biography
| name: |
Vérendrye, Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de la (Lord of the)
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pronunciation:
[vayrãdree]
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1685–1749)
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| biography:
| Explorer, who opened up much of the Canadian West, born in Three Rivers, Quebec, SE Canada. He served with the French army and, after being wounded at Malplaquet, returned to Canada to become a trader, making his base at Nipigon on L Superior. Fired by Indian tales, he and his three sons travelled over much of unexplored Canada, establishing a chain of trading posts (1731–8) and discovered several lakes, including L Winnipeg. On later expeditions he and his remaining two sons (the eldest having been killed by the Sioux) reached upper Missouri, Manitoba, and Dakota. |
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