laid from Norman Wells to Whitehorse on the Yukon River, some 

 600 miles to the west. 



Aside from the minerals and petroleum resources, the forests 

 provide a source of natural wealth, as does the potential water- 

 power. 



HUMAN GEOGRAPHY 



The coniferous forests are the home of the Indians. In scat- 

 tered village communities, they subsist on their fishing, hunting, 

 and trapping. Trading posts are their commercial centers. 



Men from the more temperate zones have superimposed their 

 culture on the native way of life in those areas where natural 

 riches have attracted this kind of settlement. Lumbering, mining, 

 and industry have brought many thousands of people into the 

 Subarctic. 



For a more permanent colonization of these lands, the Govern- 

 ments of Canada and the United States have encouraged agricul- 

 tural developments. The Peace River area of Canada and the 

 Matanuska Valley of Alaska are examples of such government 

 subsidized agricultural experiments. Farming is laborious, how- 

 ever, and full of risks because of the ever-present threat of frost. 

 Wheat, barley, oats, potatoes, and hay are grown, and in a more 

 limited extent, garden vegetables are cultivated to supply the 

 northern settlements. Some dairying and live stock raising is 

 carried on, utilizing the abundant grassy meadows as summer 

 pastures, but frequently having to rely upon imported feed in the 

 winter. 



The problem of remoteness is one factor contributing to the 

 delay in the development of this area. The means for getting 

 into and out of these areas are very limited. Partly in an effort 

 to make better use of the northern lands, and the shorter route to 

 Europe by way of Hudson Bay, a railroad was built from The Pas 

 in Manitoba to Port Churchill. This was to be a major wheat 

 shipping route, and tremendous elevators were built at Port 

 Churchill to store the grain during the time when Hudson Bay 

 and Strait were closed. It has not lived up to expectations, partly 

 due to the fact that ships plying this route must carry extra in- 

 surance because of the ice hazard, partly because in-bound trips 

 must be made with ballast, and partly because of the very short 

 season in which shipping is possible. However, despite these 

 difficulties a considerable tonnage of grain is shipped over this 

 route. 



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