We’ve posted about ice boat runaways, ice carnivals, and cutting ice, but this 1939 report from Pipestone Creek about people crossing the Wapiti River when there was three feet of water over the ice takes the cake! An item following this report says that an $8 basket to cross the river on the ferry cables could save a life during the dangerous spring and fall. A bridge wasn’t built over the Wapiti until 1958, and it was south of Grande Prairie. The Wembley ferry operated until 1970, but winter crossings were still on the ice for many years, with crossings during the spring thaw the most hazardous.
Researched & written by Kathryn Auger
