about the land area: "The Chippewas of the Saugeen First Nation and the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation have filed a Native Land Claim for the islands in the Saugeen River, the lands that border the north side of the Saugeen River and the shoreline from the mouth of the Saugeen River northerly around the Bruce Peninsula." [9] [10]
The community was once home to Bluewater Speedway, a stock car track located across the road from Piper's Glen Golf Club just outside of Port Elgin.
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
1871 | 750 | — |
1901 | 1,313 | +1.88% |
1911 | 1,235 | −0.61% |
1921 | 1,291 | +0.44% |
1931 | 1,305 | +0.11% |
1941 | 1,395 | +0.67% |
1951 | 1,558 | +1.11% |
1961 | 1,632 | +0.47% |
1971 | 2,855 | +5.75% |
1981 | 6,131 | +7.94% |
1991 | 6,857 | +1.13% |
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
2001 | 11,388 | — |
2006 | 11,720 | +0.58% |
2011 | 12,661 | +1.56% |
2016 | 13,715 | +1.61% |
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Saugeen Shores had a population of 15,908 living in 6,905 of its 8,548 total private dwellings, a change of 16% from its 2016 population of 13,715. With a land area of 170.19 km2 (65.71 sq mi), it had a population density of 93.5/km2 (242.1/sq mi) in 2021. [11]
2021 | 2016 | 2011 | |
---|---|---|---|
Population | 15,908 (+16.0% from 2016) | 13,715 (8.3% from 2011) | 12,661 (8.0% from 2006) |
Land area | 170.19 km2 (65.71 sq mi) | 171.05 km2 (66.04 sq mi) | 170.97 km2 (66.01 sq mi) |
Population density | 93.5/km2 (242/sq mi) | 80.2/km2 (208/sq mi) | 74.1/km2 (192/sq mi) |
Median age | 46.8 (M: 44, F: 49.2) | 49.5 (M: 47.8, F: 51.0) | 49.1 (M: 48.3, F: 49.8) |
Private dwellings | 8,548 (total) 6,905 (occupied) | 7,655 (total) | 7,228 (total) |
Median household income | $103,000 | $87,916 |
Group | 2021 Census | 2016 Census | 2011 Census | 2006 Census | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Population | % of total | Population | % of Total | Population | % of Total | Population | % of Total | ||
Indigenous | First Nations | 415 | 2.7 | 245 | 1.8 | No data | 310 | 2.7 | |
Métis | 260 | 1.7 | 180 | 1.4 | |||||
Visible Minority | 1,190 | 7.6 | 620 | 4.6 | 425 | 3.7 | |||
All other | 13,780 | 88.0 | 12,380 | 92.2 | 10,820 | 93.6 | |||
Total | 15,645 | 100.0 | 13,425 | 100.0 | 11,555 | 100.0 |
Group | 2021 Census | 2016 Census | 2011 Census | 2006 Census | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Population | % of total | Population | % of Total | Population | % of Total | Population | % of Total | |
English | 14,140 | 89.3 | 12,410 | 91.7 | 11,450 | 92.0 | 10,600 | 91.7 |
French | 240 | 1.5 | 215 | 1.6 | 190 | 1.5 | 185 | 1.6 |
English and French | 80 | 0.5 | 30 | 0.2 | 15 | 0.1 | 15 | 0.1 |
All other | 1,370 | 8.7 | 885 | 6.5 | 800 | 6.4 | 755 | 6.6 |
Total | 15,830 | 100.0 | 13,540 | 100.0 | 12,455 | 100.0 | 11,555 | 100.0 |
Group | 2021 Census | 2016 Census | 2011 Census | 2006 Census | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Population | % of total | Population | % of Total | Population | % of Total | Population | % of Total | |
At the same address | 8,865 | 60.0 | 8,240 | 64.9 | No data | 7,350 | 66.0 | |
In the same municipality | 1,990 | 13.5 | 2,040 | 16.0 | 1,575 | 14.1 | ||
In the same province | 3,420 | 23.1 | 2,195 | 17.3 | 1,900 | 17.1 | ||
From another province | 280 | 1.9 | 85 | 0.7 | 185 | 1.7 | ||
From another country | 230 | 1.5 | 135 | 1.1 | 125 | 1.1 | ||
Total aged 5 or over | 14,785 | 100.0 | 12,700 | 100.0 | 11,140 | 100.0 |
Saugeen Shores Council includes a mayor, a deputy mayor, a vice deputy mayor and six councillors. The following were elected in 2018:
Position | Name | |
---|---|---|
Mayor | Luke Charbonneau (acclaimed) | |
Deputy Mayor | Don Matheson | |
Vice Deputy Mayor | Mike Myatt | |
Councillors | Port Elgin Ward |
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Saugeen Ward |
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Southampton Ward |
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The major economic activities in this region are agriculture, small business, electricity generation and tourism. The town of Saugeen Shores has recently experienced a boom in development, with the addition of stores such as Walmart and Shopper's Drugmart, an "Independent Grocer", plus expansions of Canadian Tire, two Rexall Pharmaplus stores, one in Port Elgin, the other in Southampton.
The Town's Official Plan (2014) recognizes the value of a broad objective. "Saugeen Shores will continue to be a leader in Bruce County in providing a place for individuals, families, retirees, culture, tourism, business and industrial opportunities." [9]
A new Saugeen Shores' new Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) was formed in 2017 including council members from Port Elgin and Southampton, as well as citizens. The town offered this comment about the plans for the group: "The Committee's set of responsibilities has yet to be finalized but among them will be to... make recommendations respecting implementation of the Community Improvement Plans (CIP), Streetscape plans and Facade Improvement Studies in both Port Elgin and Southampton including capital improvements.... One of its most important roles will be to advise Council on the development of policy and programs related to economic vitality with a view to enhancing prosperity through coordinated public investment fostering private development and retention of existing jobs". [22]
A major employer of the workforce living in Saugeen Shores, the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station in Tiverton, Ontario, started a $13 billion refurbishment program in 2016 which will provide employment for many residents and maintain demand for other services. [23] According to Bruce Power, this multi-year plan "will generate between 1,500 and 2,500 jobs on site annually – and 18,000 across Ontario directly and indirectly – while injecting up to $4 billion annually into Ontario’s economy". [24]
Agriculture is the longest standing economic practice in the region. Intensive livestock operations include beef and dairy, cattle and hogs. Over a third of Ontario's beef industry is based in Bruce County. Two-thirds of the land within Saugeen Shores is excellent for cash crops. Fresh produce grown locally is sold locally too.
Beef and dairy farming are the primary agricultural activities with orchards, berries, and some large market gardens also in operation.
Southampton resembles a quaint village with a variety of retail stores, boutiques, restaurants, gift shops, and automotive garages. Port Elgin's main street features varied retail uses plus gift shops, restaurants, grocery stores, boutiques, and novelty shops.
The Port Elgin Business Park has land for industrial and commercial uses. Businesses already located here are in the transportation, fuel, technology, recreation and automotive sectors. The Municipal Offices, Community Complex, Police Department and Bruce County Library Headquarters are also here.
Saugeen Shores and Ontario's energy sector have a long-standing relationship via the region's largest employer. Bruce Power, the licensed operator of the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station, forms the core of the municipality's economic base by providing highly skilled, well paid jobs. More than a third of its 3,500 employees reside in Saugeen Shores.
The long sandy beach attracts visitors who are primarily families; many rent or own cottages in the area. (Young singles tend to prefer Sauble Beach some 18 kilometers north of Southampton.) [25] The entire Saugeen Shores beach of the Lake Huron shore faces west so it is famous for its beautiful fabulous sunsets on the water. Cottage Life magazine rated the area highly in its article "10 Spectacular Places to Watch a Sunset in Ontario": "With clear skies, a dry atmosphere, and an unobstructed view of the skyline, many of the west-facing towns along the shores of Lake Huron have the perfect conditions for a breathtaking sunset." [26]
The area also features Port Elgin's busy harbour, Southampton's serene Chantry Island, to the Saugeen river winding its way through the countryside of Saugeen Township. Summer residents are a longstanding feature of Saugeen Shores. In addition to cottages, the communities are also home to a number of trailer parks, hotels and two municipal tourist camps. The local population more than doubles during the summer, substantially benefitting local businesses. Highlights include the Chantry Island Imperial Lighthouse tours; the Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre; walking, running, and cycling trails.
The Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre provides displays about local history and in summer especially, offers adult and children's programming and special events. These are listed in the Shoreline Beacon community newspaper. The museum has been enlarged over the years. In addition to a settlers' cabin, the facility houses numerous historic artifacts from the area, genealogical records, county newspapers, photographs, and municipal documents. [27]
The Chantry Island lighthouse in Southampton, now completely renovated, was completed in 1859, first lit on April 1, with Duncan McGregor Lambert as the first keeper. [28] The tower and the keeper's home have been extensively renovated. From late-May to mid-September, tours of Chantry Island are available from only one company, reaching the island on a small boat that leaves from the ticket office by the fishing boat docks. The tower and the keeper's home have been extensively renovated but the island is a federal bird sanctuary [29] and access is otherwise prohibited. [30]
Three other lighthouses have been designated under the federal Heritage Lighthouse Protection Act in 2012: McNab Point and both the Front and Rear Range lights at the Saugeen River Front. [31]
The TripAdvisor travel web site's users who have visited Port Elgin recommend the nearby MacGregor Point Provincial Park, the Saugeen Rail Trail walking/cycling route, the Brucedale Conservation Area with small camp sites, and the several nearby golf courses. [32]
The three top-rated attractions in Southampton according to TripAdvisor user reviews are the Southampton Board Walk (along the lakefront), the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre and the Southampton Art School and Gallery. The fourth on the list is the tour of Chantry Island Lighthouse. The site also recommends the canoeing and kayaking opportunities offered by Thorncrest Outfitters on the Saugeen River, the walking trail around Fairy Lake (downtown) and the various golf courses in the area. [33]
After the railways ceased to service the area, the tracks were removed and the beds were vacant and overgrown. According to the Saugeen RailTrail Association, the group of volunteers was formed in 1990 and convinced Port Elgin, Southampton and Saugeen Township to acquire sections of the then unused rail bed. Over the years, the bed has been developed as trails for walking and cycling. The trail connects Southampton and Port Elgin. The trail also connects to the 80 kilometre long Bruce County Trail Network which leads to towns such as Paisley, Walkerton, Mildmay and Kincardine. [34] [35]
The trailhead can be accessed at River Street in Port Elgin, a few blocks north of the town centre and east of Hwy 21. There are other access points in both towns, some with parking. The trail is not groomed for cross country skiing during the winter but is used frequently for that purpose. Maps of the trails are available on the web site of the Saugeen Railtrail Association. [36]
Education is administered by the Bluewater District School Board. Schools in Saugeen Shores include École Port Elgin Saugeen Central School, Saugeen District Senior School, Northport Elementary School, St. Joseph School, and G.C. Huston. As well as other private education facilities, such as the Port Elgin Montessori School and The Learning Academy.
The town's hospital is in Southampton, Saugeen Memorial. Many physicians' practices are at the Saugeen Shores Medical Building and the Dr Earl Health Centre. The hospital is part of the Grey Bruce Health Services' network of hospitals in northern Bruce and in Grey County. Facilities include 16 beds, a 24-hour emergency department, surgery, acute medical care and outpatient services. [37] According to the local Health Care Services, other facilities include:
The hospital also houses other community health providers. Day surgery services are offered and include ear, nose and throat surgery. [37]
Saugeen Shores has two retirement and assisted living facilities, and one nursing home. Long Term Care programs are also available to provide in home support allowing elderly residents to live at home as long as possible.
The Town of Saugeen Shores includes senior service groups and clubs as well as aid providers and senior homes that offer full services. Relevant providers include Home and Community Support Services Grey Bruce, two assisted living residences, the Hampton Court Retirement Lodge (Southampton) and Kingsway Arms at Elgin Lodge (Port Elgin) and Southampton Care Centre long-term care home. Social and other services for seniors are available at PARC 55+ (Port Elgin) and Chantry Senior Centre (Southampton). [38]
As well, the Saugeen Shores Chamber of Commerce webpage offers a full listing of seniors' leisure groups and clubs.
Nineteen churches across a large area, representing most major denominations, serve the municipality's spiritual needs.
Saugeen Shores has one mosque at the Maple Square Mall in Port Elgin.
Historically significant people with connections to what is now Saugeen Shores include the following: [41]
Tobermory is a small community located at the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula, in the traditional territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation. Until European colonization in the mid-19th century, the Bruce Peninsula was home to the Saugeen Ojibway nations, with their earliest ancestors reaching the area as early as 7,500 years ago. It is part of the municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula. It is 300 kilometres northwest of Toronto. The closest city to Tobermory is Owen Sound, 100 kilometres south of Tobermory and connected by Highway 6.
West Grey is a township in the northern area of Southwestern Ontario, Canada, in Grey County spanning across the River Styx, the Rocky Saugeen River, the Beatty Saugeen River, and the South Saugeen River.
South Bruce Peninsula is a town at the base of the Bruce Peninsula of Ontario, Canada, in Bruce County between Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. It was formed on January 1, 1999, when the town of Wiarton, the village of Hepworth, and the townships of Albemarle and Amabel were amalgamated. The new municipality was created to provide necessary political representation, administrative support, and necessary municipal services on behalf of the residents.
The Saugeen River is located in southern Ontario, Canada. The river begins in the Osprey Wetland Conservation Lands and flows generally north-west about 160 kilometres (99 mi) before exiting into Lake Huron. The river is navigable for some distance, and was once an important barge route. Today the river is best known for its fishing and as a canoe route.
Bruce County is a county in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. It has eight lower-tier municipalities with a total 2016 population of 66,491. It is named for James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and 12th Earl of Kincardine, the sixth Governor General of the Province of Canada. The Bruce name is also linked to the Bruce Trail and the Bruce Peninsula.
The Bruce Peninsula is a peninsula in Ontario, Canada, that divides Georgian Bay of Lake Huron from the lake's main basin. The peninsula extends roughly northwestwards from the rest of Southwestern Ontario, pointing towards Manitoulin Island, with which it forms the widest strait joining Georgian Bay to the rest of Lake Huron. The Bruce Peninsula contains part of the geological formation known as the Niagara Escarpment. The entire peninsula and nearby communities to the south along Lake Huron are located within Bruce County, Ontario.
Sauble Beach is a beach community and unincorporated area in the town of South Bruce Peninsula, Bruce County, in the northern area of southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is on the Bruce Peninsula, along the eastern shore of Lake Huron, on the north edge of the Saugeen First Nation. The beach takes its name from that given by early French explorers to the sandy Sauble River, originally "La Rivière Au Sable" also indicating that the river emptied into Lake Huron at a sandy beach. The river was labelled with the French name on maps until 1881, when it became the Sauble River; in early years, a sawmill was built on the river, and later, a hydro electric plant.
Southampton is a community on the shores of Lake Huron in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. It is close to Port Elgin and is located at the mouth of the Saugeen River in the Saugeen Ojibway Nation Territory. The size of the town is 6.44 square kilometres. The permanent population in 2016 was 3,678, but the summer population is higher since cottagers and campers spend vacation time in the area.
Bruce North was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada. It was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1867 to 1935 and was created by the British North America Act of 1867, which divided the county of Bruce into two ridings: Bruce North and Bruce South.
Saugeen First Nation is an Ojibway First Nation band located along the Saugeen River and Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, Canada. The band states that their legal name is the "Chippewas of Saugeen". Organized in the mid-1970s, Saugeen First Nation is the primary "political successor apparent" to the Chippewas of Saugeen Ojibway Territory; the other First Nation that is a part of Chippewas of Saugeen Ojibway Territory is Cape Croker. The Ojibway are of the Algonquian languages family. The First Nation consist of four reserves: Chief's Point 28, Saugeen 29, Saugeen Hunting Grounds 60A, and Saugeen and Cape Croker Fishing Islands 1.
Port Elgin is a community in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. Its location is in the traditional territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation. Originally named Normanton the town was renamed Port Elgin when it was incorporated in 1874, after James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin, a former Governor General of the Province of Canada.
Rideau Lakes is a township located within Leeds and Grenville United Counties in Eastern Ontario, Canada. The township was incorporated on 1 January 1998 by amalgamating the former townships of North Crosby, South Crosby, Bastard, South Burgess and South Elmsley with the village of Newboro.
Chantry Island is a small island in Lake Huron, south of the mouth of the Saugeen River and approximately a kilometre off the shores of the town of Southampton, Ontario. It is approximately 19 hectares in size and is a migratory bird sanctuary. Since the sanctuary territory extends 183 metres into the water surrounding the island, the total official area is listed as 63 hectares.
Point Clark Lighthouse is located on in a beach community, Point Clark, Ontario, near a point that protrudes into Lake Huron. Built between 1855 and 1859 under the instructions of the Board of Works, Canada West, it is one of the few on the Great Lakes to be made primarily from stone. It is one of the Imperial Towers, a group of six nearly identical towers built by contractor John Brown for the "Province of Canada" on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, all completed by 1859. The location for the Point Clark lighthouse was selected to warn sailors of the shoals (sandbars) 2 miles (3.2 km) off the Lake Huron coast. It is still functioning as an automated light. A restoration that eventually exceeded $2.3 million started in 2011 and the facility reopened for tourism in June 2015.
The Lakeshore Winterhawks were a senior hockey team based out of Southampton, Ontario, Canada. They played in the Western Ontario Athletic Association Senior Hockey League and the Northern Senior A Hockey League. From 1967 until the mid-1980s, the team was known as the Port Elgin Sunocos from Port Elgin, Ontario and spent some of their time in the Major Intermediate A Hockey League and in for contention for the Hardy Cup.
Kincardine is a community and former town, located in the municipality of Kincardine on the shores of Lake Huron in Bruce County in the province of Ontario, Canada. The namesake town is located at the mouth of the Penetangore River, and was founded in 1848 by the name of Penetangore. The current municipality was created in 1999 by the amalgamation of the Town of Kincardine, the Township of Kincardine, and the Township of Bruce. The former town is Ward 1 within the current municipal boundaries.
The Saugeen Shores Police Service is a municipal police service in Ontario, Canada, providing service for Port Elgin, Southampton and Saugeen Township.
The Chantry Island Lighthouse, officially known as Chantry Island Lightstation Tower, is a lightstation on Chantry Island, off the coast of Southampton, Ontario in Lake Huron. It was constructed in the years 1855 through to 1859, by John Brown of Thorold, Ontario, under the authority of the Province of Canada and is recognized as one of the six Imperial Towers. Virtually identical, they were completed in 1858-1859 on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay and are among the few lighthouses on the Great Lakes made of cut limestone and granite.
The Wellington, Grey and Bruce Railway (WG&BR) was a railway in Ontario, Canada. It ran roughly northwest from Guelph to the port town of Southampton on Lake Huron, a distance of 101 miles (163 km). It also had a 66-mile (106 km) branch line splitting off at Palmerston and running roughly westward to Kincardine, another port town. A branch running south from Southampton was built during the construction of the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station in the 1970s.
A comprehensive history of the county and its municipalities from the early beginnings to 1906.
promotes the depth and diversity of our heritage; offers many activities that encourage meaningful reflection on the past in order to better understand the present and thus plan for the future; promotes the value of its collection and archives as a prime resource for research at all levels of learning
Robert Mills cared for the tower's temporary light for a season before Duncan McGregor Lambert, who had many years of maritime experience, took charge of the light in 1858. In 1854, Lambert was first mate aboard the steamer Bruce Mines, when it sank near Stokes Bay, and was largely responsible for ushering the crew into two small boats and safely seeing them to Owen Sound, a voyage of over a hundred miles.
It is the largest Federal Migratory Bird Sanctuary between James Bay and Point Pelee. There are approximately fifty thousand birds (including chicks) on the island during the breeding season.
Throughout his northern career, he placed primary importance on the organization and management of the trading posts he commanded, and although he accepted the exploration assignments with few complaints, he preferred the life of a fur trader.