George Moffatt

Who was George Moffatt?

George Moffatt was a businessman and political figure in Lower Canada and Canada East.

He was born in Sidehead, Weredale, County Durham, England in 1787, studied in London and came to Lower Canada in 1801. After further studies at Sorel, he joined John Ogilvy's firm, part of the XY Company. He later joined McTavish, McGillivray and Company, part of the North West Company. In 1811, he became a partner in a new firm, which eventually became Gillespie, Moffatt, and Company, a major supply house associated with the North West Company. He served in the Montreal militia during the War of 1812. In 1815 and 1816, he helped Colin Robertson during his expeditions to the Athabaska country. Moffatt helped bring stability to the fur trade in Canada by helping to smooth the way for the merger of the North West Company and the Hudson's Bay Company in 1821.

In the meantime, his company had expanded into a wider range of imports and exports, owning its own ship and opening a branch office in Toronto. The company was also Canadian agents for the Phoenix Fire Assurance Company.