River Valley. The river valley is in The Souris River some places a mile wide. The river and its valley abound in resources that both animals and hu- mans have taken full advantage of. It offers a reliable source of fresh wa- ter, shelter, game, wood and wild The Souris River: a whole chapter up with the Red River, whose waters fruit. The river was witness to the could very easily be written on the eventually empty into Hudson Bay. activities of the large-game hunting subject. The river’s valley is scattered The Souris River is just under societies of the Clovis and Folsom with evidence of geological events 700km long and drains people who closely and human habitation, telling a story an area of 60,400 Evidence of following the receding that crosses boundary lines and goes square kilometres – glaciers. These and back thousands of years. most of the river’s human occupation later peoples left evi- Here in Manitoba we see only flow is a result of snow of the Souris River dence of their travels about a quarter of the Souris River’s melt and spring rains. Valley dates back and habitations in the length. The headwaters of this his- Evidence of human area – tipi rings, fire- toric river begin in the Yellow occupation of the 12,500 years places, medicine Marshes of Saskatchewan, north of Souris River Valley wheels, surface graves Weyburn. It then travels through dates back 12,500 years – any activ- and stone circles are only some of southeastern Saskatchewan and ity that existed before then was the impressions that remain. Not northern North Dakota where it wiped out by the formation of the only do these impressions reflect a makes a giant U-turn (known as the valley itself. At this time the glaciers diversity of cultural affiliations and Souris Loop) before entering Mani- were melting and leaving large bod- time periods, they also occur with toba south of Melita. The Souris ies of meltwater in their wake. The incredible frequency – a density of drops 480 meters in elevation by the Souris River acted as a spillway for several sites per mile in some places. time it empties into the Assiniboine Glacial Lake Souris as it drained to The first European that is given River. The Assiniboine in turn meets the northeast, creating the Souris credit for seeing the Souris River is Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, Sieur de La Verendrye. The ex- plorer was working for French interests, trying to find a water route that would lead him to the western ocean. He established a fur trading fort at present-day Portage la Prairie (Fort la Reine) and travelled from there to Man- dan villages on the Missouri River when he crossed the plains east of the Souris River and almost cer-
The Souris River Water- shed drains 60,400 km of land from Saskatchewan, Manitoba and North Dakota.
Page 10 Vantage Points Volume III A postcard from 1914 showing the Glen Ewen Bridge spanning the Souris River in Saskatchewan.
of the adventures pioneers had crossing the mighty river. It was not an easy task to get horses and a cart full of supplies across the raging tor- rent. Early settlers operated small ferries to help settlers coming after them get across. Well-known cross- ings in southwest Manitoba were at Sourisford, Melita and Lang’s Cross- ing (northwest of Dunrae). For a short time in the early 1900s “Captain” Large operated a steam ship on the Souris River between tainly laid eyes on the river itself. river was also valued as a transpor- Scotia, North Dakota and Napinka On maps of the area drawn by La tation route. Manitoba. Verendrye, the Souris River is la- The fur trade thrived along the In relatively recent years, several belled as La Riviere de l’Ouest or Souris River up until the 1860s. dams have been built in an attempt “The River of the West.” The river Around this time the young Domin- to control the flooding tendencies of was later called Mouse River in the ion of Canada was turning its atten- the Souris River: Boundary, Rafferty United States and Souris tion away from the industry of the and Alemeda dams in Saskatchewan (pronounced soo-REE, French for fur trade and towards and Lake Darling dam “mouse”) by French fur traders in the agenda of settle- It was not an easy in North Dakota. Canada. ment. During 1872, task to get horses However, the Souris European fur traders began visit- 1873 and 1874 the in- River has proven to ing the river in the late 1770s to take ternational boundary and a cart full of defy human attempts advantage of the fur bearing crea- between Canada and supplies across the to control it, as was tures that lived along its banks. The the United States was demonstrated during first fur post established on the river marked and both coun- raging torrent the disastrous flood in was Ash Fort in 1795 by the X.Y. Fur tries began surveying the spring of 2011 Trading Company. This fort was fol- the land, judging its suitability for which flooded many communities lowed by some 18 other known forts agriculture and dividing it into the along the river’s length and took out operated by established fur compa- section-township-range system. many bridges. nies (such as the Hudson’s Bay Com- Settlement boomed in southwest The Souris River is a commanding pany and the Northwest Company) Manitoba in 1882—a year which feature of southwest Manitoba. and many independent traders. The also saw the Souris River flood to Whether flowing mildly between its highly inconvenient levels. This was banks or rising to threaten land and the year in which the railway livelihood, it continues to be a cen- reached Brandon, providing an easy tral feature in the lives of those who route of access for settlers. From live alongside it.
Brandon, families and individuals
found their way along one of many trails towards quarter sections of Sources: International Joint Commission. “Map Fact Sheet: International land they hoped to call their own. Souris River Board.” Retrieved 26 May 2011.
Vantage Points Volume III Page 11