The first recorded explorer to cross over the Rockies got really lost on his first try

Canada's history is full surprising facts. 10 things you may not know about early Canadian history from Canada: The Story of Us, episode two:

In 1777, one white pine was worth the equivalent of $25,000 in today's dollars

The trunks of the tall, strong, flexible trees that covered much of Eastern Canada made perfect masts for warships. That made them incredibly valuable to Britain's navy.

For almost 12,000 years, there were no horses in North America

The North American horse went extinct during the last ice age. Horses were reintroduced by the Spanish in the 16th century, starting in what is now Florida and Mexico. Gradually, the horses migrated across the continent.

Horses changed how the Indigenous people of the plains hunted

Buffalo are hard animals to kill. Not only are they enormous, they're also fast. An adult male can hit speeds of 65 km/h. But a horse is even faster, hitting speeds of 88 km/h. This meant that the Plains nations, like the Nakoda, were better able to keep up with their prey.

Pemmican took years to spoil

The gorp of the 18th and 19th centuries, pemmican was a mixture of cured meat, fat and wild berries. It could be stored for years before going bad — the ultimate survival food. It was a staple of the Plains people's diet and quickly became vital to the survival of the first Europeans on the prairies as well.

The Forges du St. Maurice ironworks was the first factory in Canada

Before the Forges du St. Maurice began the industrial production of wood stoves, most iron goods in Canada were made by local blacksmiths. The Forges' "Canadian Stoves" were the first mass-produced goods in the country.

Forges' owner Matthew Bell was the first employer in Lower Canada to offer his employees a guaranteed salary

In order to keep up with the demand for his stoves, Bell had to change the way work worked in Lower Canada. He offered his 400 employees year-round work and a guaranteed annual salary.

Chief Maquinna of the Mowachat Nation was only 22 when he became the most powerful Indigenous leader on the West Coast

In spite of his youth, Maquinna wasn't intimidated when he met English explorer James Cook. He showed the Englishman sea otter pelts that would become a worldwide sensation. With an exclusive franchise on the sale of pelts to the Europeans, the Mowachat became one of the wealthiest Indigenous nations in the region that is now British Columbia.

Maquinna was Canada's first diplomat

When Britain and Spain threatened to go to war over the Nootka Sound, Maquinna was the one to bring them to the bargaining table. Maquinna had relationships with representatives of both European powers and managed to help negotiate an agreement that allowed Nootka Sound to remain a freeport.

Famous explorer Sir Alexander Mackenzie may have had a bad sense of direction

Mackenzie is known for being the first recorded person, European or Indigenous, to have found a way over the Rockies to the Pacific. What's less well known is that he had already tried once, four years earlier. He and his party missed the mark and wound up heading north, ending up in the Arctic Ocean.

Mackenzie brought a dog with him on his voyage

The dog was simply named "Our Dog," and was almost certainly Canada's cutest explorer.