Forwarding Trade

The raging rapids of the St. Lawrence River were a formidable barrier for the early navigators and for the settlers coming to the new land from Britain. The rough waters presented the most difficult part of their long journey to Upper Canada. Settlers and their belongings, and all other goods brought by sailing vessels from overseas, were unloaded at Montreal and transferred to the bateaux, the only "freighters" of the day that could pass up the rapids. The trip to Prescott by groups of bateaux traveling together took about 12 days.

The operators of several forwarding companies were the entrepreneurs of their day and contracted to send the travelers and cargo to their destinations at Brockville, Kingston, York (now Toronto) and other ports on the lakes. The cargo was shifted to schooners and, after 1820, to steamboats to carry it to its destination further upriver and into the Great Lakes.   When the boats stopped in Prescott, many people decided to stay rather than continue their journey.  Business grew quickly as immigrants poured into Upper Canada, and the forwarding companies flourished. However, it was a real blow to this trade when a canal was opened at the foot of steamboat navigation in 1842 at Cornwall.

Click here for information on the Forwarders' Museum