Arctic Red River (Aug 07/06) - Dale Clark has been many things: an RCMP special constable, a hunter, trapper and fisherman who has lived all his life in Tsiigehtchic.

Though he is retired, the 78-year-old seems to always be busy.

Outside his home in Tsiigehtchic is a fish drying shed, where whitefish are hung in neat rows.

Dale Clark adds gas to his four-wheeler, his main mode of transport around Tsiigehtchic where he has lived all his life. - Philippe Morin/NNSL photo

Nearby are tool boxes and cans of gas for Clark's four-wheeler, which he uses to get around the community.

As a long-time resident, Clark has seen many changes at the confluence of the Mackenzie and Arctic Red rivers.

He said he remembers when Tsiigehtchic had only a few houses and was primarily a traditional fishing camp.

In the days before the Dempster Highway connected Tsiigehtchic to Inuvik and Fort McPherson, he said people used to rely only on themselves.

"We used to hunt caribou and trap and fish," he said.

While Clark is part of the traditional Gwich'in community in Tsiigehtchic, he also has heritage overseas. His father was Scottish while his mother Gwich'in. It is perhaps appropriate that Clark himself has held jobs in both modern and traditional circles.

In the 1940s, for instance, he was hired by the RCMP as a special constable.

Clark remembers he went on patrols and was paid two dollars a day.

"That's what we made," he said matter-of-factly.

He's unsure of how Tsiigehtchic will change in the next few years, he said, adding there are many more tourists these days, and the number of homes and vehicles has been steadily increasing.

"I don't know what'll happen after the pipeline," he added, saying it might bring more southerners to the region.

While he is somewhat worried the town may lose its character, Clark said there is nowhere else he'd rather be. He is among the many people in town who wear hats that proclaim, "I love Tsiigehtchic."