Governor George Simpson proved to be extremely profitable. He was allowed a special license to trade furs to prevent furs from being traded at the American fur trade post at Pembina, North Dakota, and was granted many contracts from the HBC. In 1839 he was made a member of the Council of Assiniboia. He was part of a committee on the council which was responsible for the construction of roads and bridges, surveying, the operation of ferries, and public improvements. However, by the early 1840s, his relationship with the HBC began to weaken. The HBC, in order to curb the growing amount of free trade or illegal trade, denied McDermot a freighting contract with the HBC and by 1845, his goods from England were not being allowed passage on HBC ships. Furious with Governor Christie over these sanctions, he resigned from the Council of Assiniboia. He did rejoin the Council after an agreement was reached and partial reimbursement for his losses was paid. McDermot and his partner, James Sinclair were two of the main forces behind the Guillaume Sayer free trade trial of 1849. He also had close ties with American trader Norman Kittson and used Kittson to import goods from the United States to his store at Fort Garry. His legacy By the 1850s, Andrew McDermot was known as the "Richest Man in the Red River Settlement". He had a successful store, several water and grist mills dotting the Red and Assiniboine Rivers throughout the Red River Settlement and owned a large tract of land in what is now the nucleus of Winnipeg. His land, a river lot, started at the edge of the Hudson's Bay Company land and stretched with ten chains frontage on the Red extending back two miles. McDermot Avenue in Winnipeg marks the north boundary of the property. His home, Emerald Lodge, was said to be the most beautiful and welcoming home at Fort Garry. He donated land for the first Post Office in Winnipeg and with his son in law, A.G.B. Bannatyne, donated land for the Winnipeg General Hospital. References Healey, W. J. (1923) Women of Red River, Winnipeg, Manitoba. External links Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online 1790 births 1881 deaths Canadian fur traders Irish emigrants to pre-Confederation Canada Hudson's Bay Company people People from Castlerea People of Rupert's Land Immigrants to pre-Confederation Manitoba