Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
is deliciously warm but not hot. With the wind riding off the lake we are dry before we get
the towels out.
Interesting Info:
the Alaska Highway
During the early days of World War II a chain of airfields stretching through the wilderness
from Edmonton, Alberta to Fairbanks, Alaska was used by the Lend-Lease program to
move some 8,000 aircraft to Russia. There was talk of building an overland road, but in the
face of such overwhelming geographical obstacles, it stayed talk.
In 1941 Pearl Harbour changed all that. Protecting America's most northerly coastline with
a supply line capable of moving vast quantities of troops and equipment became the must-
do project of the year.
It would not be easy. The route consisted of 2400 km /1500 mi of muskeg, mud holes and
mosquitoes with “boulders as big as boxcars” thrown in to make it challenging.
It would be a cooperative venture between the Canadians and the Americans with Mile 0
established at Dawson Creek in British Columbia. The agreement was that the US would
build the road at their expense. In exchange for ownership of the road located in Canada,
the Canadians provided right-of-way and waived taxes and immigration regulations. It was
a good deal for the Canadians. The official length of the “Alaska” Hwy is 2,238 km /1400
mi with all but 200 miles in Canadian territory.
Once the decision to proceed was made, there was no fooling around. Within three months
of the bombing of Pearl Harbour, the population of Dawson Creek had mushroomed from
600 to 10,000. Numbers vary according to who tells the story but during the next few
months 25-30,000 workers and 7-11,000 pieces of equipment were sent north and put to
work.
An astonishing eight months later, on November 10, 1942, the ribbon was cut on the new
AlcanHighway,“Alcan” beingthemilitary acronymforAlaska-Canada. Onthatdayitwas
little more than a dirt track but the accomplishment must not be underestimated. Pushed
through mountains, muskeg and tortuous swarms of bugs by sheer force of will, those
30,000 workers exhibited extraordinary determination. In 1996 the American Society of
CivicEngineersrecognizedthisaccomplishment bydesignatingtheAlaskaHighwayasthe
16 th International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in the world.
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