FORT GARRY

Fort Garry, also known as Upper Fort Garry, was a Hudson's Bay Company trading post at the
confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers in what is now downtown Winnipeg. It was established
in 1822 on or near the site of the North West Company's Fort Gibraltar established by John Wills in
1810 and destroyed by Governor Semple's men in 1816 during the Pemmican War.[1] Fort Garry was
named after Nicholas Garry, deputy governor of the Hudson's Bay Company. It served as the centre
of fur trade within the Red River Colony. In 1826, a severe flood destroyed the fort. It was rebuilt in
1835 by the HBC and named Upper Fort Garry to differentiate it from "the Lower Fort," or Lower Fort
Garry, 32 km downriver, which was established in 1831.[2] Throughout the mid-to-late 19th century,
Upper Fort Garry played a minor role in the actual trading of furs, but was central to the
administration of the HBC and the surrounding settlement. The Council of Assiniboia, the
administrative and judicial body of the Red River Colony mainly run by Hudson's Bay Company
officials, met at Upper Fort Garry.
In 1869, the Hudson's Bay Company agreed to surrender its monopoly in the North-West, including
Upper Fort Garry. In late 1869 and early 1870, the fort was seized by Louis Riel and
his Métis followers during the Red River Rebellion. After the Rebellion, the area around the fort
continued to grow. In 1873, the city of Winnipeg was established and the name Fort Garry was no
longer used. In 1881-1884 the majority of the fort was demolished to straighten Main Street (it was at
Main Street and Assiniboine Avenue[3]).
Although only the main gate of the fort remains today, the name "Fort Garry" lives on through
various institutions and businesses. An area or division of Winnipeg running along the Red River
south of the original fort is called Fort Garry. The hotel beside the fort is called the Fort Garry Hotel,
which was originally constructed for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway company. The two streets on
either side of the hotel are Fort Street and Garry Street. Many companies have adopted the name,
such as Fort Garry Industries and the Fort Garry Brewing Company. The Fort Garry Horse has been
a component of the Winnipeg military garrison throughout the 20th and into the 21st centuries.