Why Whitemud Falls and the Clearwater River Should be Saved
By Sid and Jerry Paschen
Click on image for detail.
On December 13, 1988 Alberta Premier Don Getty announced approval in principal of the Alberta Pacific Joint Venture Pulp Mill. The fact that the forest area to be harvested included the Whitemud Falls and Clearwater River Valley was the last straw.
My first job as a new Canadian in 1957 was with the Northern Alberta Railroad, which introduced me to the northern wilderness. I continued working maintenance until a November frost ended the work season. In the early 60's the Manning government proposed hydroelectric development of the falls on the Clearwater intending to produce electric power for the Great Canadian Oil Sands. This event triggered my concern for this unique intact wilderness.
"We afterwards followed the river as far as Pine Portage when we passed through a very romantic defile of rocks which presented the appearance of Gothic ruins. Their rude characters were happily contrasted with the softness of the snow and the darker foliage of the pines crowned their summits."
-John Franklin, March 14, 1820
Reading every historical book and journal about this fur trade route, I became thoroughly familiar with the setting of this ruggedly beautiful valley which had excited mention from Peter Pond, Alexander Mackenzie, David Thompson, Sir John Franklin, Captain George Bach, Sir George Simpson, and native writer Charles Camsel. I had already been a youth hostel member for years then, and recognized the area's potential for international appeal. Native people used this portage route for well over 5000 years according to archeological evidence.
Chartering a float plane in 1996, I flew over the Whitemud falls stopping to fish at a nearby lake. I still have the 24 aerial photographs in my files. In the summer of 1968 my young family and I returned with Professor Al Connel, Dr. Stuart Mackinnon and the late archivist James Parker to identify the historic sites along the Methye Portage. Again in Febuary 1973, a fellow youth hostel member Lucas Golding and myself snowshoed from La Loche to Fort McMurray, photographed our hike, met and shared the warm hospitality of the trappers and their families along the Clearwater; Eddy Engstrom, the Brooks and the Williams.
Flowerpot Island in the Clearwater River. by Chris Harvey
That same year with assistance from the late professor L.H. Thomas, correspondence convinced Indian and Northern Affairs to commemorate Peter Pond with a cairn making the portage trail to the Clearwater River. This strategic portage interconnects the Hudson Bay with the Mackenzie basin, Canada's two greatest watersheds.
In the mid 1980's the Saskatchewan government established the upper Clearwater as a provincial park and dedicated the Clearwater to form part of the Canadian Heritage River System. This leaves the vital link between the Saskatchewan border and Fort McMurray vulnerable to exploitation until Alberta's portion is also so designated and protected.
Before 1991, Weyerhaeuser had been logging old-growth black spruce a mere 12 kilometers from the Whitemud Falls. Though the Forest Service has promised a two-year moratorium on logging in the Clearwater Valley, trapper Woody Lynch reports that aggressive quota holders are moving in.
Why this area should become a Provincial Park
The recreational value of wilderness could provide a sustainable economic base for the area. Kayaking, canoeing, river raft tours, cave exploration, fishing, bird watching, camping and wilderness tours are just a few of the possible businesses for area residents.
In February 1992, I retraced my steps in a second snowshoe hike with nine companions along the Methye Portage and the Clearwater River to bring attention to the urgent need to protect this ecological gem. Imagine the dismay of future hikers if upon reaching the Alberta border they find that the remainder of the Clearwater Valley had been clear-cut! Imagine the task of trying to reconstruct the old growth forest that has taken centuries to establish itself!
If the Canadian Heritage River System isn't implemented soon, the Whitemud Falls Ecological Reserve of 8.55 square kilometers could be clear-cut in four days and seven hours at current rate of harvest.
On the 15th of May the nine member advisory committee appointed by then Environment Minister Ralph Klein, unanimously recommended that the province become a full member of the Canadian Heritage River System.
The whole ecology of the valley can easily be destroyed by large operations like Al-Pac and its sub-contractors. The area is included in the Al-Pac Forest Management Area of 61,000 square kilometers scheduled for clear cutting. A big tragedy is that 58% of the wood fibre goes up in smoke to produce power for this pulpmill.
The insatiable demand of this, the world's largest single-line pulp mill is that it requires 475 truckloads of trees each day and that is an enormous threat to the integrity of the Boreal Forest. If we are successful in preserving this area, future generations will benefit. Using eco-toursim as a model, there will be a net gain in employment in the area. A good example is Jim Holden, a trapper, who also guides and outfits jet boat tours up the Clearwater River to the Whitemud Falls. According to Bob Wilson, a forester from Meadow Lake, increasing numbers of whitewater canoeists, sightseers, bird watchers, cave explorers and hikers visit this area in all seasons.
The Clearwater River and the Whitemud Falls should never have been part of Al-Pac's Forest Management Agreement. This area must be removed from the cutting zone and protected by a Provincial Park.
Sid and Jerry Paschen - Canadians for Responsible Northern Development
