49

Mackenzie was the Athabaska branch of the Canadian Northern railway, which
was built from Edmonton to Athabaska mainly to carry these supplies. This
railway, with the Athabaska river north and northwest of it, continued to be
the main line of travel to the north until the year 1915, although many settlers
for some years previous to that date travelled overland from Edmonton or Edson
by way of trails or wagon roads that were being opened up into the farming
and ranching districts of the upper Peace River region.

At present two other railway lines extend north or northwest into the basin
of Mackenzie river. One of them, the Alberta and Great Waterways railway,
has been built from Edmonton northward by way of lac la Biche to Clearwater
river near McMurray, and will probably be continued soon to McMurray. When
completed this railway will be the shortest and most direct route to the far
aorthern interior of Canada. .

The other line, the Edmonton, Dunvegan, and British Columbia railway,
with its branch the Central Canada railway, runs northwestward into the agricul-
tural districts of the upper Peace River country. The northern terminus of the
Central Canada branch is at present Peace River Crossing, at which point
connexion is made with the water tranSportation systems which control the traffic
beyond. The main line of the Edmonton, Dunvegan, and British Columbia serves
the agricultural country in the basin of Smoky river and will no doubt be extended
farther west up the valley of Peace river.

The discovery of oil below Norman has created a heavy demand for rapi:

transport facilities in the spring of 1921, and the question of establishing aeria! -

connexions with Norman is receiving very careful consideration.

Two transcontinental railways, the Grand Trunk Pacifie and the Canadian
Northern, run through the extreme southwestern part of the Mackenzie River
basin between Edmonton and Yellowhead pass, crossing Pembina and McLeod
rivers and paralleling a portion of the upper Athabaska.

During the season of navigation on Peace river, which lasts from May untii
the end of October, steamers make more or less regular trips from Peace River
Crossing downstream to Vermilion chutes, a distance of 360 miles. Less frequent
trips are made, mainly in medium and high stages of water, from Peace River
Crossing upstream to Hudson Hope, a distance of about 200 miles.

_At Vermilion chutes, where the Peace river has a total drop of 25 feet, steam-

boat navigation ends for this part of the river and a wagon road 5 miles in

length has been built on the south side to transport supplies around the obstruc-
tion.

Below the chutes other river steamers make occasional trips, during May,
June, and July, downstream to Athabaska lake or to Fitzgerald on Slave river.
These steamers also ascend the Athabaska river to McMurray to attend to any
trafic that may come either by the old Athabaska River route or the Alberta
and Great Waterways railway. In connexion with these river steamers two
small steamers run on Athabaska lake between Chipewyan and Fond du Lac
in the interest of the fur traders who have posts at the east end of the lake, but

like the steamers on the lower Peace and Athabaska rivers, no regular schedule

of sailings is adhered to, as on the upper Peace.

The long series of rapids on Slave river between Fitzgerald and Fort Smith
presents an obstacle to the Athabaska and Peace Rivers steamers which prevents
them from continuing any farther north, and all goods have to be transhipped by
wagon along a road 16 miles in length te steamers at the northern side of this
obstruction.