In the Land of the Pale Blue Snow

                                     Where It's 99 Below

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Northern Manitoba Trappers' Festival

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Crowfoot 1821 - 1890

What is Life?

It is the flash of a firefly in the night.

It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime.

It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.

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The Pas in the 1950's

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Susan of Gillam

by J. M. McLeod

Toward the end of March, 1929, the weekly mixed-train arrived

in Gillam, Manitoba with a car of settler's effects

belonging to Tom Allen a former rancher from Lanigan, Saskatchewan.

In the car were three head of horses, a cow and a young calf,

a horse called "Old Mag" and a cow named "Susan". The latter two appeared to have sentimental value to Allen.

In 1929, he erected an hotel and buildings for the stock.

Susan

The Hudson Bay Railway had reached Churchill on March 27, 1929. Gillam, being the last terminal before Churchill, became a busy point

for repair work.

Workmen's families had arrived and two stores were doing business.

Susan made the rounds of the small community each morning

and at many of the homes there were potato peelings, a favourite dish, waiting for her.

In 1933, two hundred head of cattle for export via Churchill

arrived in Gillam. While the engine and crews were being changed,

Susan ran along the train on the station platform,

her tail straight in the air, bawling and bellowing.

It wasn't long before the whole trainload joined her.

It was an eerie sound. When the train pulled out,

Susan trailed along as far as Kettle Rapids Bridge,

four and a half miles from the station.

Several times later she went through the same performance.

About once a month, Susan took off towards the south

and followed the track until a trestle at Mile 324 stopped her.

This jaunt usually took a day and she would return

the following morning.

Her unusual behaviour and the fact that she still gave milk

despite her not having had a calf since 1929,

made her quite a celebrity around Gillam and all over the North.

People on the trains passing through Gillam

would all look to see her and they felt rewarded

if she was somewhere within sight.

Returning from one of her trips south in June, 1937,

she was struck by a work train returning to the Gillam yards.

She managed to hobble to the bush and lay down.

When the accident was reported, Tom Allen went to where she was

and found that he could not transport her with a wagon and team.

He applied to the Gillam shops for the use of a wrecking crane

and was asked why he didn't shoot her.

"What, shoot Susan. No sir, I will pay all the expenses for the crane."

By this time, news of Susan's accident had spread

and many of the shop men offered their services to help bring her in.

By using the crane a rigged-up canvas sling and no little ingenuity

they got her back to her barn where she managed to wobble to her stall.

A sling was installed there to support her weight

and she got loving care for some ten days.

Unfortunately her injuries were too serious and she had to be destroyed.

Susan of Gillam lives on, however,

in the memories of the folk along the Hudson Bay line.

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THE PAS

early 20th century images

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McKay Boarding School

Big Eddy November 1924

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The Pas, Manitoba

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C.N.R. Station

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Main Street of The Pas 1920

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Customers Waiting for the Bank to Open

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Fischer Avenue looking North

May 1912

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The Lumber Mill

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The Pas River in Foreground

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Hauling Canoes

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The Pas

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Fischer Looking South

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The Pas Docks

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Harry Munroe & Ethel Lovell

Clearwater Lake

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Winners of Bickle Challenge Cup 1922

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Coyote in Devon Park

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THE PAS PUBLIC LIBRARY

the early years

                      Children's Area

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                      Judy Bakowski / Sandy Ezepchuk

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                     Jan Goodridge in her Office

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                      Ellie Donald

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  inside the Library

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