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Overview Establishment People and Events Legacy

The mission at Norway House was established in 1840 as part of the conditions under which the Hudson's Bay Company's (HBC) charter was renewed by the British government. The three company chaplains, Robert Rundle, William Mason and George Barnley were to function under the Superintendent James Evans.

Norway House was important because of its location. Situated at the meeting point of several water routes, supplies moving from Britain to the missions travelled through Norway House and vice versa. As a link between the interior of the Saskatchewan District and the outside world, Norway House was in an excellent position to oversee the work of the Western missions.

The direction of transport through Norway House also meant that the Western missions operated independently from those in Lower Canada. Hence, the missionaries were more closely tied to Great Britain than to Eastern Canada. In fact, most letters and reports of these missions are stored in archives in London, England rather than in Canada.

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