3

prospecting for petroleum. Only one attempt has been made so far at
deep drilling for oil. In 1940-42 the British Columbia Government drilled
a well to a depth of 6,940 feet on the Commotion Creek faulted anticline
on Pine River, but failed to penetrate the Lower Cretaceous, Bullhead
group to the more favourable Triassic and Paleozoic strata. No oil or gas
was encountered. Further drilling by some of the large oil companies is
anticipated now that the Alaska Highway has made this northerly Foot-
hills belt more readily accessible.

Small amounts of fine placer gold have been recovered from time to
time from gravel bars along Finlay, Parsnip, Peace, and Liard Rivers, but
the yield has not encouraged extensive placer mining operations. No
metallic mineral lode deposits of economic value have yet been found east
of the Rocky Mountain Trench in this part of British Columbia, though
the region retains some possibilities, as productive lead-zinc mines occur
at Field, British Columbia, in the southern Rocky Mountains under very
similar geological conditions.

ACCESSIBILITY

The Alaska Highway, reaching more than 1,500 miles northwest from
Dawson Creek, British Columbia, to Fairbanks, Alaska, is the main artery
for the flow of goods and services into northeastern British Columbia.
Dawson Creek is accessible from Edmonton via the Northern Alberta
railway (495 miles). The Pine Pass highway is also under construction to
connect Dawson Creek with Prince George, and in dry weather it is possible
to drive west from Fort St. John along the north side of Peace River by way
of Hudson Hope (See Plate I A) to the Beattie farm (Gold Bar) in the
middle of the Foothills (See Plate I B).

In the early days of the fur trade most travel through northeastern
British Columbia was by boat or by horse, and in winter by dog sled.
Liard River gave entry to the northern part of the province from the
Mackenzie, but so many rapids and so much fast water were encountered
above Hades (Hell) Gate that this route to the west was soon neglected.
The Liard is, however, readily navigable for river boats to the mouth of
Fort Nelson River and for 100 miles up the latter stream to Fort Nelson.
Sikanni Chief River is said to be navigable by canoe, when the water is
high, from the Highway crossing down to Fort Nelson River.

Peace River, navigable for 500 miles between Vermilion Chutes (150
miles up Peace River) and Hudson Hope, became the natural southern route
into this region in the early history of the country, but has been superseded
by good roads, and truck and railway transportation. West of Hudson
Hope, water traffic is impeded by the necessity of portaging around the
18-mile long Peace River Canyon. Aside from this portage the river route
may be continued west to the head of Peace River and up both of its great
tributaries, Finlay and Parsnip Rivers. A good boat route also leads to
the head of Peace River from Prince George via Summit Lake, Crooked
River, McLeod Lake, and Pack and Parsnip Rivers.

Finlay River is navigable as far up as Fort Ware, the Hudson’s Bay
Company post at the junction of Kwadacha and Finlay Rivers. Deserters
Canyon, half a mile long, is the only hazardous section on the Finlay, and is