Osnaburgh House

by Michael Del Vecchio and Professor Peter Krats

Seemingly minor issues and events occurring in remote places are seldom studied in Canadian history. This is unfortunate. The history of Osnaburgh House represents a microcosm of some of the important themes in Canada’s past. In order to appreciate the evolution of Canada’s story more fully it becomes necessary to develop an understanding of how, what might be viewed as trivial players in far away and isolated locations have contributed to Canada’s story. An in-depth analysis of places such as Osnaburgh House, which are, for the most part,  unknown to even the educated historian, reveals vibrant histories that illustrate the greater  Canadian picture. For almost half a century, an intense competition existed between the  Hudson’s Bay Company and fur traders from Montreal. Osnaburgh House was created in the context of this rivalry and was a decisive factor in the HBC’s strategy to defeat the Northwest Company.

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