Fonds 291 Ray Menard fonds

92 photographs

Date: 1942-1943 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of photographs of the Northwest Service Command U.S.A. busses and men, two men dressed in winter uniform, the muddy streets of Dawson Creek, a lumber mill and the Whitehorse Inn.

Physical description: 7 photographs

Access points:

•                Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

A group of men lined up beside the bus, “Northwest Service Command U.S.A.”

Ray’s note on the back: “This is part of the fleet I’m in charge of. 14 in all. K7 Internationals with 29 passenger bodies in them. The one all torn apart is a new bus that we scrapped for parts.”

A jeep with a “Taxi “ sign on the windshield has its driver’s side totally mired in the mud on Dawson Creek’s main street. A crowd on the sidewalk looks on.

A planer mill in operation showing a pile of lumber, the planer shed and men working. A farm can be seen in the distance.

A view of a street in Dawson Creek, flooded after a rain.

The Whitehorse Inn on a corner of main street.

Two men dressed in winter clothing.

Date: 1942-1943 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of photographs of rows of storage buildings, and equipment, heavy duty trucks, fire trucks, and fuel trucks.

Physical description: 11 photographs

Access points:

•                Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

The series consists of photographs of rows of storage buildings, and equipment, heavy duty trucks, fire trucks, and fuel trucks in Dawson Creek for the Alaska Highway construction.

Date: 1942-1943 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of photographs of various scenes along the constructed route of the Alaska Highway. “Frederiksen’s Lookout” and “Suicide Hill” are two of the signs shown and Muncho Lake is shown in one photo.

Physical description: 13 photographs

Access points:

•                Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Photographs of the road as constructed in the winter of 1942-43.

Date: 1942-1943 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of photographs of various winter scenes of the construction of the Alaska Highway.

Physical description: 20 photographs

Access points:

•                Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Image shows a lake in the mountains in the winter.

Image shows a team of three dogs pulling a sled. A boy is sitting on the loaded sled, and a man is standing beside it.

A man believed to be Ray Menard stands beside the Toad River.

A view of the highway over the hills at148 J.

Army trucks with the mountains in the distance at Summit Lake Army Camp.

A line of army trucks with mountains in the background at Mackey’s Camp 177.

Trucks in the distance along the Testa River.

Image shows a gravel road through the mountains. There is a vehicle in the distance.

Image shows a convoy of trucks on a road in the winter. There are two men standing in front of the first truck.

Image shows frozen Muncho Lake during a snowstorm. There are trees in the foreground and a mountain in the background.

Image shows an Indigenous man standing outside in the snow with two dogs. The caption on the back of the photograph says “Eskimo + his dogs.”

Image shows a road through the mountains in the winter.

Image shows a convoy of loaded trucks parked on the road. There is a building to the right.

Anderson’s Camp 107 N with mountains in the background.

Image shows the buildings of Summit Lake Army Camp with mountains in the background. Some of the buildings appear to be under construction.

Caswell’s camp 87.5 N in winter.

Image shows a building under construction in Anderson’s Camp, with mountains in the background.

A man watches as a tanker truck proceeds towards Suicide Hill. Another truck can be seen approaching.

A man stands beside a sign describing “Frederiksen’s Lookout.”

Muncho Lake seen on the left of the newly built Alaska Highway.

Date: 1942-1943 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of photographs of summer road construction of the Alaska Highway.

Physical description: 4 photographs

Access points:

•                Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Seismograph Camp: Note on the back of photo, “Photo was taken by moonlight 32’ F.”

As a pack train gets organized, two Indigenous horsemen are mounted and ready to head out.

A convoy of trucks carry dynamite caps.

A convoy of heavy equipment including flat-bed trucks loaded with caterpillar tractors is held up while road repairs are made ahead.

Date: 1942-1943 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of photographs of various scenes of some of the dangers encountered during the construction of the Alaska Highway.

Physical description: 9 photographs

Access points:

•                Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

A Greyhound Bus goes off the road near Valleyview enroute to Dawson Creek.

Two trucks are piled up off a corner as two others try to make the grade.

A supply vehicle failed to make the corner and lies on its side in the ditch with the load spilled into the snow.

A completely overturned vehicle lies in the ditch with its dumped load of crates.

A completely overturned fuel tanker lies in the ditch.

A completely demolished truck and a load of barrels lie over the bank of the road.

Two men stand looking at a truck mired in the mud on Dawson Creek’s main street.

A group of men stand looking at a wrecked vehicle near Dawson Creek.

Image shows a trailer tipped on its end. The note on the back of the photograph reads as follows: “Jeff took this snap up on hill 208 N. of Fort St. John. One guys brakes gave way and he crowded the truck towards the hill side of the road to stop his speed. By the looks of this snap he succeeded fairly good (nice balance).”

Date: 1942-1943 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of photographs of the Peace River and building of the suspension bridge at Taylor, B.C., the Sikanni Bridge and the Cutbank Bridge, and the operating Smoky River ferry

Physical description: 10 photographs

Access points:

•                Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

The suspension bridge over the Peace River at Taylor, B.C. under construction.

The suspension bridge over the Peace River at Taylor, B.C. under construction.

Two photographs showing the Peace River, one during calm water and one during flood water.

A Northwest Service Command bus crossing the Smoky on the ferry.

Date: 1943 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

On February 15, 1943, a dynamite explosion and resulting fire threatened to destroy Dawson Creek’s main business section along the rail line. The blasts threw stock piles of materials into the air, flying debris caused many injuries, and the fire destroyed equipment and buildings. The U.S. army took over control of fighting the fires and the Red Cross established an emergency hospital ward in its club house. By Sunday five people were known dead and army personnel were engaged in keeping people away from blast-damaged buildings. The photographs show the extent of the destruction and some of the clean up. Photographs are identified on the back.

Physical description: 18 photographs

Access points:

•                Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

“This was the wreckage right alongside the explosion.”

“Another close-up of the barn. They were using this for a repair shop and three trucks were trapped in here.”

“Just a view towards our buildings from the main street.”

“The Bunkhouse after the explosion, Feb 15, 1943.”

“This building was saved by the aid of the U.S. Army but was nevertheless a mess.”

Only upright supports remain of a storage facility still smoking. A British Columbia Highway Patrol car is seen in front.

“This is a view from the railway right of way. There was tons of debris thrown here – picks, shovels, cant hooks, hardware and such.”

“Another view from the street looking towards the centre of the blast.”

“Night picture of the fire resulting from the blast – taken by somebody else.”

Two men looking through the hole in the barn roof. “Yours truly and another one of the boys taken several days after the blast.”

“Another view. This was where the hotel, restaurant, pool hall and telegraph office was at.”

“Another view from the right of way. The stack in the centre is plaster board from the lumber yard.”

“…you can see here the rolls and rolls of wire thrown into the road. It was just like a spider web hanging up in the air.” Dawson Creek Motors building can be seen in the distance.

“These are the searchers in the wreckage after. The majority of the casualties were on this corner.”

“A view of the wreckage from the Wilson Freightways garage and General Motors supply shop.”

“The assistant manager and his black friend. The boys were on constant patrol for 10 days after.”

“They had started to clean up here.”

“This is after the clean up.”