Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye Biography

Pierre Gaultier was a French Canadian military officer, fur trader and explorer. He is credited to have organized the expeditions which opened up the area west of Lake Superior and paved the way for the addition of Western Canada to the original New France in the Saint Lawrence basin in future. His accomplishments however went unnoticed during his lifetime though years later he was ranked as one of the greatest explorers of the Canadian West. He was joined by his sons in his explorations and had built a string of trading posts in the course of their search for an overland route to the “western sea” which for a while helped strengthen French claims in North America. Born as the youngest son in a large family of French settlers in Canada, Pierre Gaultier decided early on in his life to embark on a military career. As a young man he took part in Queen Anne's War and was also present at the Raid on Deerfield. He fought in Flanders during the War of the Spanish Succession and sustained grievous injuries in the war. After recovering he embarked on a career as a fur-trader. He soon yearned for adventure and set out on an expedition to explore the areas near Lake Superior which helped to lay the foundation for further exploration of the region