Métis Artisan Pat Calihou introduces you to his heritage by way of a 40 foot traditional bateau he built in 2019-20 at Fort Langley National Historic Site. Pat’s great-great grandfather Michel Calihou was a river boat pilot for the Hudson’s Bay Company in Edmonton in the early 1800s and also built the large, heavy vessels, called York boats, that carried furs and goods between trading posts and forts.
Pat shares his struggles and triumphs of building a full size bateau, in the winter, using hand-forged nails and hand-bent planks. The presentation was delivered as part of the BC Historical Federation’s 2021 virtual conference.
