Why did English, Scottish, and American traders control Montreal’s fur trade under British rule?

Following the British takeover of New France, English, Scottish, and American traders assumed control of the fur trade in Montreal because they were able to supply the necessary capital to operate the business.12

While these merchants provided the financial backing, they relied heavily on the existing expertise of French Canadians, who contributed their deep knowledge of the country, the First Nations, and the essential skills of the voyageurs who navigated the canoe brigades. This partnership allowed the Montreal-based traders to maintain the trade of the interior regions as tributary to Montreal, effectively competing against interests in New York and Philadelphia.1

This arrangement persisted until the 1821 merger of the North West Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company, which shifted the primary logistics of the fur trade away from Montreal to Hudson Bay due to lower shipping costs.31