John McLean (explorer)

John McLean
Born	c. 1799 Isle of Mull, Scotland
Died	1890
Occupation(s)	Fur trapper, trader, explorer, grocer, banker, journalist, clerk, writer
Years active	1820–1846 (fur trade)
Known for	Exploration of Canadian interior and Labrador Peninsula; first European to see Churchill Falls; Hudson's Bay Company trader; writer under pseudonym Viator

John McLean (circa 1799–1890) was a Scottish immigrant to British North America who wore many hats throughout his life, including fur trapper, trader, explorer, grocer, banker, journalist, clerk, and writer. His journeys spanned on foot and by canoe from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Coast and back, eventually establishing himself as a prominent trader within the Hudson's Bay Company. McLean is recognized as the first European to come upon Churchill Falls along Canada's Churchill River, although he is occasionally incorrectly identified as the initial European to traverse the Labrador Peninsula. His eyewitness narratives of early 19th-century fur trading in Canada remain highly regarded by scholars. Writing under the pseudonym Viator ("Traveller"), his correspondence played a significant role in shaping public resistance against transferring western territories to the United States during the Alabama Claims controversy related to British involvement in the American Civil War.

Early years

John McLean’s origins trace back to either Dervaig or near Loch Bà on Scotland’s Isle of Mull, with birth years varying between 1797 and 1800 according to different sources.

Career with the North West Company

In the winter of 1820, McLean joined the North West Company, arriving in Montreal by January 1821. Prior to beginning a three-year apprenticeship in May that year, he honed his French language skills under the guidance of two trappers and an anglophile priest named Pierre Gibert from St Michel d'Yamaska. Later that same year, the North West Company merged with its competitor, the Hudson's Bay Company. McLean’s apprenticeship was transferred accordingly; however, his memoirs reveal a lasting admiration for the North West Company’s pioneering spirit—crediting them with opening up Canada’s interior through exploration, establishing vital waterways and trading posts, and nurturing relationships with Indigenous communities. He regarded the Hudson's Bay Company's subsequent expansion as building upon these foundational efforts.

Ottawa River Region

During a period marked by fierce competition between the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company, McLean served along the Ottawa River, which now divides Quebec and Ontario, until 1833. Throughout his apprenticeship, he progressed from working near Lake of Two Mountains to Chats Falls in 1822 and then advanced to Fort Coulonge in 1823. Subsequently, he took charge of a post at Lac de Sable on the Lièvre River, situated north of both Ottawa and Montreal. Over nine years, McLean successfully resisted rival traders, cultivated relationships with Indigenous trappers, and enhanced the post’s profitability before being reassigned once stability was established. He expressed dissatisfaction at being replaced after laying groundwork that others subsequently benefited from. His extensive records offer valuable perspectives on early Canadian history in this region.

New Caledonia Assignment

Transferred to the Western Department near the Pacific coast, McLean journeyed primarily by canoe from Montreal through crucial waterways and trading centers such as Lake Nipissing, the French River, Lake Huron, Sault Ste Marie, Lake Superior, and Fort William. He paused at Norway House in present-day Manitoba for instructions before continuing beyond Cumberland House (Saskatchewan), Athabasca, and Fort Dunvegan (Alberta) en route to New Caledonia (modern-day British Columbia). Arriving at Fort St James on Stuart Lake in October 1833, he admired both its landscape and potential. He also spoke highly of Fort Alexandria on the Fraser River for its hospitable Indigenous neighbors and ample supplies. Around 1834 or 1835, McLean described Fort George (now Prince George) as tranquil and thriving despite previous unrest.

After obtaining authorization from company officials to return to headquarters, McLean departed Stuart Lake in February 1837. His route took him past Fort Alexandria, Kamloops, Okanagan Lake, and Colville before reaching Norway House in June. There he encountered Governor George Simpson holding a council meeting; although eligible for promotion to chief trader status, McLean was overlooked due to seniority considerations. While at Norway House, he married Margaret Charles, a Métis woman; they had one child before her untimely death within a year. In July he arrived at company headquarters at York Factory where he was assigned to succeed Erland Erlandson as factor of the newly formed Ungava District—an area highly regarded by Moravian missionaries following their visit in 1811.

Ungava Bay

Stationed at Fort Chimo (currently known as Kuujjuaq, Quebec) near the South River (Koksoak River) flowing into Ungava Bay, McLean received communication and supplies solely on an annual basis via brig. Operating within a remote region, he spearheaded expeditions across the Labrador Peninsula to establish overland connections with Fort Smith at Lake Melville, aiming to advance his position within the company. His predecessor, Erlandson, had previously proven the viability of such a route in 1834. On 2 January 1838, McLean and his team journeyed by dogsled along charted rivers, arriving at Fort Smith after a 46-day trek covering 533 miles. The return trip proved hazardous; guides fell ill, supplies dwindled, and McLean was compelled to take drastic measures to survive and transport provisions back. Rescue parties eventually recovered the remaining men by late April.

Determining that existing paths to Hamilton Inlet were impractical, McLean discovered the eastern George River and established Fort Siveright (now Kangiqsualujjuaq) as a center for salmon and seal fisheries. Additionally, he founded Fort Trial to serve as a supply base for southern posts.

Following ice melt in June 1839, McLean explored Ungava Bay up to the George River and traveled overland to Fort Nascopie on Petitsikapau Lake. Attempting navigation without guides, he encountered the Grand Falls (present-day Churchill Falls), which he described as "stupendous," although subsequent hydroelectric projects have reduced its water flow. Forced to turn back, he returned to Fort Chimo by September.

In 1840, drawing on reports from William Henry Allen Davies and indigenous guidance, McLean identified a practical route via the George River and Naskaupi to Lake Melville. This pathway was adopted by the Hudson's Bay Company, resulting in McLean’s promotion to chief trader. Nonetheless, further exploration confirmed that direct routes from Ungava Bay to the St Lawrence River were unfeasible due to difficult terrain.

Despite creating this improved supply route, the Hudson's Bay Company considered the Ungava District unprofitable; Governor Simpson decreed that ships should only visit every two years. The company refused to appoint a dedicated cartographer, instead relying on rough maps compiled under McLean’s supervision in 1840. The inland trail primarily supplied Fort Nascopie from southern points. Feeling isolated, McLean took his first career leave in 1842, traveling to visit family in Scotland via York Factory, New York, and Montreal. The forts he had established were ultimately abandoned; the Ungava District was dissolved in 1843.

Between May and June 1843, McLean led a team including royal magnetic surveyor John Henry Lefroy from Lachine to Norway House. Lefroy commended McLean’s intelligence and abilities beyond his fur trading expertise.

Mackenzie River

Deteriorating health caused by harsh conditions at Fort Chimo led McLean to threaten resignation should he be assigned "a second Ungava." Despite this, with the company refusing to repurchase his shares, he stayed on and was transferred to Fort Simpson on the Mackenzie River above Great Slave Lake. He managed the Mackenzie River District until June 1844 when Governor Simpson notified him that he was only acting director and that Murdoch McPherson would take permanent command, reducing McLean’s role to deputy. After two years of appeals to the company’s London board for reconsideration, he retired on 1 June 1846. Following a 25-year career in the fur trade, McLean departed from Hudson's Bay Company service; Governor Simpson denied his pension application.

Later years

In either 1845 or 1846, he wed Clarissa Eugenia Evans, daughter of the missionary and linguist James Evans, and they established their home in Guelph, Canada West (present-day Ontario). By 1847, he had constructed a stone residence at 21 Nottingham Street—still standing today—and operated a grocery business for a duration of four years. During this period, he composed his memoirs and fathered five children, with three surviving beyond infancy. McLean also initiated and oversaw a Bank of Montreal branch from his own home, employing his former associate Erlandson. He played a significant role in founding the Conservative newspaper Guelph Herald and was proficient in English, French, Gaelic, along with multiple Indigenous tongues, which positioned him as an important intermediary among native traders visiting the area. In 1856, he participated in laying the cornerstone for the Norfolk Street Wesleyan Methodist Church.

His financial situation deteriorated after he reimbursed £1300 stolen from the bank in two separate events during September 1855. Although Erlandson came under suspicion due to his sudden wealth at death, McLean assumed full responsibility for the deficit. With his assets significantly diminished, he relocated to Elora, Ontario, where he served as court clerk for a quarter-century. His wife passed away in 1858 at age 32, after which his mother-in-law took on the care of his children.

In the aftermath of the American Civil War—during which Britain supported the Confederacy because of its textile industry’s dependence on American cotton—the victorious United States terminated its free trade agreement with Canada and imposed heavy reparations demands. This situation sparked debates about potentially transferring British North America’s western territories to the U.S., an area long depicted by the Hudson's Bay Company as inhospitable to discourage settlement by rivals. Concerned by this looming threat and determined to retain these lands (which he regarded as unjustly targeted), McLean authored letters under the alias "Viator," highlighting the Canadian West’s abundant resources and advocating for the acquisition of Rupert’s Land from the Hudson's Bay Company. His correspondence swayed public opinion in Canada against transferring the territory and intensified political efforts toward alternative solutions. Eventually, HBC relinquished Rupert’s Land to Britain, which then transferred it to Canadian Confederation; Britain compensated the United States with $15.5 million—more than double the amount paid for Alaska.

In 1883, McLean left Elora and moved to Victoria, British Columbia. He disclosed his identity as "Viator" in 1889 and passed away at his youngest daughter Eugenia O'Brian’s residence on either March 8 or September 8, 1890. He was interred in Ross Bay Cemetery within the Presbyterian section.

Works

• , an essential reference on Canada's fur trade. The second edition (1932), edited by W.S. Wallace, is titled John McLean's Notes of a Twenty-Five Years' Service in the Hudson's Bay Territory, Toronto: Champlain Society. volume I & volume II
• , initially published as articles in Elora's Lightning Express.

Legacy

McLean served as inspiration for a character in R.M. Ballantyne’s Ungava, a fictionalized narrative about the founding and operations of the trading post. For a short time, he lent his name to what is now known as Churchill Falls. The fort he established at the mouth of the George River in 1838 eventually developed into the permanent settlement of Kangiqsualujjuaq.

After inquiries by Hugh Templin of Fergus’s News-Record, a commemorative plaque honoring McLean—including an incorrect claim that he was the first person to cross the Labrador Peninsula—was placed at 21 Nottingham Street, Guelph, Ontario, by the former Ontario Archaeological and Historic Sites Board. This site served as McLean’s home during his years in Guelph from 1847 to 1857.

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External links

• Images of John McLean's gravesite at Ross Bay Cemetery, Victoria, hosted on Flickr: 1, 2