Large folding map of Canada published to show the Hudson's Bay Company's trading posts and extensive transport network in the early 20th century. Existing railways are marked in black, while other routes (i.e. by boat, cart, or sled), together with Hudson's Bay Company Stations, are in red. The approximate route of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, constructed between 1907 and 1914, is marked with a green line. The map shows that while Canada's major population centres were largely served by other railways, particularly the Canadian Pacific Railway, the vast majority of the country was only accessible through the Hudson' Bay Company, generally by river boat or steamship.



Though undated, the inclusion of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway suggests a date of c.1910. We also know that the base map used in the production of this map, compiled by the Canadian geographer James White, was first published in 1904 by the Canadian Department of the Interior. We have been able to locate other example of James White's base map overprinted with other information, for example astronomical stations, geology, and railways, each dated to 1904. We have not, however, been able to identify any other examples of this Hudson's Bay Company map, suggesting that it is likely quite scarce.



Stamps on the back of the map identify the sellers of the map as the "Richardson Stationery & M.F.G. Co., Winnipeg". Interestingly, Richardson Stationery was the first stationers store in the Canadian West, founded in 1878. It is possible that this map was produced by Richardson Stationery as a special commission or as an aid for traders and migrants travelling through Winnipeg on their way to more remote parts of Canada.



Printed colour. SL [CAN3017]