National Libra* Bibliothrne nationale QfCanade dl r- TULE OF THESIS/TITRE DE LATHPSE Develaprrent of Se-ftle&nt Pattern in Hay River, . _ - .1 i * ort the st Territmies, 189'2-1971:~~ . CANADA s microfilm this thesis&d to lend o; sell eopir ' QUE NATIONALE. DU'CA~MDA-de nicrfilmr cette tMsr et a % 4,- -/ of the film. de pr&er w de vermke des exemplt!res du film. - * - - a The a& msws oths p,hlicatim rights, .od neitk the L'mtwr si rl.@rve Ies ares ctoits de publicatim: ni 10 maai P nu extars iw extncts'fran it nay be pintd OF othp- tM.ml de longs enhits d. cd/+ci m dolvent Itre inprla(l wise repralu~eciwitbut the a~th0r.s written pecmissim. ou uutmmnt teptaduits 8anp /*autovis8tian dcrite de /*&W. I-- ley, B.C. THE DEVELOPMEW OF SETTLEMENT PATTERNS JN HAY RIVER, .I NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, 1892-1971 B.A. (hons)', Simon Fraser University, 1970 THESIS SUBMITTED IN PART= FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF Y -- 2 - --- - - - MASTER OF ARTS # . in the Department of . Geography .@ 'WILLIAM WAYNE ZARCHIKOFF 1975 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY May 1975 All rights reserved. This thesis ma$ not be reproduced in , -- -~ble-~.h-gart-,-by-ph~~y-or~me~~~e~ mission of the author. APPROVAL -- - Name : William W. Zarchikoff Degree : Master of Arts Title of Thesis : The Development of Settlement Patterns in Hay River, northwest Territories, 1892-1971 . Examining Committee: Chairman: R.B. Horsfall -- A. MacPherson Senior Supervisor E.M. ~ibzdon. J.& Stager Department of Geography University of Brstish Columbia - P I hereby grant to Simon Fraser University the right to lend b my thesis or dissertation (the title of which is shown below)-to uars wf the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single b copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its 'om behalf or for one of its users. Itfurther agree that permission for multiple copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes my be granted by me or the Dean pf Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Title of ~hesis/~issertation : 'The Developrent of Settlent Patterns' in Hay River, Northwest Territories., 1892-19 71. " July 14, 1975 . .. Eo Cm 8 a, -4 k al -4 k w PI W 5 0 0 :m -4 C, a k 4 +' C.rl ? C -d . k ? W a, k rl I C, a mao a, ,m -rlc +'h> 'a, C 9, & k a, a, C, W k m +' a,' m 84al-d a, to 3 5 C C, rl +' m a,$m w . a, k 0 Ck 50, -rl a, . m U a T g +' C, C m -0 U C -4 a,km al a, a " PI w Z$C m 8 0 rl -4 m m rl mfxrl C, m G* rl +, m mhk m a, a, U mk a24 -4 m C .rl k 'I4 mwG 0 0 a, P 0 +' m m m a, a, a,&? -rl LICX C 2 6 -r( a, C k a, a .PI U$C m G . v) rlc, a, m a, 4J -4 - 4 8 aUc +J rl m '3 -4 m k a, h:g 3 0 +J -4 a =r -4 -4 3 0 c, C 5 +' W UPC 5 k m 5 .d m m w k a, w tr dk 0--C1 -m co? a, a, kW PI m a, 0 a, C, kk U 3 m m W km a, c '3-9 2 % USF ,a c-3 scape in stages with an analysis of the factors that bring about , successive changes in the larldscape and hence the settlement of ' Hay River today. The most striking feature of each phase of development was the close association between a specific technological improvement or a natural disaster and the building of a new Hay River. Each Itnew to.wnU, except the fishing village, was built ) to 'supercede or replace the original town. It was shown that P this did not happen, but a lag developed in terms of people moving to Bhe new towns; because of this we'may infer that four Hay 5 Rivers exist at the same moment. Each Hay River has adopted a specific character or personality of its own. In examining the historical geography of Hay River, much insight is to be gained into the problems of northern development; it ig incumbent upon geographers'further to develop techniques for the description and analysis of factors that have contributed to the geography of northern settlements, so that they are equipped with a greater range of alternatives in dealing with such problems. 4' 4' ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people participated in this study from its inception to completion. Grateful appreciation-ismade to my wife - Diane and .children Sherry and ~ebeccawho helped irf many ways. I am also indebted to Messrs Marten Brown, John Clark. ~erekMacleod. Robert Kissner, Mrs. Jennett Crew and Ms. Theresa Townsend who offered consultative services which were utilized. Thanks are also due to Mr. R. Francis, (the photographs) and my senior supervisor, Professor MacPherson, whose willingness to offer assistance during both the data collection and analysis phases of this research is extremely appreciated. A special thanks to Dr. Edward Gibson for.his thoughtful- ness and resourcefulness in helping me prepare this study. 2 Last, but certainly not least I want to thank the members of the Simon Fraser University Graduate Scholarship Fund for without their assistance,"this study would not have been finished. - LIST OF MAPS AND FIGURES LIST OF PLATES LIST OF TABLES - CHAPTER INTRODUCTIQQ-- METHOD REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND SOURCES REFERENCES, Chapter I CHAPTER THE PRE-EUROPEAN INDIGENOUS AND EARLY FUR TRADE PHASE OF SETTLEMENT IN THE GREAT SLAVE LAKE AREA 22 THE EARLY FU$! TRADE ROUTE 27 * REFERENCES, Chapter I1 32 dr CHAPTER THE HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHX OF THE SETTLEMENT OF HAY RIVER (1892-1938) 34 CHANGES IN MODES OF TRANSPORTATION 42 REFERENCES, Chapter 111 CHAPTER HIERARCHY 51 . .* HAY RIVER HARBOUR THE GRIMSHAW TRAIL THE FISHING INDUSTRY NEW TOWN - 67 REFERENCES, chapter IV - - !I % / I CONVERGENCE UPON THE &EW TOWN AND ITS CONSEQUENCES (1964-198713 75 ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE INQPIRY IN - . HAY RIVER 86 SWRY 90 REFERENCES, Chapter v BIBLIOGRAPHY -. , - - - ?- ~~~- - - ~. -- -- ~ -- ~ ~ f ~ ~ vii - LIST OF MAPS AND FIGURES Page Map A Location of Hay River in relation to present- day lines of communication and other settlements xii Map 1 Hay River Delta 2 Map 2 The original settlement of Hay River located on t5e east bank of the Hay River 3< Map t 3 Hay River, Northwest-Territories, West Channel 53 Map 4 Hay River, ~orthwestTerritories, New Town 79 Fig. I .. Great Slave Lake, Indian tribes Fig. I1 The development of the early fur trade ~ig.I11 Number of posts operated in Hay River, 1870-1970 Fig. IV List of fur trade posts in Hay River by time & + ownership, before 1870-1971 Fig. V Great Slave Lake, developments in transportatian Fig. VI The Mackenzie Basin Big. VI-I The Mackenzie Highway viii LIST OF PLATES i- - - - - - - Page d Plates 1 and. 2. The Hay River, -from approximately thgee 12 miles south of New Town \ Plate 3. Areal View of Hay ~iverSettlement Plate 4. The Hay River, from approximately three -miles south of New Town 47 Plate 5. ~lexandraFalls, Hay ~iver 56 - Plate 6. Louise Falls, Hay River Plate 7. Lakeshore Development ofawest Channel Settle- ment 64 - Plate 8. Mackenzie Highway and West Channel Settlement 64 PJate 9. The Mackenzie Highway ~nt&in~Old Town 70 Plate 10. Main Street (The Mackenzie Highyay) Old Town, Hay River 70 Plate -11. Residential Building in tale Island Settle- ment / - 71 5 Plate b2. he C.N. ~elec&unications Building in Vale Island ' - 7i Plate 13. Wooden Sidewalks in Hay River 72 Plate 14. Typical Residential Building in New own, Hay . River 76 *A - Plate 15. Typical Resident-ial,Building in New Town, for N.T.C.L. employees 76 Plate 16. Trailer Residence in New Town, Hay River, for $ N.T.C.L. employees 77 Plate 17. Federal Government Housing Project for ~reac~ \ Indians in New Town, Hay River 77 LIST OF TABLES Page Great Slave Lake Engineering Design Data Climatic Elements Hay River, Northwest - 1 Territories, Canada TABLE Great Slave Lake surface Conditions TABLE -Population Census, 1941-1971 TABLE Great Slave Lake Fishery Production Figures, = 1945-1952 J , t There is'very little in the present-day landscape that cannot be explained by reference to the past. The geography of the present is Ztlmost all history. -H.c. Prince in -The Geoqraphical +% - Imaqination *: '3- 4 % N'" - i ++> ,. - - i ' me hvman geo&apher has.,the obligation to make cultural processes the base of his thinking and observations. His curiosity is directed to the circumstances under which groups * v or cultures have diverged from, or been assimilated to, oth&rs. , " ''~ostof the history of man has been a matter of differentiation of culture and of reconvergences.- <.. ,-- . .- -L a: - ' *< a -z .' -Carl.:bkt~inSauer in Forward to Historiqal Geography xii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Tugboats and barges, freight trains and bush planes, trucks and bu3ldozers. River, Northwest Territories. Mgat'S Is country.Hay Transportation hub of the north, Doorway to the western Arctic-. End of steel for the CN1s Great Slave Lake Railway. Beginning of the Mackenzie River's trans-shipment lifeline, Hustle and bustle. <* 0 < - "It's also-a town racked with the gaw-damndest growing pains," says Mayor Don Stewart. "We've grown so fast from a little Indian village to an up-and-coming boom town we don't know which direction we're heading." - Frank Rasky, 9 Main.Street 1 - Hay ~'i~er.,Northwest Territories is "up-and-coming , boom Fownn which is made up of several concentrations of pop- ulation: the New Town, the old Town, the West Channel and the Old Indian Village.