Derek Neary
Northern News Services

FORT SIMPSON (Aug 20/99) - More than half a century has passed since the Gifford family lived in Fort Simpson, but the community remains very meaningful in their minds.

Carman Gifford proved that by uniting 13 family members in the village last week. Carman, his brother John Gifford and his sister Jane Gifford Watson came together in what amounted to a reunion in their birthplace.

"I'm darn pleased to see how many of us we got back (to Fort Simpson)," Carman said while surrounded by family at the Visitor Information Centre on Saturday evening.

Jane gave her youngest brother, who visited here last August and vowed to return with his siblings, all the credit for spearheading the trip.

"I didn't really think it was going to happen, but Carman made it happen," she said. "He was the catalyst."

The trip involved a number of memory-jarring occasions for the family. For instance, they spent part of Saturday evening watching a slide show compiled by local historian Stephen Rowan. A number of long-time village residents took in the show as well.

"It was amazing the number of local people who could identify the pictures," Carman said afterwards.

Jane, who was eight years old when the family departed for Ontario in 1935, said she remembers quite a bit herself. For instance, she recalls their old home (now the Goodall residence), the Anglican church, the mission house, the Hudson's Bay compound, the radio site and the hospital that burned down.

The Giffords reflected on their childhood journey to Ontario, which began on the ship Distributor. The siblings, their mother and their grandparents had then been planning to take the train to Edmonton, but a flood washed out the tracks, according to Jane. They wound up on a mail flight, sitting atop mail bags and "extremely sick, every single one of us," she said.

Carman also recalled another flight, one where Wop May, a famous World War I pilot, was at the controls. More names flooded back: Punch Dickens, Albert Faille and the Camsell family.

Another memorable moment came when John Jr., the great-great-grandson of Rev. Franklin Clarke, performed the Sunday service at St. David's Anglican Church, just as his ancestor had done in the 1920s.

"That's something else. That's great," Carman said of John Jr. following in the steps of his great-grandfather.

In his sermon, John Jr. mentioned how deeply he felt about being back in a place where his family has such strong roots and how the beautiful, unspoiled country was an inspiration to him.

Carman and his son Jeff also created a memory that won't soon be forgotten. They arrived in Fort Simpson Saturday morning by canoe from Fort Providence. It allowed them to take the same water route Clarke and John Gifford, who was a store manager and a trapper, would have used so many years ago.

"That was a fabulous trip we came down yesterday. A lot of people don't realize how much that meant," Carman said, later noting that there are islands in the Mackenzie and Liard that have been named in honour of the Gifford and Clarke families.

The Giffords extended their gratitude to Rowan for having played such an important role in their vacation.

"Steve is a fabulous man. There's just not enough credit we can give Steve," said Shirley Gifford, Carman's wife.

As for Rowan, he was just happy to have been involved.

He said, "It was surprising and gratifying that they came back, and I'm delighted they did."