Down the Mackenzie and up the Yukon in 1906

In Short

Elihu Stewart, Canada’s former superintendent of forestry, presents a vivid first-hand account of his 1906 survey expedition through the northern frontier. Travelling thousands of miles by steamship, scow, canoe, and foot, Stewart charts a grand loop down the Athabasca and Mackenzie Rivers to the Arctic region, across the Rocky Mountains, and back south along the Yukon River. Part practical resource assessment and part wilderness travelogue, the book captures a pivotal moment when indigenous traditions, fur-trade empires, and modern Canadian industrial ambitions intersected along the continent's most remote waterways.

The Story

The narrative opens in May 1906 in Edmonton, a burgeoning prairie capital poised to become the economic gateway to the far North. Commissioned to evaluate the region’s timber, soil, and overall economic promise, Elihu Stewart embarks on an ambitious northern journey. Leaving Edmonton, he travels overland to the Athabasca River, where he boards the steamer Midnight Sun. The voyage quickly proves hazardous; low water and treacherous rapids ground the vessel, forcing the crew to portage heavy freight across Grand Rapids. Tragic reality strikes when the ship’s cook dies unexpectedly, casting a pall over the expedition before the crew transitions to scows and reaches Fort McMurray.

Boarding the steamer Grahame, Stewart advances past bitumen-laden tar sands and vast marshes to Lake Athabaska and Fort Chipewyan. From there, the route follows the Slave River to Great Slave Lake, navigating open waters to Fort Resolution. Continuing northward on the riverboat Wrigley, Stewart descends the mighty Mackenzie River, passing key fur-trade posts such as Fort Simpson and Fort Good Hope. Along the way, he notes the rich alluvial soil, dense stands of pulpwood spruce, and the quiet rhythm of northern life. Crossing the Arctic Circle, he visits Arctic Red River—a grim, frozen outpost—before reaching Fort McPherson, the northernmost post in the Mackenzie valley.

From Fort McPherson, Stewart leaves river steamers behind to undertake his most perilous leg: crossing the northern Rocky Mountains on foot. Guided by native Loucheux porters, he traverses miles of treacherous Arctic swamps and arduous mountain climbs. The party follows Stony Creek to the continental divide, battling unpredictable weather and exhaustion. Reaching the Bell and Porcupine Rivers, they launch small canoes toward an Indian encampment at Old Crow River. Dense atmospheric haze creates stunning optical illusions of grand cities along the riverbanks, which quickly dissolve into the reality of a starving native settlement awaiting the annual caribou migration.

After resting at Rampart House, Stewart crosses the 141st meridian into American territory in Alaska. Descending the Porcupine River to Fort Yukon, he waits for passage on the Yukon River steamer Lavelle Young. Traveling south through the vast Yukon Flats, he reaches Dawson City and Whitehorse, ultimately taking the White Pass Railway to Skagway before sailing home to Vancouver. He concludes his narrative with a comprehensive analysis of the region's resources, praising the integrity of the Hudson's Bay Company while passionately advocating for government soil surveys and medical aid for northern communities.

How It Unfolds

The journey begins Setting out from Edmonton in late May 1906, Stewart prepares for a long voyage into uncharted northern territories. He boards the steamer Midnight Sun on the Athabasca River, but shallow waters and rocky rapids immediately delay progress.

Tragedy at the rapids After tedious days of portaging cargo across Grand Rapids, the steamer journey ends. The sudden death of the ship’s cook, Herbert Bray, brings a sober mood to the party as they transfer to open barges for the ninety-mile trip to Fort McMurray.

Descending the Mackenzie Reaching smooth water, Stewart boards successive riverboats to travel down the Slave and Mackenzie Rivers. He notes rich mineral deposits, vast timber reserves, and orderly Hudson's Bay Company posts at Resolution, Simpson, and Good Hope.

Crossing the Arctic Circle Past Fort Good Hope, the expedition crosses the Arctic Circle and stops briefly at Arctic Red River, a bleak settlement built over permafrost. Stewart reaches Fort McPherson, his final river destination, where he prepares to go overland.

Over the mountain divide Guided by Loucheux porters, Stewart undertakes an exhausting nine-day trek across Arctic swamps and mountain passes. The physical toll is immense, but the party successfully reaches the headwaters of the Bell and Porcupine Rivers.

Mirage at Old Crow Paddling down wind-swept rivers, optical illusions transform riverbanks into fancied cities before revealing a struggling native camp. The arrival of news that caribou have returned brings immense relief to the hungry community.

Homeward through Alaska Crossing into American territory at Rampart House, Stewart travels down the Porcupine to Fort Yukon. Boarding a Yukon River steamer, he travels south through Dawson City and Whitehorse, completing his loop via railway to Skagway and steamer to Vancouver.

The People

• Elihu Stewart: The narrator and former Canadian forestry official. Driven by a desire to assess the North's real commercial value, he endures severe physical fatigue, dangerous river crossings, and fear of isolation, returning home deeply transformed by the resilience of northern inhabitants.
• Old John Quatlot: A Loucheux Indian guide who leads Stewart safely across the rugged Rocky Mountain portage. Facing seasonal starvation and harsh winter conditions, he maintains a warm, simple faith and generous spirit that earns Stewart’s profound respect.
• Thomas Anderson: The Hudson's Bay Company Superintendent for the district. He embodies the authority and organized hospitality of "The Company," humorously serving as "Lieutenant-Governor" in a mock provisional government organized by passengers aboard the Wrigley.
• Herbert Bray: The cook aboard the steamer Midnight Sun. Struggling with severe illness that fellow crew members initially dismiss as feigning, his sudden death at Grand Rapids highlights the harsh, unforgiving nature of wilderness travel.
• Miss Wilgriss: An Anglican missionary stationed at Hay River. Dedicated to serving isolated communities, her self-sacrificing devotion and zeal leave a lasting impression on Stewart and his fellow travelers.

In Its Own Voice

"Here, we beheld the wilderness in its lethean repose. Occasionally the cry of a loon would float over the woods from some inland lake, or the hooting of an owl would be heard somewhere in the forest."

Stewart reflects on the profound, unbroken silence of the Athabasca riverbanks at dusk.

"There was a church with its spire so real in its appearance as almost to persuade me that my Indians had been over modest in not informing me of their skill in architecture."

Approaching the Old Crow River camp, extreme fatigue and river haze conspire to create a vivid mirage of a grand city on the wilderness banks.

"As he bade him good-bye he took my hand in his and said that I would go away off to my home in the south while he would return to his at 'Old Crow'; that by-and-by he would die and I would die, and that then we would make a long journey through the air..."

Stewart records the poignant farewell spoken by his indigenous guide, Old John Quatlot, upon completing their mountain crossing.

What It's Really About

Beneath its chronological travel itinerary, the book investigates the tension between untapped wilderness potential and human vulnerability. Stewart approaches the Canadian North not as a barren wasteland, but as a rich domain of pulpwood, mineral tar sands, navigable waterways, and fertile agricultural soil awaiting organized development. Yet, his observations constantly return to the severe human cost of extreme isolation. He highlights the sharp contrast between corporate efficiency and the precarious survival of indigenous groups facing winter famine and disease. Ultimately, Stewart argues that national expansion brings a moral obligation: the government must responsibly manage land settlement and establish essential humanitarian services, such as northern hospitals, to alleviate suffering on the frontier.

Why Read It Today

Elihu Stewart’s travelogue offers a captivating, unvarnished window into the North American frontier just as the age of riverboat travel and fur-trade dominance was intersecting with early 20th-century industrial development. Readers who enjoy classic expedition literature will appreciate Stewart’s calm, observational voice, free from sensationalism or artificial bravado. His prose paints understated yet striking pictures of northern landscapes, from the serene, untouched forests along the Mackenzie to the disorienting river mirages near the Arctic divide.

The book is exceptionally grounded, balancing practical notes on timber and soil with genuine human warmth. While modern readers will encounter period-specific attitudes toward indigenous populations and industrial progress, Stewart displays a notable degree of humility, respect, and deep sympathy for the native guides and remote settlers he meets. His earnest plea for medical relief in isolated communities gives the work a surprisingly empathetic core. For anyone fascinated by Canadian geography, frontier history, or authentic travel writing, this account remains a clear, rewarding, and historically rich narrative of a remarkable 300-mile mountain and river circuit.