Anthony Henday

Henday was from the Isle of Wight, England. He may have been baptised in Shorwell on 24 December 1725.[5]

A convicted smuggler,[6] Henday joined the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) in 1750 as a net-maker and labourer.

From the 1600s to the late 1800s the HBC had the exclusive fur trade for the land within what was considered Hudson Bay's watershed. This region was known as Rupert's Land. For the furs that HBC was after they wanted to trade commodities such as tobacco, kettles, axes, mirrors, beads, and alcohol.

The HBC was concerned that La Vérendrye and other French entrepreneurs were funnelling the fur trade from the western Canada away from the English at Hudsons Bay, Eventually, James Isham, chief at York Fort, suggested someone go to western Rupert's Land to encourage First Nations people to trade at Hudsons Bay.[7] The HBC authorized and funded Henday to lead explorations into the interior of Rupert's Land, using York Factory as his base.

On June 26, 1754, he set out with several Cree First Nations companions on foot to travel from York Factory into the interior westward, today's Alberta. His route is not clear - it is variously thought he travelled to present-day Red Deer,[8] or Balermo[9] or Innisfail [10] or Stettler [11][12] or Eckville[13] or the Calgary area - all or only some of those places.[14]

It is documented Henday's group passed the French Fort Paskoya "Pasqua"/"Basquia" or "Paskoway Yay," today's The Pas, on July 15, 1754, as recorded in his Journal. There he may have met La Corne, the western commander.[15]

Anthony Henday's route in green.

In 1754 he and his group came to what is now Alberta with a mission to meet the Blackfoot and perhaps trade with them. They would travel some 1800 miles by canoe and some 900 by foot.[16]

On September 10, 1754, Henday and his party camped approximately eighteen miles (29 kilometres) north-east of where Chauvin is located today, quite possibly at Sherlock Lake. The following day, Wednesday, September 11, 1754, he crossed over from Saskatchewan into present-day Alberta. However, he did not until Friday, On October 11, 1754, he arrived at Waskesew River, perhaps the Red Deer River. Waskesew is a mistranslation of the Cree word for elk. The Cree in the Red Deer area call the nearby river Waskesew Ceepee. Instead of Red Deer the city might well be called Elk River.[17]

Henday may not have been aware that the Blackfoot and the Cree were enemies. There is some indication in Henday's journal entries that the Cree were becoming wary of the tribes rhey and Henday were encountering. While the group was travelling in what Henday refers to as the "Muscuty plains," they came across a man named "Attickasish" with two "Archithinue"(Blackfeet)". He said these people had never been in contact with any Europeans and his Cree travelling companions were afraid of them. Then on Monday, October 14, "Archithinue" on horseback approached and asked if they were friend or foe. That evening Henday and his guide met and smoked with the Leader of the "Archithinue." Henday offered to have some of the Archithinues go with them back to York Factory. The Archithinue leader did not assent and explained that his people could not paddle and that York Factory was too far away. The leader of the Archithinue, probably, knew that his people would be travelling uninvited in Cree territory and would risk being killed by the Cree and other enemies.[18] After receiving an indefinite answer from the Blackfoot (which Henday took as a "no"), Henday returned to York Factory with news he had explored the area and met with the Blackfoot. Since the answer had been unsure, there were no more expeditions to what would eventually be Alberta until Peter Fidler in 1792.

In spring 1755 he set off to return to York Factory by going north to the North Saskatchewqn River from which to prceed downriver and eastward. He celebrated St. George's Day (April 23) at the junction of Red Deer River and Trail Creek possibly, before arriving at the river. He set off downriver on April 27. The place of embarkation is unknown - it may or may not have been upriver of present-day Edmonton. He arrived at Fort Paskoya "Pasqua" or "Paskoway Yay" on May 26 and York Fort on June 23.[19][20]

As Henday travelled inland to the Blackfoot country and back to York Factory, he talked about the First Nations Peoples having some problems with alcohol. He mentions on one day that his whole company was unable to travel because everyone was drinking. On Friday, 30 May 1755 Henday remarks in his journal that he is unable to continue their travels back to York Factory because "the [First Nations Peoples] drank too much" but they were using their best furs to trade with the French for the alcohol.[21][22]

This trip, and later ones, took Henday across much of the prairies of what is now Saskatchewan and Alberta.

There is great uncertainty of his route - his original journal of his trip and any notes in his own hand cannot be found today. His journal was copied in four different and contradictory versions[23] His trip as presented in the journals cannot always be put in a modern context, due to there being no landmarks he identified that are still extent today.

He does record sighting what is thought to be the Rockies, which the Natives he met called "Arsinie Watchie." "Had a fine view of Arsinie Watchie att a farr distance, it being the last sight that I ever shall have of it this year." (Henday's Journal, 1754, Dec. 24, 1754). But the Native term could have been referring to a series of high hills, not in fact to mountains.[24]

But it is evident that he brought much trade to York Factory. Records show some of the trade also went to the French at Fort Saint-Louis (Fort de la Corne) and Fort Paskoya which were on the route to Hudson Bay but closer to the source of the furs.

Henday left the service of the HBC in 1762 largely because his efforts for the company, at least in his estimation, had not been properly recognized.

Anthony Henday Drive, a large ring road in Edmonton, is named in his honour, as is Henday Hall, one of the residence towers in the main student residence complex at the University of Alberta in that city.

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