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his descendants until 1969. Riel's body
lay in state here after he was executed
for treason in December 1885.
EASTERN MANITOBA
Atikaki Provincial Wilderness
Park
Atikaki Provincial Wilderness Park,
along the Ontario border, consists of a
hodgepodge of cliffs, rock formations,
pristine lakes and cascading rivers that
spread over nearly 4,000km
2
. It is ex-
tremely diffi cult to get to, however, re-
quiring a canoe, a seaplane or several
days of hiking to reach its interior; as
a result, it contains the most unspoiled
wilderness in the province's major park-
lands. Among the highlights are a series
of rock murals painted by Aboriginals
and a 20m waterfall well suited for
5
Riel House.
© Parks Canada / Cornellier, A.
River Settlement. The tiny Riel House is
set on a narrow river lot along the Red
River. This building was home to fam-
ous Metis leader Louis Riel and his fam-
ily for several years, and belonged to
LA VÉRENDRYE (1685-1749)
Born in Trois-Rivières, Pierre Gaultier de Varennes entered the
Seminary of Québec in 1696 and was initiated into the life of a soldier.
Upon the death of his brother Louis, like him a second lieutenant in
the Régiment de Bretagne, he took his nickname: La Vérendrye. In
1712, he married Marie-Anne Dandonneau du Sablé, with whom he
would have six children.
A nomadic life had long beckoned, and in 1727 La Vérendrye joined
the fur trading company founded by his brother Jacques-René on
Lake Superior. After two years with the company, he concluded that
exploring Lake Ouinipigon (Lake Winnipeg) and the “great Western
river” (the Missouri River) would ultimately lead to the discovery of
the Western Ocean (the Pacifi c Ocean).
La Vérendrye thus decided to form a company with several Montréal
merchants. Accompanied by three of his sons (Jean-Baptiste, François
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