Moosonee

At the mouth of the Moose River, the waters of the interior reach the south-western corner of James Bay. This is the homeland of the Moose Cree, whose journeys followed the rivers between forest and coast. In 1673 the Hudson's Bay Company established Moose Fort here, depending on Cree knowledge, hospitality and trade to sustain its post.

French forces captured the fort in 1686 during the struggle for the bay's fur trade. Although the region was ceded to Britain by the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, the company did not re-establish the post until 1730. Cree traders had sought its return, since the journey to other posts could be dangerous. After the rival fur companies joined in 1821, Moose Factory became a supply centre for inland posts as far as the Ottawa River watershed.