culture organized special surveys for the study of the
agricultural and horticultural possibilities and the Depart-
ment of Fisheries, through the Fisheries Research Board
of Canada, organized field surveys of the fresh-water
fisheries. The Dominion Bureau of Statistics undertook
special statistical studies and the Meteorological Division

of the Department of Transport carried out a study of

the climate of the region. The Government of British

Columbia undertook special studies of the mineral and
forest resources of northern British Columbia.

Following the great improvement in the war situation
in the Pacific in 1944, the United States withdrew from
the Project. It was decided, however, that the Canadian
group should not only continue the study of the Canadian
territory outlined under the Project, but that the area
should be enlarged by extending the eastern boundary to
the 110th Meridian of longitude from its intersection with
the Clearwater River east of McMurray, Alberta, to the
Arctic Coast. This brought the part of Canada under
study to about 1,000,000 square miles.

The surveys, investigations, and special studies have
involved the work of a great many men, each of them a
specialist in one or the other of the fields covered. While
an overall policy was laid down for each of these investi-
gators to follow and their studies were all directed to the
same objectives, the great mass of material submitted had
to be reviewed, summarized, and correlated, in order that
uniformity of treatment should be obtained and a coherence
given to the whole report. This was necessary also in
order that general conclusions might be drawn and recom-
mendations made. It was felt, therefore, that the synthesis
of all this material should be the work of one man. Such
a man was not easy to find. It was finally decided- to
ask Marvin W. Maxwell, Chief of Development, Depart-
ment of Research and Development of the Canadian
National Railways, to undertake this task. This decision
was reached because Mr. Maxwell was not only familiar
with a great deal of the country under study, but his duties
for the Canadian National Railways had involved his
making investigations and reports of similar character.
The concurrence of both President R. C. Vaughan, C.M.G.,
and Vice-President $. W. Fairweather was obtained, and
Mr. Maxwell generously accepted the assignment in spite
of the fact that it meant doing a very great part of the
work in such time as could be spared from his official
duties. Mr. Maxwell is consequently responsible for
the writing of the report which follows, and his work is
hereby gratefully acknowledged.

Mr. Odell, who was very largely responsible for the
planning of the investigations, was associated with Mr.
Maxwell in the preparation of the report.

In a work of this kind where factual data compiled by
departmental officers have been freely used, sometimes
including whole sections from reports, it has not been
possible in all cases to give credit where it is due.

{6}

the Governments of Alberta and British Columbia.

CI ELLA

In the preparation of the various chapters or sections
that make up the main body of this work, the Director
and his colleagues have enjoyed the collaboration and
advice of a number of authorities.

Quotations have been made freely from the published
reports of the Department of Mines and Resources. While »
acknowledgment of contributions by officers of that Depart-
ment are made throughout the text, it might be especially
mentioned that in the preparation of the section on Physio-
graphy and Geology the collaboration of Dr. George Hanson,
Chief Geologist of the Mines and Geology Branch, has .
been invaluable. Portions of the text are adapted from
the reports and memoranda of Dr. H. S. Bostock, Dr. G. S.
Hume, O.B.E., Dr. B. R. MacKay, and Dr. A. W. Jolliffe,
of that Branch, and much of the discussion of the oil possi-
bilities of the Mackenzie Valley has been drawn from the
work of J. S. Stewart, M.B.E., from whose reports direct
quotations have been made A. Joanes undertook the
preparation of the maps.

We are indebted to R. A. Gibson, 1.8.0., Director
of the Lands, Parks and Forests Branch and Deputy Com-
missioner of the Northwest Territories, for his advice
and assistance in many ways. The section on Forests
was adapted from reports and memoranda of W. E. D.
Halliday, H. L. Holman, and F. H. R. Jackson, of the
Dominion Forest Service, and from material supplied by
The
section on Wild Life was prepared from reports of Dr.
GC. H. D. Clarke, and Dr. A. L. Rand, former members
of the staff of the Department of Mines and Resources,
and was reviewed by Dr. O. H. Hewitt of the National
Parks Bureau. W. F. Lothian, also of that Branch, was

responsible for the review and editing of the section dealing
with Inland Water Transportation.

Much of the material on Highways, notably references
to the Alaska Highway, has been drawn from the reports
and advices of J. M. Wardle, C.B.E., Director of the Surveys
and Engineering Branch. References are drawn also from
the report of the British Columbia Yukon-Alaska Highway
Commission, of which Mr. Wardle was a member. The
section on Water Power was prepared in its entirety by

Norman Marr, of the Dominion Water and Power Bureau
of that Branch.

The references to Native Population were drawn from
material of ‘the Indian Affairs Branch of the Department of
Mines and Resources.

In the preparation of the important section on Agri-
culture we are indebted to Dr. E. $. Archibald, C.B.E.,
Director of the Experimental Farms Service of the Depart-
ment of Agriculture, whose contributions and views are
basic to our conclusions. The data on soils are sub-
stantially the work of Dr. A. Leahy, of the Experimental
Farms Service, and Dr. F. A. Wyatt, Dr. J. L. Doughty,
and O. R. Younge, of the Research Council of Alberta.
For reference to the agricultural section in British Columbia,