Coureurs de Bois

Facility: Albion Hills Field Centre
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Program Levels:
ESL, Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8, Grades 9-12
Course Types:
Day Visit, Overnight

This program introduces participants to the lifestyle of the coureurs de bois (“Runners of the Woods”): the early French settlers who traded with Indigenous Peoples for furs.

After a brief introduction to their history and a discussion of the importance of the beaver pelt, learners participate in an orienteering and bartering activity that simulates a season as a coureur de bois. Learners’ abilities to use their maps and make good trades will determine their success.

Preparation:
Appropriate outdoor clothing and footwear

Availability:
Year-round

Curriculum Connections:

  • Geography: The Themes of Geographic Inquiry
  • Health and Physical Education: Active Participation
  • History: First Nation Peoples and European Explorers; New France
  • Language
  • Social Studies