Historic Places

The fur trade was key to Canada’s economic development and colonization, and you’ll find historic sites throughout northern Manitoba. A warehouse and jail built in the 1850s still stand at Norway House, and the remains of a tram system built to bypass rapids on the Saskatchewan River can be found at Tramway Park in Grand Rapids.

The Pas is home to several historic buildings, including the Canadian National Railway Station. A Manitoba Star Attraction, the one-and-a-half-storey brick station was the largest in Manitoba when it was built in 1928.

North of Gillam, take a boat tour with Nelson River Adventures to explore the ghost town of Port Nelson. Once designated as the end of the line for the Hudson Bay Railway, the port was abandoned in 1918, but a shipwreck and ruins of a railway bridge still attract sightseers. On the way, stop at Button Island, where a plaque recognizes Sir Thomas Button, the first European to explore the Nelson River in 1612.

Near the Hudson Bay coast, there are several National Historic Sites (NHS) related to the fur trade.