PLEASE NOTE:
From the beginning of September each year until the beginning of May the following year, the historic buildings are closed. The grounds are accessible free of charge to all visitors.
During the months of May and June, the historic grounds are fully open and staffed from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday. Visitors to the site will be required to pay the entrance admission at the Visitor Reception Centre. You will be required to pay this fee to access the geocache. On Saturdays and Sundays, the historic buildings are closed. The grounds are accessible free of charge to all visitors.
From July 1st through Labour Day each year, the historic grounds are fully open and staffed from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm, seven days a week. Visitors to the site will be required to pay the entrance admission at the Visitor Reception Centre. You will be required to pay this fee to access the geocache.
Start by going to N 50° 06.583 W 096° 56.117 (the posted coordinates), where you’ll discover Lower Fort Garry’s raison d’être. Read on to learn about the various uses of the Stone Fort through its colourful history! Many groups of people lived here, contributing to the bustling business run by the Hudson’s Bay Company. In particular, the Aboriginal people shared their knowledge and the land with the settlers. Here at Lower Fort Garry, Aboriginal leaders signed an agreement with Canadian Crown representatives to share the land known as Rupert’s Land.
In what year was this agreement, the first of several, signed here at Lower Fort Garry?
___ ___ ___ ___
a b c d
In what year did Lower Fort Garry open as a Motor Country Club, operated for almost 50 years?
___ ___ ___ ___
e f g h
Now you have the tools you need to find your next location! Using the numbers in the years above, you can fill in the missing numbers to your second clue.
N 5 0 ° 0 6 . 5 __ __ W 0 9 6 ° 5 5 . __ __ __
b d f c h
The node where you now stand describes many of the fascinating uses of this location in the past, though unfortunately, only subtle clues as to its existence remain. Read on to learn about the lower fort’s powerful industrial complex.
When was the Hudson’s Bay Company industrial complex in operation here?
___ ___ ___ ___ - ___ ___
i j k l m n
On the map’s legend, what number is given to the York Boat Yard?
_____
p
Now you have discovered a bit of the history here. You now have the tools to move on! Using the numbers you’ve just gathered, you can find your next coordinate set!
N 5 0 ° 0 6 . __ 0 __ W 0 9 6 ° 5 __ . __ __ __
m p l j n i
Ah! What a nice view you now have, both ahead and behind you. This would have been the first view of our magnificent post for many a weary traveller! Look around very close by and you will see a majestic stone structure which surrounds our beloved fort. They showcase just why Lower Fort Garry is a fur-trading post like no other. Unique among other forts, Lower Fort Garry is well-known for its stone construction. You are standing near the best collection of original stone fur-trade forts in North America! Look carefully at the gateposts. You’ll notice that there are original etchings in the stone here, relics of a military regiment that was stationed at Lower Fort Garry. Take a moment to examine the 1840’s graffiti on the gateposts, the names and designations of soldiers of the 6th Regiment of Foot, stationed here at Lower Fort Garry.
On one of the bricks, E. GRIFFITH signed his name. Counting from the top and counting ALL the bricks, which brick did he sign?
____
q
Under his name, Griffith etched the date of his signature. Which day in April (APL) did he sign?
___ ___ th
r s
Excellent! Once you’ve had the chance to explore the etchings, you are ready to get back to the GPS and head to your next coordinate set!
N 5 0 ° 0 6 . 7 6 __ W 0 9 6 ° 5 __ . __ __ 9
r s q s
In this remote outpost of the Fort, you can learn about the farming operation that was managed by the Hudson’s Bay Company here in the late 19th century. This allowed the company to harvest grains and foods for all its posts, shipping out tonnes of goods every spring to feed northern posts.
In what year was the farming operation established at Lower Fort Garry?
___ ___ ___ ___
t u v w
Approximately how many acres north and west of the Fort were designated as Company farmland?
Over ___ ___ ___ acres
x y z
Once you’ve admired the scope of the Company farm, you are ready to head to your final coordinate set!
N 5 0 ° __ 6 . __ 3 __ W 0 9 6 ° __ __ . __ __ 9
y w x v v u t
Well, this does seem to be a lone sentinel of Lower Fort Garry. Almost seems like you wouldn’t want to be out here! This is just one of the many buildings of the fort, used for a variety of purposes. This one was used to store gunpowder, a highly explosive product! Now is your chance to hunt for the geocache you’re looking for! Search high and low, in and out, left and right! Good luck and thank you for visiting Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site of Canada!
This cache is available May to August with slightly different clues that take advantage of the Parks Canada staff here. Therefore, many people (cachers and other tourists) found this cache before publication! Thanks and congratulations go out to GG56 and TurdleEggs for finding the cache first after publication!