NEW TRADING OUTPOST

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21298, 27 September 1932, Page 9

NEW TRADING OUTPOST

MINERALS IN CANADA THE GREAT BEAR LAKE VANCOUVER. Sept. 12 A new outpost of civilisation has now been firmly established 750 miles farther north with the settlement of 150 white men at Great Bear Lake, just a year after Gilbert La Bine, veteran prospector of the North, made the first spectacular strike of radium there.

The history of Groat Bear goes back to the days when Franklin Dease and Simpson mado the lake their headquarters in exploring the Arctic coast. For many years Eskimos and Indians have spoken of " mountains of copper." Their enthusiasm is now shared by expert geologists and miners. Silver, with rich surface ore, has been discovered.

There are large deposits of copper in the Dismal Lakes sector, between Great Bear and Coronation Gulf. Gold is reported to extend right along the lino of lakes, from Great Bear to Great Slavo Lake. Copper is being developed near Echo and Hunter Bays. There is oil at Fort Norman, westward, on tho Mackenzie.

Only two white women have visited tho settlement. Princess Gallitzin, a Russian noblewoman, who resides at Edson, Alberta, halted there for two hours during the present summer, while touring the sub-Arctic by air. The other, Mrs. Gerhart, of Berwyn, Alberta, made the journey with her husband. Living is expensive. Utilising game and fish, the average meal costs 7s 6d. All freight and provisions must go in by air. Air freightage costs nearly £IOO a ton. There are two radio stations, one operated by the Government of Canada and the other by a mining syndicate. Already about a thousand claimg have been pegged out. 1