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

By R. Bruce Macdonald

This book is a biography of two British Columbian ships that performed legendary service in the Canadian Arctic. The St. Roch, now on permanent display at the Vancouver Maritime Museum, is the better known of the two, although North Star of Herschel Island is still sailing and still adding to her legend. Historian Bruce Macdonald—who, along with his wife, owns North Star of Herschel Island—has meticulously researched the origins and service logs of each ship and created a book that will enthrall old Arctic hands, maritime history buffs and anyone who appreciates well-written Canadian history.

Under the command of Captain Henry Larsen, the sturdy RCMP vessel St. Roch spent years showing the Canadian flag in the Arctic, performing many duties including delivering medical supplies and taking census information in addition to enforcing the law in the North. St. Roch is world renowned for achieving many firsts, including being the first vessel through the Northwest Passage west to east, the first vessel to navigate the passage in both directions and the first vessel to circumnavigate North America. Inspired by St. Roch, renowned trapper and Inuit leader Fred Carpenter designed the elegant North Star, the ultimate ice vessel used to transport furs and people to and from remote Banks Island. Together, the two iconic ships have helped to solidify Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic and have become symbols of unity among Northern communities.

In Sisters of the Ice, Macdonald documents in vivid detail the adventurous histories of these two vessels, as well as the history of the Northern communities in which they gained renown. Detailing daring escapes from dangerous ice conditions to thrilling sea voyages to raucous whaling towns, Macdonald reveals the perilous and often lawless climate in which these vessels operated and the ties of Canadian identity that they helped forge.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Harbour Publishing
• Release date: Apr 24, 2021
• ISBN: 9781550179293

R. Bruce Macdonald

R. Bruce Macdonald is a writer, sailor and artist with a passion for Canadian history. Macdonald has logged over 100,000 nautical miles and, for many years, lived along the BC coast aboard North Star with his family. He is the author of North Star of Herschel Island (FriesenPress, 2012) and Sisters of the Ice (Lost Moose Books, 2021).

Book preview

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Praise for Sisters of the Ice

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

—Bourton Scott, founder of the Emerald Sea Protection Society

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

—Captain William Noon, CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier (retired); chair of the Victoria Classic Boat Festival, Victoria  BC

"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 century—with 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 author’s extensive personal involvement in the events he describes, and his sailing experience with one of the premium ships of Arctic service—the 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."

—George Egerton, Emeritus, History Department, University of British Columbia

"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 Canada’s 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."

—Dr. Joost C.A. Schokkenbroek, past director of the Vancouver Maritime Museum

"The raw history of two of Canada’s 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."

—Rob O’Dea, president, Oarlock and Sail Wooden Boat Club

Praise for R. Bruce Macdonald’s previous book, North Star of Herschel Island

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

—Farley Mowat

An important book that every Canadian should read.

—Rt Hon. Jean Chrétien, prime minister of Canada (1993–2003)

"This work is a testament to [Macdonald’s] 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."

—Rt Hon. Stephen Harper, prime minister of Canada (2006–2015)

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.

—Joey Carpenter, son of Fred Carpenter (trapper, Inuit leader and co-designer of the vessel North Star of Herschel Island )

Sisters

of the Ice

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

R. Bruce Macdonald

Lost Moose

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, www.accesscopyright.ca, 1-800-893-5777, [e-mail].

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 / Onça Design

Front cover painting by R. Bruce Macdonald

Printed and bound in Canada

Supported by the Government of Canada Supported by the Canada Council of the Arts Supported by the Province of British Columbia through the British Columbia Arts Council

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: Navigation—Canada, Northern—History—20th century. | LCSH: Schooners—Canada, Northern—History—20th century. | LCSH: Canada, Northern—Description and travel. | LCSH: Canada, Northern—History—20th century.

Classification: LCC FC3963 .M33 2021 | DDC 917.1904/3—dc23

Light skinned older woman in a striped, knit sweater, glasses, and dark pants smiles down at the camera; she stands on a boat and holds onto a taut rope in front of her

This book is dedicated to my mother, Mary Young (née 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?

—Marcus Tullius Cicero ¹

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

—Henry Larsen ²

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.

—Fred Carpenter ³

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 people’s 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.

—Anthony Apakark Thrasher ⁴

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.

—Alan MacNutt ⁵

Contents

List of Illustrations viii

Preface xiii

1. Herschel Island 1

2. The Police Arrive 14

3. Sovereignty 17

4. The Eastern Arctic 22

5. C.T. Pedersen 32

6. Christian Klengenberg 37

7. Henry Larsen 44

8. St. Roch 53

9. North Star of Herschel Island 63

10. Fur Trade 74

11. Arctic Navigation 78

12. Northwest Passage 87

13. St. Roch Returns from the East 97

14. North Star of Herschel Island and Sovereignty 105

15. A New Owner 116

16. We Enter 124

Epilogue 128

Acknowledgements 129

Other Works Consulted 130

Notes 133

Index 140

List of Illustrations

Page v — Mary Young (née Wight) | photo by the author.

Page xiv — William, Caroline and John Herschel | North Star collection.

Page 3 — Map of the Canadian Arctic | artist Jon Hersh, North Star collection.

Page 4 — Whaling ships iced in at Herschel Island | Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic, Connecticut.

Page 5 — Winter Quarters at Herschel Island | artist John Bertonccini, North Star collection.

Page 6 — Whalers at Herschel Island | Government of Yukon.

Page 7 — Whalers flensing a whale alongside their ship | Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic, Connecticut.

Page 6 — Promotional poster for the 1933 movie Eskimo | Wikimedia Commons.

Page 9 — Inuit women, circa 1890s | Isaac O. Stringer Family fonds, Anglican Church of Canada, P7517-381.

Page 8 — Peter Freuchen in 1921 | from Freuchen’s book, Arctic Adventures: My Life in the Frozen North, Farrar & Rinehart, New York, Toronto (1935).

Page 11 — Captain W.P.S. Porter and Beluga crew | Library and Archives Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police fonds, e108693397.

Page 15 — Members of the North-West Mounted Police | Radio Canada International.

Page 20 — The Royal Proclamation of 1763 | Library and Archives Canada, OCLC 1007612335

Page 23 — Otto Neumann Knoph Sverdrup | from Sverdrup’s book, New Land: Four Years in the Arctic Regions, Longmans, Green & Co., London (1904).

Page 24 — 1977 Canadian postage stamp depicting Captain Joseph-Elzear Bernier and his ship, CGSArctic | design by artist Will Davies and engraving by Robert Couture.

Page 27 — Taking possession of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Parry’s Rock, Melville Island, July 1, 1909 | Library and Archives Canada, C-29604.

Page 29 — Baleen harvested from the mouth of a bowhead whale on board a whaling ship (left) | photo courtesy Kenn Harper. Corset advertisement (right) | Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Page 34 — C.T. Pedersen | North Star collection.

Page 38 — Christian Klengenberg and family | NWT Archives.

Page 41 — Gjøa and crew | Vancouver Maritime Museum.

Page 42 — Vilhjalmur Stefansson | Stefansson Arctic Institute.

Page 45 — Maid of Orleans in the Arctic ice | Royal Canadian Mounted Police photo collection.

Page 46 — Henry Larsen, circa 1934 | Parks Canada St. Roch photograph collection, Vancouver Maritime Museum, LM2016.999.003.

Page 46 — Knud Rasmussen | George Grantham Bain Collection, Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

Page 48 — Fred Wolki | North Star collection.

Page 49 — Ernest Pasley as a cadet in the Royal Navy (left); Pasley in the Arctic (right) | Library and Archives Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police fonds.

Page 50 — Ian Mor Macdonald | Library and Archives Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police fonds.

Page 54 — Fred Carpenter | North Star collection.

Page 55 — St. Roch crew members and Inuit Special Constable at Herschel Island | Parks Canada, Vancouver Maritime Museum.

Page 57 — St. Roch completing sea trials in English Bay, Vancouver, BC | Parks Canada, Vancouver Maritime Museum HSOS-20-04.

Page 58 — C.T. Pedersen and William Hugh Gillen visit Herschel Island | Parks Canada, Vancouver Maritime Museum HCRO-20-08.

Page 58 — St. Roch under way in the Canadian Arctic | Parks Canada, Vancouver Maritime Museum.

Page 59 — St. Roch and Hudson’s Bay Company’s Karise at Herschel Island, 1930 | Parks Canada, Vancouver Maritime Museum.

Page 60 — Inuit visitors aboard St. Roch | Parks Canada, Vancouver Maritime Museum.

Page 65 — Maud being launched in 1917 | The Fram Museum, Oslo, Norway.

Page 65 — Ole Andreasen | Library and Archives Canada, a100592-v8.

Page 66 — Plans for North Star of Herschel Island drawn by Ole Andreasen | North Star collection.

Page 69 — Atlas hand crank gasoline engine (top left); Kneass Boatworks, San Francisco, California (top right); North Star of Herschel Island, 1935 (middle left); North Star of Herschel Island loaded aboard MSPatterson (middle right) | North Star collection. Crew members relaxing aboard North Star of Herschel Island (bottom left); Jim Hussey’s MSPatterson logbook from 1935 (bottom right) | photos by Jim Hussey, courtesy Hussey estate.

Page 68 — Jim Hussey’s photographs of his fellow crew members | photos by Jim Hussey, courtesy Hussey estate.

Page 71 — North Star of Herschel Island launch from the deck cradle aboard MSPatterson | photo by Jim Hussey, courtesy Hussey estate.

Page 75 — Fred Carpenter readying his dog team (left); furs being bleached on clotheslines (centre and right) | North Star collection.

Page 76 — Dogsled lashed to roof of pilothouse | North Star collection.

Page 77 — Marilyn Monroe wearing her white fox-fur muff and stole | The Marilyn Monroe Collection.

Page 80 — HBCBaychimo hauling St. Roch off the rocks at Cambridge Bay, 1930 | Library and Archives Canada, 5095-1930.

Page 85 — Leadsman taking soundings aboard St. Roch | Parks Canada, Vancouver Maritime Museum, HCSW- 100-03.

Page 88 — St. Roch’s sharper bow | Parks Canada, Vancouver Maritime Museum.

Page 89 — Ships loading cryolite at Greenland, 1898 |