June 12, 1793
The second expedition of Alexander Mackenzie [1764–1820] in search of a route to the Pacific Ocean travelled from Fork Fort upstream on the Peace River, took the fork up the Parsnip River, and on 12 June 12 1793 crossed the Continental Divide through an an unnamed pass.
West of the pass, they entered the drainage of the Fraser River via a creek that Mackenzie called Bad River which led to what we now call the McGregor River and so to the Fraser and the Pacific Ocean. Mackenzie did not reach the mouth of the Fraser, but turned west across the coast mountains and arrived at the ocean near Bella Coola.
It was not a feasible route for the purposes of the fur trade.
People involved:
- Sir Alexander Mackenzie [1764–1820] — leader
- Alexander Mackay [1770–1811] — second-in-command
- Jacques Beauchamp — voyageur
- François Beaulieux — voyageur
- Baptist Bisson — voyageur
- François Courtois — voyageur
- Charles Ducette — voyageur
- Joseph Landry — voyageur
- Carrier — guide
- North West Company [1779–1821] — sponsor
References:
- Hayes, Derek [1947–]. First Crossing: Alexander Mackenzie, His Expedition Across North America, and the Opening of the Continent. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 2001. Internet Archive [accessed 20 September 2026]