With sextant in hand, Peter Fidler travelled the length and breadth of western Canada in the late 1700's, laying the framework for all maps of the area. He was the first white man to reach the fabled Athabasca country and the first to establish trade contact with the Kootenay Indians in the Canadian Rockies. Despite his huge contribution to the exploration and surveying of the Canadian landscape, however, Fidler has been largely forgotten by history books and the public.
Originally published in 1966, Peter Fidler is the only book-length treatment of the travels and adventures of this dedicated explorer. Noted historian J.G. MacGregor draws on Fidler's extensive journals and records of his routes to illustrate his role in the development of the West, his dealings with his employer the Hudson's Bay Company, his involvement with Natives, the rival trading companies, and the establishment of the Red River Settlement in 1812.
Peter Fidler's story is an important chapter in the history of western Canada. MacGregor captures the conflict and excitement that characterized life on the Canadian frontier and offers Fidler the recognition he deserves as one of Canada's greatest explorers.

J.G. MacGregor is a Fifth House Books author.

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