REINDEER 115 



Reindeer in "during the summer of 1910, His Excellency the Gov- 

 the North-west ernor-General, Earl Grey, visited Dr. Grenf ell's mission 

 station on his return journey from Hudson bay. His 

 Excellency was greatly interested in the reindeer experiment, and having 

 just seen a considerable part of sub-arctic Canada, was impressed with 

 the desirability of further extending the experiment by the establishment 

 of herds in portions of the Northwest territories. He subsequently dis- 

 cussed the question with Hon. Frank Oliver, then Minister of the Interior, 

 with the result that an arrangement was made with Dr. Grenfell to 

 supply fifty reindeer to the Dominion Government at what the animals 

 had actually cost him. It was decided that the reindeer should be sent 

 to a suitable place near Fort Smith, on the Slave river, practically on the 

 northern boundary of Alberta. In addition to the reindeer, Dr. Grenfell 

 was to supply two herders and one apprentice to look after the herd, 

 three trained dogs and a supply of moss sufficient for the journey from 

 Newfoundland to our Northwest. 



"There was no choice as to the time of year when the reindeer were 

 to be shipped. They could be not taken across the continent in summer 

 weather as they could not stand the heat. They could not be taken 

 across in winter unless provision were made for a supply of reindeer 

 moss near Edmonton, as the rivers are frozen and they could not be 

 transported beyond that point. They could not be moved in the spring 

 as that is the fawning season. There was, therefore, only the short 

 season left between the close of summer and the 'freeze-up' of the 

 northern rivers. 



"It was arranged with the Department of Marine and Fisheries 

 that one of their steamers should call at St. Anthony for the reindeer 

 early in September, 1911, and take them to Quebec, from which point 

 they would be sent by train to Edmonton. If the boat had proceeded 

 direct to Quebec, it is probable that there would have been very small 

 loss of deer, but the steamer had to stop on the way to take on board a 

 cargo of powdered gypsum, and the effect on the reindeer was serious. 

 Four deer died before the steamer reached Quebec and five more on the 

 train after leaving Quebec; and, from the symptoms it is practically 

 certain that death was caused by inhalation of gypsum dust. 



"It was a somewhat difficult matter to transfer the reindeer from 

 the boats to the cars awaiting them at Quebec, but this was finally ac- 

 complished and the trip to Edmonton and from there, sixty miles further 

 on to the end of the steel, was made expeditiously, most of the reindeer 

 reaching this point in good condition. 



"From the end of the steel to Athabaska Landing, something over 

 fifty miles, the deer were conveyed in waggons and were then loaded on 

 scows for the trip down to Fort Smith. This turned out to be the most 



