Chris Puglia
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 23/02) - D'Arcy Arden epitomized the life of a Northern pioneer, says Rosemary Allerston, who is writing a book about Arden and his family.

D'arcy Arden died on Oct. 5 of a stroke at the age of 81. According to local author Rosemary Allerston, he was a rugged Northerner who was well-respected. - NNSL file photo

Arden died from a stroke on Oct. 5 at the age of 91.

Born in 1919, in a cabin at Dease Bay on the northeastern shore of the Great Bear Lake, Arden was raised by his father, an English fur trader, and his mother who was from the Sahtu.

The second of five children, Arden lived an eventful life following his father from Dease Bay to Wood Buffalo Park, where the he changed careers and became a ranger. The family later moved when the Eldorado mine opened in Port Radium, near the Cameron Bay, and his father went to work there.

Water taxi

When he was 15, Arden started running a water taxi between the town and the mine.

A year later, Arden became a law man, hired by the RCMP as a special constable.

"He went out on patrols, which meant driving the dogs and finding the way," said Allerston.

Many aboriginals were hired as special constables at that time, primarily to act as guides.

"A lot of the constables came up from Regina and didn't know the North," said Allerston.

In 1936, Arden and his family made a 600-kilometre trek from Cameron Bay to Yellowknife by dog sled.

When they arrived in Yellowknife, they heard of a gold discovery at Gordon Lake that promised high yields, so Arden moved there. It was soon discovered there was no gold at Gordon Lake, so he returned to Yellowknife.

According to Allerston, Arden began working with crews constructing the Con Mine, and he later became well-known as a heavy equipment operator.

He was a well-respected man, and although he never received a formal education, Allerston said he had great emotional intelligence.

"He took control of his life as a Metis and he learned to overcome a lot of the baggage that that implied. He was a very solid, sturdy man of the North," said Allerston.

She said he also had a great ability to relate to people around him.

"He was quiet and courteous. He had a wonderful way of making you feel comfortable in his presence," said Allerston.

Arden worked all his life, Allerston said he was still prospecting as late as 2000.

"He didn't become really ill until this year," she said.

He is survived by his wife June, nine children, step-children, nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.