Corps of Canadian Voyageurs

[3] The army wanted to put the corps into uniform, but that was impractical due to its duties.

Instead of a uniform the men of the corps wore the dress of the ordinary civilian voyageurs.

The Army-issued swords, pikes and pistols were impractical, and they were thrown away or sold and the men used their own frontier weapons: they were issued with brown bess muskets, axes and knives.

[5] The Modern Historical re-enactment group of the Canadian Corps of Voyageurs was organized in 1975 by John Robertson, then armourer at Old Fort William (now Fort William Historical Park).

The Corp provide safety training to new and old members to be confident in the proper use, care and maintenance of firearms and equipment.

The Voyageurs most important contribution to the War of 1812 was the supply of the western posts; the strategic result was that the British Army retained control of Fort Mackinac , a central point for supplying the British Indian allies in the Northwest Territory .