GRAND THEATRE L, HENRIET, Proprietor * Always the Best Entertainment * NATAL British Columbia Venezia Hotel TONY SIMONI, Proprietor Commercial and Tourist House Modern Cate Pool Room and Barber Shop in Connection Hot and Cold Water in Rooms - Baths Local and Long Distance Phones Day and Night NATAL British Columbia MOUNT BAKER HOTEL Mr. and Mrs. Joe Waswick, Proprietors Commercial Coffee Shop in Connection All Brick, Fireproof TOURIST HEADQUARTERS A-M-A Member CRANBROOK, B.C. Phone 92 Subscribe to the Shoulder Strap KING EDWARD HOTEL Teddor Prystay, Proprietor A GOOD PLACE TO STAY Clean Comfortable Rooms Courteous Service Licensed Premises * BRITISH COLUMBIA QUEENS HOTEL “The Telford's Your Hosts” @ Rooms with Bath CRANBROOK @ Licensed Premises @ Commercial Rates * CRANBROOK, B.C. “CITY OF THE ROCKIES” Telephone 576 Page Forty-two BC, PILOT CREDIIER “WITH TERRIFIC JOB” R.CMP. Flier, Crew Praised for Saving Lives of Party on Barren Arctic Tundra HE RESOURCEFULNESS of an R.C.M.P. pilot and his crew was credited by veteran R.C.A.F. fliers with saving a party of seven marooned beside their downed plane for four days and nights on the wind- swept Arctic tundra in February of this year. “He did a terrific job. In fact, everybody seemed to do the right thing,” said one senior member of the R.C.A.F. rescue party. He was speaking of R.C.M.P. Set. A. N. Beaumont of Vancouver, who flew his ski-equipped Otter plane back to its Churchill base after being forced down while en route to En- nadai Lake, N.W.T., 290 miles north- west of here. Sgt. Beaumont and his crew—Cpl. R.L. Fletcher of Holmfield, Man., co- pilot, and special constable G. E. Bartlett of Churchill, engineer—were flying four passengers when they were forced to set down 14 miles southeast of their destination. At Churchill, Sgt. Beaumont said: “We weren’t worried. We were pretty sure where we were and we had plenty to eat.” The downed party tried their “Gibson girl” radio but “apparently nobody heard it,” he said. The veteran Arctic flier played his cards right all the way. He said the Ennadai weather sta- tion apparently only received his ten- tative flight plans which gave an earlrer estimated time of arrival than his final plan filed later. The R.C.M.P. Otter was only about 20 minutes out of Ennadai when the station cut off its radio signal beam. Sgt. Beaumont said he assumed “they thought we were not coming.” When he lost the signal, the R.C.M.P. pilot said there was little chance of his finding Ennadai, due to the swirling snow and “we were get- tng low on fuel.” As he didn’t have sufficient fuel to return to Churchill, he decided to set down on a long level spot on the tundra. He landed without any diffi- culty and planned to take off the next day. However, the blowing snow made a take-off impossible for two successive days and the party used up most of their fuel for heating. When the weather did clear, there wasn’t suffi- cient fuel to risk the chance of finding Ennadai. “We decided we might as well settle down and wait,” Cpl. Fletcher said. “We never doubted search planes soon would be out.” All adults had Arctic experience. They soon pitched their tent over the nose of the plane, building snow walls around the canvas. They huddled around a gasoline-fired engine heater for warmth. The only casualties from the cold were Sgt. Beaumont, who suffered a frost-bitten cheek, and Cpl. Fletcher, who suffered a split thumb. * * NEW CANADIAN CAFE Full Course Meals — Chinese Dishes Our Specialty * NATAL British Columbia FERNIE BRANCH | CANADIAN LEGION, B.E.S.L. 36 * All Visiting Legionnaires Welcome Baker Avenue Fernie, B.C. FERNIE HOTEL J. Hughes and Frank Sopko, Proprietors A HOME FOR MINING MEN * Good Rooms - Reasonable Rates Running Hot and Cold Water Dining-Room in Connection FULLY LICENSED * FERNIE British Columbia THE SHOULDER STRAP