320 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
In addition to the foregoing uses, snowshoeing flourished for 
many years as a very popular sport and a few words might be said 
about this aspect. The Montreal, the St. George and numerous well 
known French snowshoe clubs were formed, in which the aggregate 
membership list reached almost to army dimensions. 
Annual racing meets were held by these clubs and de records 
for the regular distances are as follows :— 
100 yards 115 secs. 
120 yards hurdle 18 secs. 
220 yards 26 secs. 
440 yards 1 min. 0732 secs. 
880 yards ' 2 mins. 33 secs. 
1 mile 5 mins. 40 secs. 
3 miles 19 mins. 02 secs. 
5 miles 33 mins. 49% secs. 
The clubs had weekly evening tramps to some favourite resort 
where the evening ended with a supper enlivened with song and 
speech. 
This article has given a fairly comprehensive description of the 
older standard types of the webbed snowshoe used in Canada and the 
bordering lands. 
It has been shown that the use of the snowshoe has materially — 
aided and hastened the development of our country, and enabled its 
inhabitants to live their ordinary life during the winter season. 
Examples in proof of this have been taken from the past but 
it might be pointed out here that its use is not confined to the past, 
for in the wilds the snowshoe still holds winter sway and in these more 
restricted areas it yet remains a useful and necessary appliance to 
the pioneers of our country. 
