the hbc established six posts on hudson bay: on james bay: rupert house (1668,southeast), moose factory (1673,south) and fort albany, ontario (1679,west); and on the western shore of hudson bay proper: fort severn (1689), york factory (1684) and fort churchill (1717). the french made a number of attempts to capture them (see anglo-french conflicts on hudson bay). the three james bay posts competed directly with the french to the south, while the two westernmost posts had a near monopoly. after 1731 the french pushed west from lake superior threatening the western monopoly and diverting part of the western trade to montreal.