10

A year later, as a result of war with Japan and the threat of an Alaskan
invasion, United States Army engineers and contractors were given the
task of building the Alaska Military Highway from the railhead at Dawson
Creek, British Columbia, to Fairbanks, Alaska, a distance of 1,523
miles. The agreement between Canada and the United States was made
on February 14, 1942, and within 2 years the highway was completed,
at a total cost estimated at around $138,000,000.

The Geological Survey of Canada had seven geological field parties
at work in northeastern British Columbia and contiguous areas in 1943.
A geological reconnaissance was made along thenewly built Alaska Highway
between Fort St. John and Fort Nelson, British Columbia, by C. O. Hage
(1944); from Fort Nelson to Watson Lake, Yukon, by M. Y. Williams
(1944); and from Watson Lake to Teslin Lake, Yukon, by C. 8. Lord
(1944). E. D. Kindle (1944) traversed Fort Nelson River from Fort
Nelson to Liard River and ascended the latter stream to Hades (Hell)
Gate, and made a short trip up Beaver River into southeastern
Yukon. The coal deposits in the vicinity of Hasler Creek, a tributary of
Pine River in the Peace River district, were examined by J. Spivak (1944),
and some detailed geological mapping was done; C. H. Crickmay (1944)
mapped the Pouce Coupé-Peace River area, Alberta, bordering on the
British Columbia boundary; and F. H. McLearn and E. J. W. Irish (1944)
searched for workable coal seams in the Foothills on the north side of
Peace River.

During the summer of 1944, a geological reconnaissance was made by
©. O. Hage along Liard River from below the mouth of Fort Nelson River
to Birch River, a distance of 200 miles, and traverses were run up its tribut-
aries, Labiche, Kotaneelee, Petitot (Black), Muskeg, South Nahanni,
Blackstone, and Birch Rivers. In addition, Hage spent 3 weeks around
Trout Lake. A detailed study of Triassic stratigraphy was made the same
year by F. H. McLearn in the Halfway, Sikanni Chief, and Tetsa basins.
W. H. Mathews investigated the coal deposits and stratigraphy of the
Carbon Creek-Mount Bickford map-area for the British Columbia Depart-
ment of Mines in 1944 and 1945; his report (1947) includes a coloured
geological map of the area.

During the summer of 1946, L. R. Laudon and B. J. Chronic (1947)
made a study of the Mississippian rocks of Meramec age along the Alaska
Highway from the Liard bridge on the northwest to mile 381 at Tetsa
River on the southeast.

Commencing about 1948, some of the larger oil companies, such as the
Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, Shell Oil Company, Imperial Oil Limited,
and Phillips Petroleum Company, have been conducting geological
exploration in the country made accessible by the Alaska Highway. The
Geological Survey is indebted in a number of instances to officers of these
companies for information given and for fossil collections supplied.