THE ICE HIGHWAY

Here at Carrington there are so many new faces from so many places in Canada, and so many new experiences to hear about and coax stories from residents about the early days of our great country. I have learned more about the ice roads in Canada’s north and how to test them for safety. Of course last winter’s ice roads have melted now as the summer season has arrived.

As we were waiting in line to vote here at Carrington I asked this question of the man behind me, who was seated in his indoor fancy rolling wheels, to tell me how they tested the ice roads for safety. One year the tree fellers had more than 20 road-ready trucks loaded with some of the winter’s take of downed trees. Their motors were revved up and slowly moved ahead as the ice road was being tested. The hope is that the ice is solid enough to hold the heavily loaded trucks with space for safety between them.

Before freeze up in the fall, the valley of the planned ice road had been filled with branches and tree roots unsuitable for the lumber mill to use. Our man took the lead truck followed by 20 others and began to move ahead and be ready for the safe signal to be called. The first three trucks were his own. The driver must watch the floor of his truck carefully to determine if there is any sign of moisture seeping through the crack at the bottom of the door. He must be ready at all times to instantly open the door and exit. Once the cab of the truck starts to fill, the pressure of the water soon prevents the door from being opened and the driver cannot escape. Meanwhile his helper is trying to pull at any reachable branch to determine the depth and strength of the road. In the melee the helper broke his leg. The driver has escaped and sees his once-powerful assistant down with the broken leg hanging by the skin and flesh at a right angle. We can only imagine what words must have split the early morning air as the driver shoved the leg back in its place, stopped the bleeding with an improvised hand made bandage and headed for the nearest hospital at Prince George. With time the injured man survived. Aside from acquiring a permanent limp he was able to return to work the next year. We ponder about global warming and trust our officials have a plan in place to fill this need. Perhaps with ferries or dog teams to replace the the ice roads of the north. Thanks Mr. Chapple for telling us about your experiences.