Fort Toronto facts for kids

Fort Toronto was a French trading post established near the mouth of the Humber River, in present day Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The French built the fort in 1750 in order to facilitate trade with First Nations in the Pays d'en Haut region of New France. Fort Toronto was the second French trading post established in the Toronto area, with the first, "Magasin Royal" having been built in 1720 by order of the Governor, Marquis Philippe Rigaud de Vaudreuil, near today's Baby Point, about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north of the mouth of the Humber River, then known as the Tanaovate River. The French abandoned Magasin Royal by the end of the 1720s, and did not establish another trading post in the area until the construction of Fort Toronto.

Fort Toronto's success in attracting First Nation traders led to the establishment of nearby Fort Rouillé in the following year. These forts existed mainly to facilitate trade between the French and the indigenous First Nations. During the Seven Years' War, both forts were abandoned by the French, with Fort Rouillé being razed to prevent its capture by the advancing British forces. Following the war, Fort Toronto was renovated and repurposed as a fur trading post by Jean-Bonaventure Rousseau, after Great Britain captured Quebec City and the entire French colony of New France.

Images for kids

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  Map of French trading posts near the Humber River