R. Bruce Macdonald - Sisters of the Ice: The True Story of How St. Roch and North Star of Herschel Island Protected Canadian Arctic Sovereignty

Sisters of the Ice is a lesser known indigenous success story that shaped Canadas Arctic history through ingenuity, generosity and the power of perseverance.

The strength of character of the many individuals involved in these vessels is well captured and will endure because of [Macdonalds] well-researched writing. Thankfully, these two sister vessels live on to this day as a wonderful legacy.

Macdonald has written a superb history of boats, sailing, commerce, RCMP service, and people engaged in the Canadian Arctic through the middle years of the twentieth centurywith a focus on the challenges of protecting Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic through the years when these territories were at political risk. This account is not only well-researched [...] it also is enriched by the authors extensive personal involvement in the events he describes, and his sailing experience with one of the premium ships of Arctic servicethe North Star of Herschel Island []. In short, if readers want a deeply engaged, well-informed, and grippingly-interesting tale of Arctic maritime history, this book is a must-read.

Macdonald manages to entice this reader from beginning to end. Sisters of the Ice is the gripping story about the intertwined histories of two of Canadas most iconic Arctic ships []. With its wealth of data related to history, climatology, political developments and Canadian Arctic sovereignty, this is a must read for historians, ship lovers and politicians alike.

The raw history of two of Canadas most important ships, Sisters of the Ice has given me a new understanding of their place in time and their critical role in establishing Canadian Arctic Sovereignty. All of Canada owes them a debt of gratitude.

Hell of a good account of a fine ship. And of the Banks Island crowd.

An important book that every Canadian should read.

This work is a testament to [Macdonalds] passion for the vessel, and [his] love of our great nation. It appears [North Star of Herschel Island] has had many remarkable journeys. Rest assured this volume will make a welcome addition to my personal library.

One day soon, stories of the fur traders and the boats they used to bring their yearly catch of fur will be taught in the schools and then a renewed pride in our parents and grandparents will be restored.

The true story of how St. Roch and North Star of Herschel Island protected Canadian Arctic sovereignty

R. Bruce Macdonald

Copyright 2021 R. Bruce Macdonald

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior permission of the publisher or, in the case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, a licence from Access Copyright, .

Lost Moose is an imprint of Harbour Publishing Co. Ltd.

P.O. Box 219, Madeira Park, BC , V0N 2H0

www.harbourpublishing.com

Cover and text design by Shed Simas / Ona Design

Front cover painting by R. Bruce Macdonald

Printed and bound in Canada

Harbour Publishing acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Government of Canada, and the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Title: Sisters of the ice : the true story of how St. Roch and North Star of Herschel Island protected Canadian Arctic sovereignty / R. Bruce Macdonald.

Other titles: True story of how St. Roch and North Star of Herschel Island protected Canadian Arctic sovereignty

Names: Macdonald, R. Bruce, 1962- author.

Description: Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: Canadiana (print) 20200399624 | Canadiana (ebook) 20200399918 | ISBN 9781550179286 (softcover) | ISBN 9781550179293 ( EPUB )

Subjects: LCSH : St. Roch (Schooner)History. | LCSH : North Star of Herschel Island (Schooner)History. | LCSH : NavigationCanada, NorthernHistory20th century. | LCSH : SchoonersCanada, NorthernHistory20th century. | LCSH : Canada, NorthernDescription and travel. | LCSH : Canada, NorthernHistory20th century.

Classification: LCC FC 3963 . M 33 2021 | DDC 917.1904/3dc23

This book is dedicated to my mother, Mary Young (ne Wight), of Perth, Ontario. Thank you for all of your love and support.

To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history?

We must do all in our power to uphold Canadas claim to this section of the Arctic.

When the police got here in 1954 they said to me, Thanks, Fred, for holding this island for the Canadian Government for all these years.

I hear on the radio that the United States and Canada are squabbling over who has sovereignty in Arctic waters. What they are talking about is my peoples hunting grounds. We were hunting in the Arctic Ocean before the white man came to discover America. I hope they leave us a little salt water.

Finally, many books have been written by people who visited the north briefly and filled the knowledge gaps with their imagination. To quote Whitney Brown, the past actually happens, but history is only what someone wrote down.

1. Mary Young (ne Wight) | photo by the author.
2. William, Caroline and John Herschel | North Star collection.
3. Map of the Canadian Arctic | artist Jon Hersh, North Star collection.
4. Whaling ships iced in at Herschel Island | Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic, Connecticut.
5. Winter Quarters at Herschel Island | artist John Bertonccini, North Star collection.
6. Whalers at Herschel Island | Government of Yukon.
7. Whalers flensing a whale alongside their ship | Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic, Connecticut.