Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

HAY RIVER (Aug 31/98) - The 50th anniversary of the Mackenzie Highway in Hay River last week produced no shortage of tales on the early days of the fabled roadway.

A number of those who had a hand in the building of the Mackenzie made their way to the celebrations and were quick to share stories from the past.

Bill Mullar and Ed Zach worked on a surveying crew on the Mackenzie Highway from 1946-48.

Mullar, from Peace River, Alta. started as a chainman with his survey party and, after a year or so, became a rodman.

"It was just pure wilderness," states Mullar. "We went and placed the stakes to show the contractors where to build and fill the road.

"We did an awful lot of walking, especially wading through swamps and sloughs to put in those stakes."

The men worked in crews of four, with an instrument man, a rodman and two chainmen.

They'd head into the wilderness with the coming of spring and not see home again until December.

"We stayed in shacks and we'd work six days a week, from dawn 'til dusk. My pay was $90 per month."

Ed Zach of Stony Plain, Alta. worked on the Mackenzie Highway as an engineer.

He describes the early road as a winter trail pushed through to Hay River by the Americans.

Zach said his crews were set up in four different camps with 20 men in each. A camp was responsible for 65 miles.

"When we first arrived at a camp site, we'd build a shack and everyone would sleep on the floor," recalls Zach.

"Then we'd start building another, and when it was done so many guys would move over to that one and we'd keep going until we had enough for everybody."

Zach describes the early surveying crews as a real team effort, with everyone having to depend on his buddy.

"Bathrooms were outside, you found the nearest log," he says laughing.

"When you got so dirty you couldn't take it anymore, you stripped naked in the shack, ran out and rolled around in the snow for as long as you could and then ran back in and towelled off. That was your shower at the time."

Fort Vermilion, Alta. resident Stan Smith is the last surviving member of the original Mackenzie cutting crew in 1938-39.

He remembers the early days as being long days of hard work.

"The conditions we worked under, nobody would work under now, especially the young fellas today," he says.

Smith and fellow cutter Billy Charles were in charge of a group of 10, whose job it was to ensure the crews following them had a place to get through.

"It was rough at first, we missed the Lower Hay by about 15 miles," laughs Smith, almost still disbelievingly.

"We hit Great Slave Lake, turned right, and followed the edge down until we were back on track.

"I'm over 80 now, but those are days I'll never forget as long as I'm here."