Trail History

Human history of the region can be divided into four periods that are arbitrary but give a temporal context:

I. Prehistory as evidenced from archaeological and oral history sources (to 1800)
Evidence of ancient human occupation in the area is sparse, partly because few artifacts result from hunter and gatherer populations. One of the few positive results of global warming has been the information gained from the study of ancient (~2500 yr-old) hunting artifacts released from melting ice patches. Throwing darts, arrows and other items are evidence of the hunting of animals that congregated on permanent ice/snowpatches that have persisted for 5000 yr.





Sketches of throwing-dart artifacts
(~500-300 BCE) recovered from
melting ice patches near the
western end of the Trail
(Andrews et al. 2012)






II. Historical, derived from oral histories supplemented by written and photographic records (1800 to 1941):

In 1789, Alexander Mackenzie canoed the Decho River which now bears his name. His was the first published record of this region and included a note about petroleum seeps in the vicinity of Norman Wells. The fur trade followed as did missionaries and other components of European culture. First Nations people made an annual journey into the mountains to hunt, fish, trap and harvest plants. Later, diseases caused population crashes and social services such as religion, education, and health led to the establishment of Tulita, Ft. Good Hope, and Déline. In 1918-19 the “discovery” of oil led to the settlement of Norman Wells and eventually a small refinery to supply fuel needs in the valley.  The Mackenzie Mountains Game Preserve was established to conserve game primarily for First-Nations and Métis hunters.


III. CANOL Project, short-lived but permanently impacted the land
(route selection Oct-Nov 1942 & Apr 1943; construction start Dec 1942 & salvage 1948-53):

Rudimentary surveys of the east end of the potential CANOL No.1 pipeline route occurred as early as summer 1942. Several attempts at construction on a route up the Carcajou R were later abandoned as a better route was suggested by local Shúhtagot’ine (Mountain Dene) familiar with the Mackenzie Mountains.  Commencing October 1942 Fred Andrew, George Blondin and [Little] Edward Blondin, driving dog teams, guided the surveyor Guy Blanchet along traditional routes, arriving at Sheldon Lake YT in late November.
Construction of the above-ground pipeline, telephone line (not telegraph) and service road took more than a year. There is a very informative account of the construction, particularly the telephone line by Milford Flood (October 1943 to April 1944). The project was abandoned in the spring of 1945 prior to breakup. As early as 1947 salvage operations were conducted and the last organized efforts were in the Mackenzie Mountains in 1953. A total of 1.2 million imperial barrels of crude oil were pumped from Pump Station No. 1 over a 13 month period.

IV. Current (1954 to present):

The Mackenzie Mountains Game Preserve was abolished in 1953 and the Mackenzie Mountains was opened to trophy hunting in 1965. Two of the outfitters’ territories include sections of the abandoned CANOL Project.  In 1994 the land base for a Canol Heritage Park was reserved in the Sahtu Dene and Métis Land Claim Settlement Act.  Mineral exploration and staking of claims have been ongoing throughout the region since prior to the CANOL Project with several significant properties mothballed or currently being assessed.  Recreational use has been light with few people on the trail at any given time.  All-terrain vehicles are active on both ends of the trail and snowmobiles frequent the northern (Norman Wells) end.  Meat/subsistence hunting has been common where there is vehicle access.  A naturalist lodge, Dechen la' Lodge and Wilderness Resort, has facilities between Caribou Pass and Camp 222 while Canol Outfitters are based at Godlin Lakes. With the removal and/or boarding-up of Canol buildings, users must rely on their own shelters, however the Government of the Northwest Territories has erected shelters at M1, 8, 49.5, 75 and 100) with the possibility of more in the future (M125 and 150 slated for 2021).

Citation/Illustration Sources:

• Andrews, T., MacKay, G., and Andrew, L., 2012: Archaeological investigations of alpine ice patches in the Selwyn Mountains, Northwest Territories, Canada. Arctic, 65:1-21.
• Ebbutt, F., 1931: The Gravel River Indians. Canadian Geographical Journal, 2:310-321.
• Finnie, R. S., 1945: Canol, the sub Arctic Pipeline and Refinery Project constructed by Bechtel Price Callahan for the Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army 1942-44. San Francisco: Bechtel Corporation, 210 pp.
• Keele, J., 1910: A reconnaissance across the Mackenzie Mountains on the Pelly, Ross and Gravel Rivers, Yukon Territory and Northwest Territories, Publ. 1097. Ottawa: Geological Survey of Canada, 54 pp.
• Mackenzie, A., 1801: Voyages from Montreal On The River St. Lawrence Through The Continent of North America to the Frozen and Pacific Oceans in the Years 1789 and 1793. Reprinted 1971. Edmonton: M.G. Hurtig Ltd., 412 pp.