Fort Rouge (fortification)

Fort Rouge was a French fortification located at the forks of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers in what is now Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Constructed in 1738 by explorer and fur trader Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye, it served primarily as a trading post and strategic outpost for the French fur trade in the west. Its primary purpose was to intercept trade with Indigenous peoples heading to English posts further east on Hudson Bay and to solidify French control of the region.

The fort was relatively small and consisted of a wooden palisade enclosing a few basic structures, including a trading post, living quarters, and storage facilities. Its strategic location at the junction of the rivers allowed the French to control river traffic and access to vast fur-rich territories.

Fort Rouge was intermittently occupied and abandoned throughout its history. While La Vérendrye initially intended it to be a permanent establishment, its remote location and challenges in maintaining supplies led to periods of neglect. It was rebuilt and refortified several times.

Over time, the significance of Fort Rouge diminished as other, larger and more strategically important forts were established in the region. These included Fort Maurepas, Fort Dauphin, and Fort Bourbon (later York Factory). The French lost control of the area in 1763 following the Treaty of Paris, ending the Seven Years' War, and the fort was subsequently abandoned.

Today, no visible traces of the original Fort Rouge remain. The site is located within the city of Winnipeg and is marked by historical plaques and markers. While the physical structure is gone, Fort Rouge holds historical significance as one of the earliest European settlements in the region and a key element in the French fur trade network. The area around the former fort site is now a residential neighbourhood bearing the same name, Fort Rouge.