18 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS.

TRANSPORTATION.

From Burns Lake, on the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, a good wagon-road
connects this station with Francois Lake Settlement, a distance of fourteen miles,
and on Francois Lake gasolene-launches are in operation. A road was constructed
in 1914 commencing at Keefe’s Landing, on Francois Lake (opposite the Burns-
Francois Lake Road), and running in a south-westerly direction to Ootsa Lake
Settlement, a distance of some twenty-four miles. The district, and especially the west
end of Francois Lake and Ootsa Lake, may also be reached by road from Houston
Station, on the Grand Trunk Pacific, the distance to Francois Lake being some
thirty-six miles. This road continues to Ootsa Lake and follows its northern shore,
connecting with the road mentioned from Keefe’s Landing. ‘The east end of Francois
Lake may be reached by wagon-road from Fraser Lake, a distance of six miles, and
connections made from there to westerly points on the lake by gasolene-launch. A
great number of sleigh-roads and trails link together the different parts of the
district and allow of ready intercommunication between these and the railroad.
There is a weekly mail service from Burns Lake to Francois Lake Post-office and
Bickle Post-office.

TIMBER AND MINERAL RESOURCES.

Inside the boundaries of the district are sufficient quantities of spruce and
balsam to supply any local demand for lumber that may be likely to arise in the
not too remote future, but so far as known no minerals in paying quantities have
been located. To the west and south-west the timber increases in size and quality,
and, as to mineral resources, some very good-looking quartz prospects and other
indications have been found, resulting in several claims having been located here.

FIsH AND GAME.

There is a great abundance of fish in most of the lakes and streams. ‘The species
include grey, silver, rainbow, and other varieties of trout, whitefish and other species
of fresh-water fish. The grey as well as the silver trout reaches an enormous size
in the Jarge lakes, and will ensure a never-failing food-supply to the settlers of this
district. Small game is generally plentiful, and there are a fair number of mule-deer
and black bear, with occasional moose and caribou.

CLIMATE.

The climate in the Francois-Ootsa Lake District is one of moderate precipitation.
The summer days are warm, with cold nights. The winter climate is fairly mild
and dry, with a good deal of sunshine. A few cold spells of short duration, when
the thermometer registers 20 to 30 degrees below zero overnight, are experienced
during the winter months. Warm air-currents from the ocean reach the district
through the passes in the Coast Range, and tend to give a milder climate than on
other portions of the plateau. Along the big lakes the depth of snow seldom exceeds
12 inches, and lasts from about December to the end of April. The snowfall increases
fast with elevation above sea-level. Light summer frosts may occur at night during
any part of the summer, and do not seem to be sufficiently severe to injure the crops.
The big lakes generally freeze over by the end of December or early January, and
open up again the last week of April or the first week of May.

A SuRvryor’s REportT.

A. W. Harvey, B.C.L.S., who made further surveys for pre-emption in this
district during 1915, said: “The Francois-Ootsa Lake District contains more good,
open farming land than any other portion of Northern British Columbia. The
country is broken by numerous ranges of hills varying in height from 300 to 1,000
feet above the elevation of the larger lakes. ‘The southern slopes of all these hills
are practically devoid of trees and covered with a heavy growth of grass, peavine,