ATHABASCA — The Athabasca region is home to a rich history of rugged pioneers and even more rugged features of the land, dating back to the early days of the Hudson Bay Company (HBC) and beyond, when the Indigenous peoples now under Treaty 6 and 8 lived traditionally.
Historian and author Blair Jean is one of many northern Albertans fascinated with the stories of settlers and rivermen who navigated the well-traversed pathway from Fort Edmonton to Fort McMurray called the Athabasca Landing Route.
The path to the wild expanse of northern Alberta shares a name with Jean’s newest self-published book. Athabasca Landing Route: York Boats - Sturgeon Heads - Scows is a 148-page treasure trove for history buffs like Jean himself.
“Athabasca Landing Route is a book I’ve been wanting to do for quite some time,” said Jean. The book details the adventures of rivermen traversing the — at times — perilous waters of the Athabasca River on their journeys to deliver both freight and passengers to the north between 1882 and 1920.
“I’ve never seen a complete account of all the history and stories of that route. There’s lots of mention of it over the years through other authors and books,” said Jean. “With the help of my editor Allison McKinnon, we finally got it out the door.”
Jean held a book launch event for his newest work in his home community of St. Albert on Sept. 28, at which he sold 50 copies of the book along with a number of handmade decorative birdhouses to help cover publishing costs.
Kathy Stubbs of the Calling Lake Historical Society as given a special shoutout by Jean for her and the society’s support of his work, and Athabasca Town councillors Sara Grayling and Ida Edwards were mentioned by name in a thank-you post for their interest in the book.
Interest in the book has been high in Alberta and its neighbouring provinces and territories, but Jean said people from all corners of the world have shown interest in his work.
Colourful stories and more
Athabasca Landing Route: York Boats - Sturgeon Heads - Scows is comprised of three sections. Readers will first be introduced to both the land and river pathways used prior and the establishment of the book’s namesake route.
Jean then dives into the details of boatmaking, tracking — pulling a boat upstream with manpower — and development of the railroad through stories cited in historical records and publications.
The book includes excerpts from works by the likes of journalist and adventurer Agnes Deans Cameron, who wrote her account of a trip from Chicago to the Artic Circle with niece Jessie Brown.
Of her first sight of the community now known only as Athabasca, Cameron wrote: “We are still on foot when a cry from the kid hurries us to the hilltop. Reaching the crest, we catch our breaths; down below lies the little village of the Landing.”
Jean’s book ends with a timeline of important dates and happenings from as far back as 1798 when David Thompson first recorded the Portage La Biche Route, to 1924 when the Landing’s HBC closed its doors for good.
The writer and historian has been fascinated with history for much of his life after moving to Fort McMurray from B.C. in 1967. Fourteen-year-old Jean became enamoured with the Albertan wilderness and was happy to trade in his farm chores for duties on the trapline.
His previous publications focus on the history of the Fort McMurray region, and after years of his own research into the stories and records of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, he decided to compile a more thorough resource for other history buffs.
“I thought this very important river route, fur trade route, needed this book to gather it all together — well, not all of it, but a good deal of it — to give readers a good understanding of how important that was to the development of the West, as well as Canada.”
Following the publication of Athabasca Landing Route: York Boats - Sturgeon Heads – Scows after more than a decade of work, Jean said his focus is now shifting to completing three more historical compilation books.
Two more will focus on watercraft of yore, namely steamboats, paddle wheelers and tugboats. Also in the works is a family history of Jean’s predecessors and their efforts to settle in West Kelowna. Along with his upcoming book, his family roots are on display for visitors of the Gellatly Nut Farm Regional Park on Okanagan Lake, B.C.
Anyone interested in more information on and copies of Athabasca Landing Route: York Boats - Sturgeon Heads – Scows and Jean’s other works can contact him on Facebook or via email at [email protected].
