Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Jun 18/01) - Even when it's quiet, there is always something for Ernest Hardisty to do.
Hardisty and his wife Florence, have just passed their one-year anniversary as caretakers for Sambaa Deh Heritage Park near Jean Marie River on Highway #1.
He says they have found the experience enjoyable, but despite the tranquillity that literally permeates throughout the park, keeping it that way is a never ending task.
"There's always something to do," says Hardisty over the weekend, May 26-27. "Right now the weeds are coming in, so they got to be kept down."
"There's times when nobody's here. Even then there's always something to do. You can't cut all the weeds in one day."
Undoubtedly, Sambaa Deh is one of the more idyllic campgrounds in the Northwest Territories. The Trout River races through the heart of the park towards the Mackenzie River at an astonishing speed, sending long plumes of mist into the air where Sambaa Deh Falls drops into a deep chasm just metres away from the Highway.
The 500 million-year-old canyon walls that tower above the river are rich in fossil corals and sea shells -- a telling reminder of the ocean that covered the land during the Devonian Period.
Created in 1992, the park is still relatively unknown outside of the immediate area. Occupancy, even during the weekends, rarely rises above 50 per cent.
Nonetheless, the park maintains a steady following of die-hard campers who visit once a year or more as far away as Edmonton.
"I come every year for sure," says Trevor Ferguson from Fort Simpson, who was on his way to the bottom of Sambaa Deh Falls to try for a grayling or two with his dog Bow.
"Everything's awesome man -- It's cleanliness, it's just a great place."
Keeping the campground clean is not only an aesthetic consideration for Hardisty, but a safety issue as well.
The area is rich in wildlife, and black bears are regular visitors to the park.
As this reporter was heading out to the highway, a bear was sitting nonchalantly across the road from the park's entrance chewing on leaves, oblivious to the human intruders within it's domain.
It is a telling reminder that amid the natural beauty of the area, the wilderness yet remains.
