Carlton Trail

The Carlton Trail was an overland Transportation route connecting Fort Garry (Winnipeg, Manitoba) to Fort Carlton, Saskatchewan. The trail was used extensively in the early 19th century when First Nations and Métis began to trade with both the Hudson's Bay and North West Companies. The trail became a vital transportation link for these companies at the height of the Fur Trade in the North-West Territories. The 700 km trail entered Saskatchewan southeast of Melville, meandering northwest near the present-day communities of Wynyard, Lanigan and Humboldt; it crossed the South Saskatchewan River at Batoche before reaching Fort Carlton. A southern section, originating in Humboldt, was established in the mid-19th century to accommodate traders in the Humboldt-Bruno region. It crossed the South Saskatchewan River at Gabriel's Crossing (operated by Gabriel Dumont) to join up again with the original trail west of Batoche. The trail continued west another 980 km from Fort Carlton to Fort Pitt before terminating at Fort Edmonton.

James Winkel