York Factory

Located at the confluence of the Hayes River and Hudson Bay, York Factory served as a vital trading center and fort for the Hudson Bay Company from 1684 to 1957. It was one of the first trading posts established by the Hudson Bay Company, and served as their headquarters for Northern trade during the 1800s. York Factory was also the main point for European immigration into Canada in the 1800s, and even had hundreds of inhabitants during the peak of the fur trade. It is now a National Historic Site of Canada, and features a fenced-in campground for visitors to help prevent unwanted polar bear interactions. The York Factory First Nation Ininéwak people have lived in Manitoba for thousands of years; they inhabited the area York Factory is located on until 1956, when they were forced to relocate further inland to York Landing due to the Hudson Bay Company’s closure of York Factory.