The Later Years

By the 1950’s,routes into the area were well established. Government organization of the resources were well under control and the trapping, fishing and hunting industries were as good as ever. Many trappers remained from the depression, including Herb and Walter Brown. They started trapping the south half of Big Sandy in 1929 and are there to the present day. The Beatty family are on the north end of Big Sandy. Others who stayed well in the 1950’sincluded Gene Madlener, Henry Miller, Walter Kratz and Nels Matenson.

Bert Lien, who bought Henry Fournier’s trap line west of Little Bear in 1953, built some new cabins at Little Bear in 1955. He also built some at Berlien’s Lake in 1959. He also continued using the Cub Mountain cabin until 1967.

Lien trapped and prospected alone, backpacking all his supplies and using homemade skies to travel about 1200 miles every winter. "Although it was a free and interesting life", admitted Lien, "it was tough at times". Lien sold his trap line in 1967 and moved out to British Columbia.

The Hanson Lake road was constructed during the 1950’s and 1960’s. This finally provided a more direct route between Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and Flin Flon, Manitoba. Original plans had involved a route from Nipawin to Beaver Lake, but when the right-of-way was bulldozed in 1956, it proved too low and never was completed. The clearing is still referred to by the locals as the "old road" and is under water in many places.

Olaf Hanson, trapper and Forest Ranger, had experience in locating roads under low lying conditions and suggested to the authorities that they locate the road further west. He pointed out that this would have the added advantage of better fishing lakes along the way.

Hanson began locating his proposed route on maps in 1958 and construction started from Creighten, Saskatchewan the following year. Hanson was out on foot to direct the engineer, Ray Havdebo.

The road was completed in 1942, forming the most northerly road link between Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Amonument and plaque in honor of Hanson stands at mile 175, by Gillingham Lake turnoff.

Over the years the standard of the road has improved. Now, with easier access, the Fishing Lakes area is fast becoming attractive to tourists. Many camp overnight, or picnic at one of the many scenic sites along the road. Others set up more permanent camps or stay at one of the fine Resort Camps to enjoy some fine sport fishing.

Large fires in 1977 were responsible for destroying about 200,000 acres of forest in the Fishing Lakes area. It took with it some of the old cabins and historical sites, not to say a good of commercial timber as well. This was the first time this had happened, however. The year's 1929 and 1937 saw some bad fire seasons for the Narrow Hills.

DNS Resources Branch maintains an office at Lower Fishing Lake during the summer months. Five Resources Officers are based in the District, while the summer a fire standby crew, as well as cooks and students are there to add to the staff. A Park Superintendant is also stationed at Lower Fishing Lake.

The Fishing Lakes area see about thirty year-round residents, while sawmill and road construction workers may spend a few months at a time in temorary camps.

Today, the area surrounding the Fishing Lakes and Little Bear Lake lends itself to such activities as backpacking and cross-country skiing. Many of the interesting points of interest associated with the old-timer mentioned here are accesable only by trails, which provide interesting hiking along with a closer look at our heritage.

Unique scenery, good fishing, and facinating history all form several great reasons to spend some time touring the Narrow Hills.