20th Century History:  Transportation

Much has been written about the early years following the discovery of valuable ores in Northwestern Ontario, particularly, the Red Lake area. Since the first recorded find in 1897, every conceivable means of transportation was used to reach this remote area, which is one of the richest producers of gold bullion in the world.

As word of the latest gold finds began to spread, it enticed fortune seekers from around the world.  In the beginning many an enterprising prospector walked across the chain of lakes in the winter.  They started at the rail line in Hudson and walked to Red Lake, a distance of 150 miles as the crow flies.  They then pushed west and north to the area of the latest find.  Those that had the resources purchased or assembled dog teams.  Some strange teams of sleigh dogs, often of uncertain pedigree, were used during those Gold Rush years.  Anything that had four legs and a muzzle was bought, borrowed or stolen to do the job.

Each year saw more activity as dreams of wealth brought men from the farthest corners of the world. By the early 1900's such a quantity of supplies and food was needed that every mode of transportation was tested. In the summer months canoes were replaced by flotillas of York Boats and the odd paddle-wheel boat. In the winter dog sleds were used.

By the early 1930's competition to get supplies into the north was keen. Even with the onset of winter, food and mining supplies were still a necessity for the men in these remote areas. Supplies were shipped from Goldpines to the mines opening up in the Woman Lake and Confederation Lake area by boat in the summer and in the winter, first by dog sleds, then horse teams and later, by tractor trains.  Red Lake Transportation was the first to do a trial run using the horse teams. They rented four teams of horses from farmers in Manitoba. These teams, out of necessity, had to haul not only the freight but all of their food as well. This method proved not to be very efficient.  Eventually machinery came into its own. For the next decade all types of tractors were used. Some, such as rotary driven snow tractors, were found wanting and returned “to the outside,” an expression used to define anything out of the immediate area. Eventually, tractors were found that worked under the extreme, winter conditions.  Starrat Transportation Company hauled supplies to Uchi Mine using tractor trains that snaked their way for weeks on end, up the system of lakes and rivers, to service men isolated from civilization.  In 1933 alone, Northern Patricia Transportation Company hauled nearly 6,000 tons of freight from the rail line at Hudson to the required destinations.  They had a fleet of eighteen tractors.  Each tractor burned an average of 2 ½ gallons of fuel per hour. This meant that a sizeable part of every convoy was the numerous barrels of fuel. Fuel barrels replaced the stacks of hay as fodder for the “plodding bests.”

The unsung heroes of the tractor train freighting era were the hardy men who worked in the foulest of weather, usually camping in hastily built shelters along the shores.  A return trip to Woman Lake from Goldpines took two weeks in good weather and three or more in inclement weather.  Only the hardiest of souls could handle the heavy work. Eight hours on shift and eight hours off, as the tractor freight trains wound their way along the hard packed trails 24/7.  One caboose would be heated to transport the perishable goods and another would become a bunkhouse and restaurant which provided the creature comforts, rustic as they were, for the work crew. Many a tale has been told of misadventures on the trail. Mel Parker, who relocated to Dryden after he left Ear Falls, was a veteran of many a hair-raising experience. Tales he loved to retell.  Cabooses overturned which sent the cook, hot pots, food and dishes flying. On one trip across Deer Lake a fire broke out in a caboose when a gas lantern exploded. Five men escaped from the burning caboose and had to run half a mile in their underwear and bare feet to catch up with the tractor at the front of the train. Only a box of wieners was salvaged from the food supply. As all of their personal belongings had burned the five men exchanged clothes with the crew coming off shift when they went on shift, until they reached their destination. The tractor trains operated nonstop.   It sometimes happened, due to poor visibility, that a tractor would break through the ice. Occasionally the driver would barely escape with his life. Often a week or more would be spent winching up the tractor and getting it back into working order.

In the early 1930's a unique method of transportation evolved, the likes of which had never been seen in the north.  Patricia Transportation Company acquired a fleet of five similar looking tugs which operated as a fleet.  Once the freight arrived at Goldpines the water transportation system became more difficult.  There were five portages between Goldpines and Red Lake. Initially, all of the freight would be unloaded off the barge at the bottom of the portage and carried over land and reloaded onto another barge.  From that site another tug pulled the loaded barges to the next portage area were the freight again had to be hand carried across the portage.  Eventually a system was devised to get the freight over land without having to unload and reload the barges.  This ingenious system used steam hoists, cables and a regular gauge rail line to get freight over the portages.  Loaded barges were positioned on a cradle that sat on the rail that extended into the water. Once positioned, the steam hoist would pull the barge over the portage where it would be connected to another tug waiting to take the freight on the next lag of the journey.  Sections of the Ear Falls system can still be seen at the waterfront. Patricia Transportation Company built five marine portages at Sam’s Portage, Snake Falls and Snowshoe Falls. As there was such a large amount of freight, they also built one at Ear Falls, which was followed by a second, built and used by Starrat Transportation Company.  Boilers, ball mills and machinery for the gold mines, dry goods and groceries for the men plus, transformers and generators for the powerhouse in Ear Falls all made their way through this water system to the assigned destinations.  Each tug towed a “swing” of five or six barges full of freight with each barge averaging fifteen tons in weight. Each barge, in turn, would be hoisted over a portage and assembled to a different tug from where it continued slowly on its way. Special occasions would see  barges full of people travelling by this one-of-a-kind pleasure cruise across the lakes. In 1939 when the Royal Train made a stop in Sioux Lookout, barges full of curious spectators arrived at the Hudson dock.  It was a five-day journey from Red Lake and McKenzie Island across Lac Seul to Hudson.

When winter set in, the tugs were put in dry dock in either Hudson or Ear Falls, where they were repaired and serviced in preparation for the following freighting season.  The Hulapci, Northern Prince, Standard, Canvul and the Patricia were the workhorses while the other tugs carried passengers.  The freighting route stretched from the railhead at Hudson, formerly known as Rolling Portage, across Lac Seul, through the system of portages, to Red Lake. The freight moved, fair weather or foul as there was a large volume of goods to be moved in a short shipping season. Of the many tugs that operated during that era, only the Patricia remains.  She sits at the waterfront, close to the portage, where she worked so hard many years ago.

Not to be over looked are the many types of bush planes that flew the skies, the next work horse to come into its own.  Initially they were used to check on the tractor trains but soon replaced them. Goldpines, formerly known as Pine Ridge, was fast becoming a thriving freight centre. By the early 1940's it became the largest freight base in Canada, with four air companies in operation.  Once again barrels of fuel were “gobbled up” by the north’s newest beast of burden. Pilots who gained their expertise as bush pilots  soon were to become the backbone of the Canadian Air Force in World War II.

Much of the hardship experienced by these brave and ingenious men was in vain for in a few short years the war effort drained all available manpower from the north. As a result, eight newly opened gold mines had a very short life span.

By the mid 40's construction began on the Red Lake Highway.  It was completed in 1949 and a new era began.  Trucks were able to transport supplies more efficiently and a lot cheaper than the previous methods that had been used.

In the 50's, Ear Falls became the trade centre and Goldpines became a quiet tourist area.  Many of our early settlers still fondly recall the hardship and humour of those early years while they were engaged in trying to supply the necessities of life to the miners and their families. Gone now are the rowdy traders, pilots and prospectors. Gone to are the dog teams, the horse teams, the tractor trains, tug boats and freight planes.  Fishermen and hunters now travel the water system in search of the “big one.” Reams have been written on these different modes of transportation and the rugged men who devised and operated them. Let us salute these hardy folks who opened up new frontiers in the north.  To them we owe a debt as we now live and travel in ease and comfort while enjoying the unparalleled beauty of Northwestern Ontario.