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Activities of the Geographical Branch in Northern Canada, 1947-1957

Activities of the Geographical Branch in Northern Canada, 1947-1957

246 NORTHERN NEWS in twenty M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees. underthe jurisdiction of thefederal Thesecond grant does not include government.1In the decade since the funds for a Senior Fellowship each year,Branch’s inauguration, geographers but there is continued support for the have carried out various kinds of field library of the Arctic Institute, which is surveysin the Canadian Arctic and used extensively bythe McGill Carnegie subarctic,from the northern coast of students. In the summer of 1956, at the EllesmereIsland to theHudson Bay beginning of the secondprogram, ten coastal plain in , and from the scholars were in thefield, ranging from Alaskaboundary to Labrador. These the northeast part of Labrador to Akla- surveys have varied from parties formed vik and from Contwoyto Lake to Nettil- entirely of geographersto individual lingLake. The fields of investigation shipboard observers or representatives wereglacial , marine biology, on collaborative teams of scientists. physiography, and fresh water The collectionof basic information on biology, economic , and orni- the vast unknown expansesof the Arctic thology.In the summer of 1957 three is peculiarly suited to the application of Carnegiescholars and several of the geographicmethods. Utilizing the previous years’ grantees did field work trimetrogonand vertical photography inthe North: C. I. Jackson,a United carried out since World War11, geogra- Kingdom citizen, worked outof McGill’s phers have applied sampling techniques Knob Lake laboratory on problems of ininterpreting larger areas, making short-waveradiation and reflection intensive field studies of representative from the ground. His field work is part terraintypes and expanding them by of alonger-term McGillprogram of use of the air photos in delimiting, de- researchin micro- in the scribingand analysing physiographic subarctic.Jackson later joined the regions. Studies in McGill group of graduate students that have been the backbone of the work of are making up the winter party on the the Branch in the Arctic. Air photo in- Canadian Defence Research Board’s Ex-terpretation keys have been prepared pedition to Lake Hazen, Ellesmere Is- for 14 areas: Alert, Eureka, Mould Bay, land,during the International Geo- Resolute,Mackenzie Delta, Darnley physicalYear. M. T. Millett,a U. S. Bay,Coppermine, Bathurst Inlet, citizen, joined a party from the Ameri- BoothiaIsthmus, Wager Bay, South- canGeophysical Society toAlaska, amptonIsland, Kaniapiskau-Koksoak where his field work was part of Inter- Riversin Ungava, the nationalGeophysical Year investiga- Railway,and the Kenogami . tions of glaciersand glacial geology. Reportson the of Finally, D. Steele, a Canadian, spent the various areas were included in thefield summer on the Labrador coast, collect- reportsand are mainly unpublished; ing and investigating anthipods. several studies in SVENNORVIC also resulted from the field surveys. The choice of areas investigated in the Activities of the Geographical Branch first few years of Branch field activities in , 1947-19571 was dictated partly by the requirements The Geographical Branch of the De- of federalgovernment departments, partment of Mines and Technical Sur- partlyby the presence of settlements veyswas created in 1947. Underits which could be used as basesfor opera- terms of references, part of its responsi- tions, partly by the staff available and bilityis the collection and analysis of partly by the availability of air photo geographicalinformation on northern coverage. Because of these limitations, Canada,in particular the territories it was only in recent years thatan inte- - gratedregional program of research 1Published with the permission of the could be established, allowing geogra- ~ Director, Geographical Branch,Department 1Nicholson, N. L. 1957. The Geographical of Mines and Technical Surveys, Ottawa. Branch, 1947-1957. Can. Geog.No. 10: 61-68. NORTHERN NEWS 247 pherstospecialize regionally. It is in 1951, Gadbois and J. S. Tener of the expected thatthis specialization will CanadianWildlife Survey worked to- continue,to the end that regional getherin the vicinity of Eureka. The monographsmay be prepared after a Branchassigned J. K. Fraser as the number of years of field study in each departmentalrepresentative onthe of several regions. Aklavik Relocation Survey team in the MackenzieDelta in 1954.1 W.G. Ross Collaborativesurveys with other was employed by the Branch in 1957 to scientists and organizations. Collabora- accompany M. Marsden of McGill Uni- tive surveys were initiated early in the versity in a survey of the Baffin Island history of the Branch, mainly for rea- coast along northern . sons of convenience and transportation costs. J-. L. Jennlss was attacned to a Observers on government and H.B.C. scientific party including specialists in vessels. Geographers have accompanied , , and botany, trav- ships on the joint Canada-U.S. Weather elling by Canso aircraft in the western Stations Resupply Mission thein eastern Arctic in 1948 and 1949.1 B. Shindman Arctic from time to time, namely R. T. accompaniedanother Canso party in Gajda and T. R. Weir in 1948, Gajda in 1949 in the western Arctic and in the 1949, D. W. Kirk in 1950, R. J. E. Brown sameyear, the Branch supported the and L. Prior in 1951, W. C. Wonders in NAUJA expedition to FoxeBasin.2 The 1952, and W. A. Black in 1956 and 1957.2 NAUJA group was ledby T. H. Manning In 1948, G. A.Wood travelledon the and included C. L. Merrill, geographer Hudson’s Bay Company vesselRuperts- and engineer,R. W. Packer, geographer, land inthe eastern Arctic and J. K. D. B. Coombs, geographer and surveyor, Fraser on tugs of the Northern Trans- C. A. Burns, geologist, W. K. W. Bald- portationCompany on the Mackenzie win,botanist and A. W. Macpherson, River and the Hudson’s Bay Company cook and assistant zoologist. In 1948, P. vessels FortRoss and Nigalik in the Gadbois was attached to a party which western Arctic.3 crossednorthwest Ungava by canoe In 1948, T. Lloyd (then head of the from Povungnituk to Payne Bay,3 and Branch) visited on Corn- - Wallis Island. D. W. Kirk was killed in IJenness, J. L. 1952. Erosive forces in the 1950 in the crashof an RCAF Lancaster physiography of western arctic Canada. at Alert. In 1953 and 1954, N. L. Nichol- Geog. Rev. 42: 238-252. son, then assistant director, visited field 1952. Problem of glaciation in parties on Boothia Peninsula and inthe the western islands of arctic Canada. Geol. Mackenzie Delta respectively. SOC.Amer. Bull. 63: 939-952. 1953. The physical geography Regional surveys composed of federal of the waters of the western Canadian geographers. In 1948, J. B. Bird, accom- Arctic. Geog. Bull. No. 4: 32-64. panied by W. G. Dean, A. H. Laycock, ZBaldwin, W. K. W. 1951. Biological in- and M. B. Bird, began his field studies in vestigation of the 1949 Foxe Basin Expedi- thecentral Arctic, working along the chain of lakes between Baker Lake and tion.Ann. Rept. Nat. Mus.Can., 1949-50 ___ (Bull. NO. 123), pp. 162-165. IFraser, J. K. 1956. Physiographic notes Burns, C. A., and A. E. Wilson. 1952. Geo- on features in the MackenzieDelta area. logicalnotes on localities in , Can. Geog. No. 8: 18-23. Hudson Bay and Foxe Basin visited during ZBlack, W. A. 1957. A report on sea ice an exploration cruise, 1949. Geol. Surv. Can. conditionsin the eastern Arctic,summer Paper 52-25,16 pp. 1956. Ottawa: Dept. of Mines and Tech. Fraser, J. K. 1953. The islandsin Foxe Surv., Geog.Branch, Geog. Paper No. 9, Basin. Geog. Bull. No. 4: 1-31. 21 PP. 3Gadbois, P. 1949. De la baie d’Hudson h 3Fraser, J. K. 1949. Summer journey la baie Ungava.L’ActualitB Economique down the Mackenzie and along the western 25: 300-322. Arctic Coast, 1948. Arctic Circ. 2: 11-13. 248 NORTHERN NEWS

Beverley Lake in the District of Kee- Fraser, carried out investigations in the watin.1 In 1950, Bird, with Dean, M. B. Darnley Bay area.’ Mackay continued Birdand W. D. Bell, traversedthe thiswork in 1954, assistedby J. K. southerncoasts of Southampton Stager andV. W. Sim, on the Geograph- Island,2 andcontinued this study in ical Branch schoonerTuhlik in the Delta 1952 with M. B. Bird in theWager Bay- and theEskimo lakes.1 In 1955, Mackay, Repulse Bay area.3 In 1954, J. B. and with J. K. Stathers,travelled in the M. B. Bird worked in the Bathurst Inlet Tuhlik from Aklavik to Cape Bathurst, area,4 and M. Marsden and G. Falconer investigating the LiverpoolBay area traversed the mainland coast of Coro- andthe lower Anderson River.2 The nation Gulf between Rae River and PortTuhlik was again utilized in 1957 when Epworth, working from the settlement Mackay,with W.E. S. Henochand at Coppermine. These studies were ex- W. C. Wallace, traversed the coast from tended in 1956 when J. B. Bird and M. the Delta to past Herschel Island. Marsdeninvestigated thearea sur- Studies of thecentral Arctic Coast rounding Contwoyto Lake. and adjacent islands were commenced The MackenzieDelta andadjacent by J. K. Fraser in the spring and sum- coastlands studies were begun in 1951 mer of 1953 in the Boothia Isthmus area, when J. R.Mackay, assisted by J. K. accompanied by C. Laverdiere.3 In 1955, - Fraserand B. Freboldstudied the lBird, J. B. 1951. Physiography of the southeastern coastlands of Victoria Is- middle and lower Thelon Basin.Geog. Bull. land,working from . NO.1: 14-29. Assistedby W. E. S. Henoch, Fraser 1953. The glaciation of central worked along the south coast of King Keewatin, N.W.T. Amer. J. Sci. 251: 215-230. William Island in 1956 and carried out Dean, W. G. 1953. The drumlinoid features investigations in Sherman Inlet.4 of the Barren Grounds, N.W.T. Can. Geog. - NO.3: 19-30. Surv., Geog. Branch, Mem. No. 5. In press. ZBird, J. B. 1953. . Fraser J. K. 1952. Identification of Pe- Ottawa:Dept. of Mines andTech. Surv., titot’s Riviere La Ronciere-le Noury. Arc- Geog. Branch, Mem. No. 1, 84 pp. tic 5: 224-234. 3 1954. Postglacial marine IMackay, J. R. 1956. Mackenzie deltas - a submergence incentral arcticCanada. Geol. progress report. Can. Geog. No. 7: 1-11. SOC.Amer. Bull. 65: 457-464. Stager, J. K. 1956. Progress report on the 1955. Terrain conditions analysis of the characteristics and distri- in the central Canadian Arctic. Geog. Bull. bution of pingos east of the Mackenzie NO.7: 1-16. Delta. Can. Geog. No. 7:13-20. 4 1955. Postglacial emer- ZMackay, J. R. 1956. Deformationby gence of the land around Bathurst Inlet, glacier ice at Nicholson Peninsula, N.W.T., N.W.T. Can. Geog. No. 6: 7-12. Canada. Arctic9: 219-228. and M. B. Bird. 1957. Notes 1956. Noteson oriented on potential building sites in Bathurst Inlet lakes of the Liverpool Bay area, N.W.T. area, N.W.T. Ottawa:Dept. of Mines and Revue Can. de Geog. 10: 169-174. Comment Tech. Surv., Geog. Branch, Geog. Paper and reply in: Revue Can. de Geog. 11: 175- No. 8,13 pp. 178. SMackay, J. R. 1952. Physiography of the 1957. Notes on small boat Darnley Bay area, N.W.T. Can. Geog. No. 2: harbours, N.W.T. Ottawa: Dept. Mines and 31-34. Tech. Surv., Geog. Branch, Geog. Paper 1953. Post-glacial drainage No. 13,ll pp. changes in the Darnley Bay area, N.W.T., 3Fraser, J. K. 1957. Tracing Ross across Canada.Yearbook Assoc.Pacific Coast Boothia. Can. Geog. No. 10: 40-60. Geog. 15. 4 1957. Noteson birds ob- AndersonRiver map served in the centralCanadian Arctic, 1953, area. Ottawa: Dept. of Minesand Tech. 1955, and 1956. Can. Field-Nat. 71: 192-199. NORTHERN NEWS 249

Regionalstudies were made in the Yukon River,l and P. Gadbois and I. A. Queen Elizabeth Islands in the vicinity Mackayspent the summer of 1950 in of the weather stations. Following Gad- the Mealy Mountains of southern Lab- bois’ field work at Eureka in 1951, he rador.2 W. A. Blackcarried out eco- and C. Laverdi6re spent the summer of nomic studies along the Labrador coast 1952 at Alert.1 In the same year, J. R. in 1950 and 1952.3 Mackayand J. K. Stagercarried out studies in southern and western Corn- Ofice studies pertaining to the Arctic. wallis Island.2 Various studies involving archival re- The Mould Bay area was investigated searchand photo interpretation have in 1955 by B. Robitaille and L. Hudon, been carried on for some years in the while V.W. Sim and M. Marsden ex- Branch. The Canadian Ice Distribution tendedthe Eureka study.3 Robitaille Surveyoriginally included northern and J. G. L. Trotier worked in eastern Cornwallis Island in1956. waters only and was later extended to conditions in the Gulf of St. Lawrence Studieswere recommenced in the Foxe Basin area in 1957, when V. W. andinland waters.4 The extraction of Simand D. Bissettinvestigated the terrain information from overt publish- northernpart of MelvillePeninsula, edsources is acontinuing project in W. G. Ross and M. Marsden worked in which such information is plottedon the northern Foxe Basin and B. Robitaille NationalTopographic Series maps and H. Wargon spent the summer study-(1: 508,660) and cross-indexed on cards. ing the coastal areas of Foxe Peninsula A special project involved the prepara- on Baffin Island. tion of a seriesof maps showing relative relief and surface materials for use in Subarcticfield investigations. Sum- the planning of the Distant Early Warn- mersurveys along the fringe of the ing Line. Arctic include those ofW. G. Dean on A booklet on the general geography theKenogami and Albany in northern Ontario,4 R. N. Drummond on of the Canadian Arctic was published the Kaniapiskau and Koksoak rivers in in 1951.5 An issue of FOCUS,published Ungava and H. A. Wood and V. W. Sim by the American Geographical Society along the Hudson Bay Railway in Mani-in 1952, was based on a manuscript by toba,5 all in 1952. In 1949, Barbara Gut- sell and Lera Lake travelled along the IGutsell, Barbara. 1953. DawsonCity. Geog. Bull. No. 3: 23-49. lGadbois, P. and C. Laverdikre. 1954. ZGadbois, P. and I. A. Mackay. 1954. A Esquissegeographique de la region de vegetationmap of the Carter Basin area, Floeberg Beach,nord de 1’Ile Ellesmere. LakeMelville lowlands, Newfoundland. Geog. Bull. No. 6: 17-44. Geog. Bull.No. 5: 1-3. ZMackay, J. R. 1953. Fissures and mud 3Black, W. A. 1956. Population distribu- circles on CornwallisIsland, N.W.T. Can. tion of the Labrador coast, Newfoundland. Geog. No. 3: 31-37. Geog. Bull. No.9: 53-74. 3Sim, V. W. Geographicalaspects of 4Fraser, J. K.1952. Canadian ice distribu- weather and climate atEureka, N.W.T. tion survey. Arctic Circ. 5: 56. Reprinted in Geog. Bull. No. 10. In press. Arctic 5: 195. 4Dean, W. G. 1956. Glacial features of the Forward, C. N. 1956. Sea ice conditions Hearst-Cochrane map-sheet area. Can. along the HudsonBay route. Geog.Bull. Geog. No. 8: 35-45. NO.8: 22-50. Human geographyof the SRobinson, J. L., et al. 1951. An introduc- Basin. Geog. Bull. No. 10. In tion to the geography of the Canadian Arc- press. tic. Ottawa: Dept. of Mines and Tech. Surv., SSim, V. W. 1956. ThePas, . Geog. Branch, Infor. Series No. 2, xii + 118 Geog. Bull. No. 8: 1-21. PP. 250 NORTHERN NEWS

Activities of the Geographical Branch in northernCanada, 1947-57.

N. L. Nicholson,l who, in 1953, contrib- a special study based on reports and air uted to a symposium on arctic mapping photographswas published in 1955.1 at the annual meeting of the American The Branch supported the publication Society of .2 In 1954, in 1955 of a memoir onthe discovery and an article on the Hudson Bay lowlands exploration of the Queen Elizabeth Is- was published in the Geographical Bul- lands.2 Studies in progressinclude letin, part of the research for which was those byF. A. Cook onpatterned ground carried out in theemploy of the Branch in Canada, its geographical distribution in 1949.3 Because of theinterest in andthe problems and techniques of mining possibilities in northernUngava, studyingit, and by J. K. Fraseron freeze-thaw cycles and their relation to lNicholson, N. L. 1952. Resources of the mechanicalweathering in Canada. Arctic.Focus (Amer. Geog. SOC.), Vol. 2, No. 6,5pp. J. KEITHFRASER 2 1955. The contribution - of explorers to the mapping of arctic North IDrinnan, R. H. and L. Prior. 1955. Physi- America. Panel on arctic mapping. Photo- cal characteristics of the area. gramm. Eng.19: 380-385. Geog. Bull.No. 7: 17-37. 3Cooms,D. B. 1954. Thephysiographic ZTaylor, A. 1955. Geographical discovery subdivisions of the Hudson Bay lowlands and exploration inthe Queen Elizabeth south of 60 degrees north. Geog. Bull.No. 6: Islands. Ottawa: Dept. of Mines and Tech. 1-16. Surv., Geog. Branch, Mem. No. 3,172 pp.

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