The New York herald., 1921-05-15
Arctic Circle as Tourists Resort
Canada's Last Expanse of Untouched Wilderness
Brought Within Easy Reach Of Broadway.

son Bay Company post ESQ miles north
west Of Peace River as the crow flies.
At Fort Wrigley. 160 miles beyond
Fort Simpson. the Mackenzie enters the
Rockies. Another 100 miles and we
ara at Fort Norman. A run of 1s5
miles brings us to Fort Good Hope. just
beyond which we cross the Arctic Circle
then GAO miles to the Hudson Bay post
at Arctic Red River. Sixty-ive miles
more and we are at Fort Mcpherson.
1866 miles from Peace River. 1851
miles from Linton. The running time
frcm Fort Smith has consumed from
seven to ten days; the return trip up
stream will take twice as long.
For the round trip between Edmonton
and Mcpherson one pays something less
than $500, not including meals and
steamer berth. Meals on the steamers
cost 81 each. Tho charge for berths is
from 81 to $3.50 a day. The principal
drawback to the trip for the traveller
who wants to buy his ticket and have
everything else done for him is the ne
cessity of carrying blanket and a GER
tain amount of food. No people could
bo more lospitable than the scattered
inhabitants of the Canadian Northwest.
but hotels and eating places are lacking
In region that has no towns. and while
the traveller will be we'll cared for on
the steamers and assured Of welcome
at any fur trading post he may have
to provide his own food at the portages.
and in any case had best be somewhat
independent even at the posts.
Navigation by the Peace River route
as far as Fort Fitzgerald usually opens
early in May and on the Athabasca route
from Fort McMurray about the middle
OF May. Great Slave Lake is not free
OF ice until the latter part of June.
This year the ice Is reported to be dis
appearing early, and a departure from
Edmonton by June Is should enable one
to catch the first steamer down the
Mackenzie. 1t is not necessary to start
so early, however, since the return trip
can now be made as late as September.
sometimes even In October.
For those who love the wilds and have
time to spend. but who nevertheless
prefer a train or steamer to a canoe,
there are esSame sSam side trips which are in
viting. From ess22an, s.. s.. niles from
Edmonton on the Edmonton. Dunvegah
and British Columbia Railway. the line
goes on 140 miles to Grand Prairie. an
important frontier town in the famous
Feace River country. From Peace River
a steamer runs up the Peace River 240
miles to Hudsons Hope.
The mild climate and fertile soil Of
this part Of Alberta hold great promise
for agriculture. Then there Is a steamer
which runs from Fort Resolution. on
Great Slave Lake. 100 miles to Fort
McRae. Hudson Bay post on the north
ern arm Of the lake. The side trips
from Fort Simpson to Fort Lizard and
corner of British Columbia. have already
been mentioned.
The vast territory north ana north
west Of Edmonton is the only considera-
bio area still remaining In North Amer
lea In which the traveller, with only a
slight foregoing OF the convenlences and
comforts Of home. can see the wilderness
purposes the country remains untouched
by the hand OF man. There are no
towns after you leave Peace River. no
telegraphs or telephones beyond the rail-
ways. no newspapers save of ancient
date, no roads save at portages.
You are In a game country. the last
homo OF the fur bearing animals. Here
l.
some. fascinating life of the hunters and
trappers of the Hudson Bay Company
and its great rival. Revillon Freres. and
the thrilling service of the Mounted Po-
lice. You have left behind even the
frontlersman. restless IL settlements
come nearer than hundred miles. Your
companions are the prospector for gold
or silver or cobalt or copper or oil. stalk
ing the claims which some day. he
hopes, will make him rich. and with him
the traders. tho Indians and the mis-
sionary priests.
Here Is the country which is closed
to the rest OF the world by ice and snow
travels by snowshoes or dog sled. yet
which ripens wheat and garden ,vege-
tables as far north as the sixtieth par
allel. and is open to summer travel to
any one who will visit It. This year,
for the first time. you may traverse its
whole vast length. distance as great
as from Boston to Denver. by train.
automobile and steamer. and all in a
round trip Of six weeks from New York.
Before long. II the oil gushes we'll.
there will be towns In this Arctic coun-
try. moro steamers and barges on the
rivers. and more miles OF steel. Already
a commercial air service from McLennan
to tho Fort Norman oil fields Is planned.
Then the all but untouched wilderness
will have begun to disappear. The trav-
ellcr who is wise will want to SEQ It
before nature has been dispossessed.