Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye

Pierre Gaultier married Marie-Anne, daughter of Louis Dandonneau Du Sablé in October 1712. The couple had six children—four sons and two daughters. His sons also became well-known explorers in their own rights.

He died on December 5, 1749, aged 64.

Several places are named in his honor. These include La Vérendrye Provincial Park in Ontario, La Vérendrye Wildlife Reserve in Quebec, and Boulevard de La Vérendrye in Montreal, Quebec.

Pierre Gaultier de Varennes was born on November 17, 1685 in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, as the youngest son of René Gaultier de Varennes and Marie. He had 12 siblings, seven of whom reached maturity.

He lost his father when he was just six. He received a few years of formal education at the seminary of Quebec where he was a student from 1696 to 1699.

Pierre Gaultier decided at a young age to join the army and received a cadet’s commission in the colonial regulars at the age of 14. He participated in Queen Anne's War in 1704 and 1705 and was present at the Raid on Deerfield which involved a long journey through the wilderness to attack the inhabitants of a sleeping village.

He was promoted to ensign shortly afterwards. This was, however, a minor rank and did not satisfy the ambitious young man. So, he decided to enlist in the French army where he expected better chances of advancement. He moved to France in 1708 and joined the Régiment de Bretagne.

He fought in Flanders during the War of the Spanish Succession and was severely wounded by gunshot and eight sabre cuts at the Battle of Malplaquet in 1709. He was then taken as a prisoner of war by the enemy and released in 1710.

Following his release he was promoted to lieutenant. However, by this time he was yearning to return to Canada and was permitted to go back in 1712. Back home he got married and started earning his livelihood by farming and fur-trading.

His mundane life underwent a big change in 1726 when his brother Jacques-René was appointed commander of the poste du Nord, the north shore of Lake Superior. Gaultier began trading in the area and became commandant in 1728 when his brother left the post to participate in the war against the Foxes.

Pierre Gaultier is counted amongst the greatest explorers of the Canadian West for the expeditions he undertook with his sons which opened up the area west of Lake Superior, laying the foundation for the addition of Western Canada to the original New France in the Saint Lawrence basin. He did not receive much recognition for his achievements in his lifetime but was much honored in the years following his death.