built by those engineers remain
in use today, evidence of the in
tention of permanence and en
gineering skill. Last year the
various links of that road sys
tem through the scenic Fraser
River were completed and de
clared open to the public. Today
thousands of motors are rolling
over perfect paved and gravel
roads that lead 850 miles from
Vancouver through the land of
the Golden Twilight to the de
lightful village of Hazelton. On
July 4, 1931, over 150,000 people
in 33,146 motor cars crossed and
recrossed the Canadian bound
ary line on the Pacific Highway
This gives some idea of the pos
sible traffic of the near future
with our northern neighbors. It
has been my privilege to drive
over me roaa to nazeiiun una i
wish I could show you pictures
of the great bridges across the
Fraser, the beautiful timber
enroute, the vast cattle country
of the Bella Coola and the sage
brush and cactus of the desert
section. The lovely unspoiled re
sorts of silence, fishing and gco:\
food. Gi’zzly bear and moose ar>°
in the hills and real fish are in
the streams and lakes. Totern
poles and Indian cemeteries with
their devil chasers. Colorful hill
sides where pigments are now
being mined for point manufac
turers. Eight hundred and 50
miles—a beautiful vacation land
and summer resort of the im
mediate future.
“British Columbia now has
T2,000 miles of highways, 660.000
people and still the north one
third of British Columbia has no
roads. British Columbia is larger
than California, Oregon and
Washington combined.
“Premier Simon Fraser Tolmie
rf that great province is the
leader in promotion of the ex
tension of the Pacific Interna
tional Highway north and west
ward up through the Yukon
Territory to the land of the
Midnight Sun.
“The largest and most promis
ing mineral zone of all Canada
lies cn the eastern slope of the
coast range in the one-third of
British Columbia which is now
land locked by the panhandle of
Southeastern Alaska. The famous
Cassiar gold district, the Stikinc
and the Nass will be opened and
developed by the northern ex
tension of this highway. This
summer the aerial surveys have
been completed from Hazelton
to beautiful Lake Atlin, Five
hundred miles through a virgin
country of trappers, explorers and
scattered prospectors. A land
where millions of water power is
now rushing wasted behind the
great pulp and timber sections
of Southeastern Alaska. Cana
dian engineers have extended
those surveys up through the
hills to the famous Klondike
River and Romantic Dawson,
along the banks of the Yukon
where the tourists will revel in
miles of gorgeous fire weed and
scenic river views,'past the great
silver deposits and up to the
Alaskan boundary west of Daw
sen. The Yukon surveys state
that that section can be built
with a good gravel surface for
about $7,500 per mile. The Yukon
River would be crossed at Daw
son by a ferry which is already
in local operation.
“The Alaska highway system
which radiates from Fairbanks,
now leads north to the village of
Circle on the Yukon and south
to the Port of Valdez on the
Pacific Coast. There are in this
immediate system at present ap
proximately 800 miles of excel
lent gravel roads traversing not
only a magnificient scenic min
eral section, but passing through
millions of acres of future wheat
and barley land. The surveys
made in Alaska this summer
show the Pacific International
Highway main line can no doubt
connect advantageously with the
existing Alaskan system at a
point about 90 miles from Fair
banks. This new 200-mile Alas
kan section will pass through a
rich placer country as well as a
section where every tourist will
see caribou herds of countless
thousands.
“On October 10 a meeting will
be held in Victoria when Ameri
can and Canadian Representa
tives will examine the reports
and recommendations of the
various engineering parties. A
preliminary study of this infor
mation shows that the final
located line will have easy grades
and alignments and the passes
will be below 3,000 feet. The
entire route from Vancouver to
Fairbanks is protected from the
heavy coastal rains and snow by
the coast range of mountains.
Annual rainfall in Fairbanks is
only 12 inches. This route is free
from fog and follows the natural
flying route to the Orient. The
road to Hazelton is at present
used the year around, and the
2,000 motor cars in Alaska op
erate throughout the winter in
the vicinity of the towns. When
ever traffic warrants the Alas
kan roads can be kept open the
year around just as is now done
under similar winter climatic
conditions in the States.
“An excellent gravel road to
Fairbanks could be completed
and in service in less than five
years from tlie time the money
is available. It is believed that
$10,000 per mile would put
through a passable gravel read.
The driving distance from San
Francisco to Fairbanks will be
about 3,500 miles, of which only
1,000 remains to be completed.
“Various financial plans have
been proposed, and after the en
gineers’ reports are made public
more definite proposals will be
forthcoming.
“The Province of British Co
lumbia will no doubt find a
financing plan of concessions,