The RCMP patrol vessel Nadon, also known as St. Roch II, arrives in Halifax on Oct.10, 2000 completing a transit of the Northwest Passage from Vancouver to Halifax. The voyage was a re-enactment of the historic trip of the original St. Roch which ended in 1942.

Raush river park in Trudeau's name

We received this e-mail as part of a larger mailing to a number of paddlers from Paul van Peenan in B.C. "I usually don't do this but this time I hope you'll forgive me. Please read the following and send it in to the federal and provincial governments. Strike while the iron is hot. It may help protect a beautiful wilderness in a world that doesn't have too much of that any more."

Dear Member of Parliament

I would like to commend you and the federal government for putting forth the idea to honour former Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau by naming a prominent landmark after him. However, I find the idea of renaming Mount Logan rather tasteless and revisionist. Please consider the following idea to honour Pierre Elliot Trudeau:

In British Columbia's Cariboo Mountains is the Premier Range of mountains. Within this range is a wild and spectacular river called the Raush River. Its source is high up in the Premier Range and its watershed the largest intact and unprotected watershed in southern British Columbia. The creation of a new national park in honour of Pierre Elliot Trudeau seems appropriate.

Some of the mountains there already carry the names of great former statesmen such as Sir Wilfred Laurier, Louis St-Laurent, Mackenzie King and Lester Pearson. Prime Minister Trudeau's name obviously would be in appropriate company.

The new park should not however, just protect the high elevation rock and ice of the Premiers. The Raush River is one of three major rivers, originating in the Premiers. The others are the North Thompson and the Canoe (how appropriate is that?).

The Raush is the largest unprotected, undeveloped watershed in 'southern' British Columbia encompassing about 1000,000 ha. or 1,000 sq km.

Protecting the Raush would receive a good deal of local public support and I would venture to say national support. In my opinion, although there would be some opposition, it would not be so significant as to stop the protected area, especially since we would be honouring this great man.

Thank you for your consideration and good luck in the next election.

Restoring a Northern Library

David Pelly, noted northern author and resident of Cambridge Bay sent along this plea to help out that town's library. His letter is meant for authors but obviously any help offered would be greatly appreciated.

"In the summer of 1998, the high school and public library in this small but growing Arctic village burned down, a total loss. One onlooker described to me, with tears in her eyes, the sight of all the books' spines glowing red as they were engulfed in flames. We are rebuilding now, and a bigger, better library will open in just over a year. I am writing to ask for your help in re-establishing our collection of northern books, old and new. As writers, we all feel passionate about access to the written word. Nowhere is that resource more important than in this new, developing territory that stretches across the top of Canada. Our problem is that there is essentially no government funding available for the acquisition of either new books or the many out-of-print books we would like to have in the northern book collection.

"I shall be donating a copy of each of my own books, published over the years since 1981, all on different aspects of the North. Several other writers have indicated to me that they will do the same; some already have. For many to whom I will send this letter, it would be a way to give something back to the North, the place which provided the material and/or the inspiration for your books in the first place. And it is a gift that will endure, and be appreciated for decades to come. Tax receipts are available where needed. Please mail your book(s) to:

The KHS Northern Book Collection. PO Box 1097, Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada X0E 0C0. To contact David F. Pelly; tel/fax: 867-983-2648 or e-mail: pelly@polarnet.ca"

This article first appeared in Che-Mun Outfit 102 in 2000.