An aquatic “point-to-point”.

who over a hundred and fifty years ago
made the first overland passage across
Canada to reach the Pacific Ocean. That
was in July, 1793, and even though Mac-.
kenzie and his men were weighted down
with ninety pound packs and were travel-
ling at a speed that would make a horse
pack-train wonder where the fire was,
Mackenzie took time to note in his journal
the beauty of the country.

After travelling from the Fraser River
by way of the Blackwater River (which
for a long time bore the name he gave
it, the Westroad River) Mackenzie passed
through the Indian village of Ulkatcho,
crossed the Dean River and climbed over
the Rainbow Mountains, and with re-
peated reference to the awesome gran-
deur of the mountains, descended to the
Bella Coola River and thence to the sea:

Following Mackenzie, fur-traders trod
this wild land. In 1874, a route for a
railway was surveyed to Dean Channel.
In 1912, a land rush was staged to Ootsa
Lake, and many, many pack-trains loaded
with everything from barbed wire to
babys’ bibs swung northward from the

Thunder Mountain and God’s Goblet in

~-Photo: Copyright, Clifford R. Kopas, Bella Coola, B.C.

Page Six

Photo: Courtesy King’s Victoria, B.C.

Fuchu Lake, Tweedsmuir Park.

the southern tip of Tweedsmuir Park.

Bella Coola Valley (which was the pr
railway port of entry), through the Jaci
Pine forests, across the northern rive;
to their destination.

About this time the Grand Truy
Pacific Railway was built through to th
coast and opened up the country to tt
north of the park. |

In 1913, a surveyed right-of-way for a
English railway company, who planne
on making Bella Coola their western te:
minus, was cut through the sticks. Th
sixty-six foot right-of-way can still }
seen near Ulkatcho. World War I blaste
this effort, and today the equine pack
train still moves most of the freight.

In 1936, the huge area was reserye
as a park by the B. C. government, an
in 1937 the late Lord Tweedsmuir (the
Governor-General of Canada) and Lad
Tweedsmuir, with suitable escort, ex

The boat is the one that took us around the lower end of the
lake system and the man is our host, Orald Harrison.

—Photo: Copyright, Clifford R. Kopas, Bella Coola, B. C.

plored the park by pack-train, boat an
aeroplane. Lady Tweedsmuir describe
the trip in an article in the Nation
Geographic Magazine of April, 1938.

There was an increasing tempo 0
travel into the park following the Tweeds
muir expedition, but World War I
checked this. There is no doubt the
the next few decades will see many, man
travellers go into this unspoiled ne
land.

There are two principal ports of entry
Bella Coola from the south and Burn
Lake from the north. A trip throug
the southern gateway is preceded by
steamer voyage through the enchantin
Inland Passage from Vancouver, a moto
trip up the Bella Coola Valley and th
actual entrance to the park is made b
saddle and pack horse from Tweedsmui
Lodge. From the north, one may com
by rail to Burns Lake on the C.N.R
then motor to Ootsa Lake where he ma’
literally step right from his automobil

THE SHOULDER STRAI!