Part 3 - Our Mackenzie River Adventures — continue ...

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Summer 1923
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When in the spring of 1923, we had successfully completed our third year in Medicine, Willard and I again went north as employees of the Northern Affairs Branch of the Hudson's Bay Company. Willard was again employed as purser on the S.S. Mackenzie River, and I was given the purser's job on the Liard River Motor boat.
Freight scows being directed by the motor boat Laird River
Crew members aboard the Laird River

Arthur Haig on the right.
This boat made trips from Fort Smith as far north as Fort Simpson on the Mackenzie River and from there we travelled up the Liard River to Fort Liard and then across the corner of the Yukon and into northern British Columbia as far as Fort Nelson. During the summer, we were also called upon to make one trip with supplies down the Mackenzie River almost to Fort Norman where the S.S. Mackenzie River with Willard aboard was stranded on a sand bar for several days. Again we enjoyed our summer in the north and I found my job physically less strenuous than the previous year and my remuneration more adequate.

When in the spring of 1924, we had successfully completed our fourth year of medical studies the decision was made that Willard would return to the north country for summer work but that I should seek employment in Edmonton to help in the necessary preparations for our move to Montreal where we would be continuing our next year studies at McGill. Willard obtained the job as purser on the S.S. Distributor which was a somewhat larger ship which the Hudson's Bay Company had purchased to replace the S.S. Mackenzie River.

Here is a slideshow of the Haig brothers' 1922-23 Mackenzie River adventures.

For adventures aboard the S.S. Distributor in later years with Dr Frank Mewburn and J. D. Higinbotham read When the West was Young.

Here is a slideshow of J.D. Higinbotham's 1928 Mackenzie River Journey.

The slideshows are in Quicktime. A free player is available here

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J.D. Higinbotham's 1928 Mackenzie River journey

Alberta's First Pharmacist Index