Episode 2: Hunting Treasure (1777 - 1793)

A new generation of rebels and entrepreneurs compete for the key to this land's prosperity – its natural resources – while others fight to protect them. It's an epic quest for treasure that shapes the country to this day.

Airdate: April 2

Loyalty and timber (1777)

Like many New Englanders, Massachusetts entrepreneur William Hazen is torn on the subject of American independence. Eventually, he decides to remain loyal to the British Crown. He moves north to Portland Point, near what will soon become the city of Saint John, and begins supplying timber to the Royal Navy. In 1784, Hazen is named to the council of the newly established Colony of New Brunswick. He also develops the province's timber industry, which will bring great wealth to Canada and become an important staple of the economy.

Maquinna prevents a war (1778-1792)

The Mowachaht Nation, led by Chief Maquinna, dominates trade on the West Coast of what is now Vancouver Island. In 1778, Maquinna meets British explorer James Cook and trades with him: he gives the Brit sea otter pelts in exchange for metal goods. The beautiful fur of the pelts makes them a sensation in Europe. Maquinna retains tight control over the sea otter trade, acting as a middleman for other Indigenous nations, ensuring that his people benefit from trade with colonial powers.

When Britain and Spain clash over navigation and trade rights in the Pacific Northwest, Maquinna is the one who manages to keep things from escalating into a full-scale war. He uses his history with the two colonial powers to broker a peace agreement.

Canada's first company town (1790s)

In Quebec, the Forges du St-Maurice Iron Works is making what will become one of the country's best-known manufactured products: the iron stoves produced at the Forges, known as "Canadian stoves," help heat the homes of Canadians during the harsh winters.

Under the supervision of Matthew Bell, the Forges are hailed as the most technologically advanced iron works in North America. The world-renowned products produced at the Forges are a result of collaboration between Francophone and Anglophone Canadians. The Forges du St-Maurice becomes Canada's first company town and marks the beginning of large scale manufacturing in Canada.

Bison: A key to life in the prairies (1802)

On the prairies, the introduction of horses to the Nakota (Assiniboine) people changes the way they live and hunt. Chat Ka, a young Nakota leader, conducts a daring horse raid on European traders near Rocky Mountain House.

Horses make it easier for the Nakota to hunt bison. Bison is a key staple for the Nakota and other plains Indigenous people. The animals are central to their economy and culture. Bison meat is a major source of pemmican, a mixture of dried meat, fat and occasionally wild berries that can be stored for months, and sometimes even years at a time. The Nakota benefit from trading it with fur traders, who need the nutrient-dense food to survive the harsh prairie winters.

Alexander Mackenzie treks to the Pacific (1793)

Alexander Mackenzie seeks a path from to the Pacific Ocean over land. He sets out from his trading post at Fort Fork, near what's now Peace River, AB. He is heavily reliant on his Dene guides' knowledge of the land, the other Indigenous peoples they meet on their journey and the strength of the French-Canadian voyageurs who carry their canoe and supplies over mountains. Mackenzie reaches the Pacific, becoming the first person of European origin to do so. His book about the voyage becomes an international best-seller and provides the inspiration for Lewis and Clark to do the same in America over a decade later.

Featured interviews
Atom Egoyan, Bruce Kuwabara, Clara Hughes, Colm Feore, David Samson, David Suzuki, Duncan McCue, Eldon Yellowhorn, Eugene Levy, Georges Laraque, Gerald McMaster, Jennifer Podemski, Jim Balsillie, John English, John Ralston Saul, Lorne Cardinal,Michele Romanow, Pascale Bussières, Peter Mansbridge, Rick Mercer, Sarah Gadon, Tatiana Maslany, Wade Davis