114 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



covers practically all of the sub-arctic region. No matter how cold the 

 weather, or how deep the snow, the deer can paw their way down to 

 the moss and thus keep themselves in good condition on the longest 

 and roughest trips. Another point in favour of deer is that, should 

 misfortune overtake a party of Arctic travellers and it become necessary 

 to kill the transport animals for food, the flesh of the deer is palatable 

 and nourishing, while only dire necessity would impel anyone to use 

 dogs for food. 



"It seems to have been the idea' of the United States government 

 that the establishment of large herds of domesticated reindeer in Alaska 

 would be a long step in the direction of solving the transportation 

 problem of that district and, in addition, would, to a considerable 

 extent, provide a food supply for the natives who otherwise would, from 

 time to time, become charges upon the public treasury. 



"This experiment by the United States government was followed 

 with great interest by many Canadians who were interested in the de- 

 velopment of our northern territories, and particularly by Dr. Wilfred 

 Grenfell, who, in connection with his medical missionary work on the 

 Labrador coast, found himself confronted by practically the same con- 

 ditions that obtained in Alaska, viz. : severe climate, absence of means 

 of winter tiansportation other than dogs, and scarcity of food supply 

 for natives and fishermen during periods of unusually severe weather, 



"At Dr. Grenfell's request, the Dominion Government, in 

 ^^f ?^^^'*®®'' 1907, purchased a herd of some 300 Norwegian reindeer. 



These were handed over to Dr. Grenfell to be used by him 

 in connection with his work. It was originally intended that the herd 

 should be established on the North shore of the gulf of St. Lawrence 

 but he finally decided that his mission station at St. Anthony, on the 

 northeast coast of Newfoundland, was a more suitable place for the 

 experiment. There is an abundance of reindeer moss at, or near, St. 

 Anthony, the climate is in all respects suitable and, should occasion 

 require it, the deer can readily be shipped from there to any desired point 

 on the Labrador coast as conveniently as from the point first selected. 

 "Dr. Grenfell's experiment proved successful from the start 

 and his herd of reindeer now numbers over 1,200. A considerable num- 

 ber of stags and barren does have been killed for food and there have 

 been the usual unavoidable losses by death and accident. He reported 

 in May, 1911, that the meat is excellent and the skins valuable and that 

 in his opinion, reindeer will, in the future, be as valuable in Labrador 

 as in Alaska and will afford an export industry of meat from a district 

 where it is not probable that wheat, corn or other cereals can ever be 

 profitably produced. 



