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Terrace Bay Schreiber 2 é = % Wednesday, August 7, 1985 Public Library TERRACE BAY » ONT, POT 2wo C.C eT FN, Vol. 20, No. 39 Serving Terrace Bay, Schreiber and Rossport Lo 3 Digging Up History By: Lori Uusitalo David Arthurs carefully examines a tiny button he's uncovered from the char- red foundations of Red Rock. House:..- he building was like a time capsule. When it burnt down nothing was rescued and the fire preserved a great many artifacts."" . The ill wind that fanned the flames over the trader's residence has blown some good for Arthurs' excava- tion team from the Ministry of Citizenship and Culture (MCC). "Red Rock House gives us a detailed look at what frontier life was like back then - and it was a lot more sophisticated than people think!"' The post, located on the south bank of the Nipigon River, was at one time one of Lake Superior's-largest fur trade posts. Red Rock House, however, faded in- to history as the 19th cen- tury came to an end. In 1891 the main dwell- ing house burned to the ground. The other buildings, one by one, col- lapsed from age or demoli- tion over the following decades. All that remains to the untrained eye is a rolling, grassy meadow. In 1984, with funding from the Ontario Ministry of Northern Affairs, Ar- thurs supervised Project Archaeologist, Scott Hamilton, and a team of young students who began - to unearth the remains of Here, work archaeologist looking for Cal what Red Rock House. Among the artifacts that have been found were ceramic dishes, cutlery and buttons, all with very detailed decoration. Because of the way the fire preserved the artifacts, the building is unique in Canada. Arthurs said, "It is one of the few fur trade posts in an urban area that hasn't been destroyed by later development." Doug' Melville, Nor- thern Affairs fieldworker for the Nipigon area, says it is important that the history of the town be preserved now so.it can be incorporated into the planned redevelopment of the waterfront. "'It's ironic that this part of Nipigon is now overgrown with weeds and brush. The waterfront' was* where ail the action took place dur- ing Nipigon's early years in the fur trade era."' In a few years Nipigon's waterfront could shed its weedy, somnambulent character and bustle again. The town fathers are ac- tively seeking the redevelopment of the shore for tourism and recreation. The first step was a redevelopment plan. After obtaining a grant from Northern Affais in 1984, the town commis- sioned Moore/George Associates, a landscape ar- chitecture and planning firm.. The results of the study suggested the con- hard at old Richie is remains of the struction of a visitor infor- mation centre with a museum, meeting. rooms, and possibly a restaurant. The firm also suggested the construction. of a water- front pavilion and children's playground, a better docking facility with a marina and service buildings, a 40-50 bay campground, and a historical interpretive walking trail. But before any develop- ment could proceed it was essential to uncover the area's history. A few historians and archaelogists had poked around the waterfront and the Nipigon Museum had a display on the post, but the'details of the fur trade lay hidden underground. The first real interest in the property by --"ar- chaeologists developed with K.C.A. ---Dawson's survey of fur trade sites in the Lake Nipigon area in 1969 and 1970. He located the foundations of the stone powder magazine and col- lected several historic photographs and plans, however, no excavations appear to have been done. In the winter of 1981-82 when the town dock was being reconstructed a bulldozer apparently destroyed parts of the walls of the powder magazine. This prompted the curator of the Nipigon museum, Roland Choiselat, to con- tact Arthurs, who is the Field Archaeologist for Citizenship and Culture in Thunder Bay. During the 1982 field season, Arthurs conducted excavations to assess the damage done and to help date the structure. He also did a great deal of research and the following winter in the Hudson's Bay Ar- chives, Provincial Ar- chives of Manitoba. He wanted details. What were the number and function of the buildings at the post? By 1983 he'd discovered a lot about Red Rock's history. The breakthrough came in 1984 when the MCC got a $70,000 grant from Nor- thern Affairs to form an ex- cavation team. They could determine the size of the site and what was left of it in order to aid =the developers in planning the redevelopment of the property. Another role of the pro- ject aimed at public educa- tion. Guided tours were developed so that people could see the = ar- chaeologists at work. Between 500 and 1000 people took part in the pro- gram and a majority of them enjoyed the ex- perience thoroughly and in- dicated an interest in visiting similar sites in the future. Few people realize that "prehistoric times in Northwestern Ontario means iess then 200 years continued on page 7 Hudson's Bay Company post, Red Rock House. Elizabeth Wieben Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarship Fund Eight scholarships for advanced flight and ground training were awarded by The Ninety-Nines, an in- ternational organization of women pilots, at its annual convention being held in Baltimore, July 24-27. The scholarships are given annually in memory of Amelia Earhart, first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, 53 years ago. Earhart was first president of The Ninety-Nines. The" organization, formed in 1929, now has more than 6000 women pilots world- wide. Recipients of the awards are all licensed pilots seek- ing advanced flight training or enrollment in a college or university aviation- related program to further their aviation careers. Among the recipients of the awards was Elizabeth Wieben of Wieben's Air just past Pays Plat. Elizabeth is currently a bush pilot in Northern On- tario flying floats on the vast shoreline of Lake Superior. She intends to use her scholarship to ob- tain her Canadian multi- engine airline transport license. For the past 5 years she has been working in the bush flying prospec- tors, geologists, hunters, fishermen, lumber and camp supplies. First introduced to the 99s by the Intermountain chapter in 1976, she is presently a member of the Winnipeg chapter. Her fly- ing base is 580 miles from Winnipeg, which is the closest 99 chapter. Elizabeth, who has a university degree in business and economics, holds commercial licenses from Australia, Canada, and United States, having done:charter work in those 3 countries. '*Since I have moved ex- tensively in my adult life, I enjoyed the companion- ship of the 99s, the Australian Women Pilots' Association and a variety of other aviation organiza- tions including skydiving clubs." She says: "My husband (a South African) and I are raising a family of four children which in- cludes two Australians, one Canadian and one American. I am truly grateful. for this exciting opportunity to further my aviation education and career and encourage each member to work to keep our organization strong so that we may help and en- courage other women flyers."' Elizabeth is the daughter of Orville Wieben, well- known Canadian aviator and one of a flying family of 5. Final judges for the awards were: Michigan Lieutenant Governor Mar- tha W. Griffiths; Paul Poberezny, President of the Experimental Aircraft Association; Brig. Gen. Paul Tibbets, USAF (RET), President of Ex- ecutive Jet Aviation, and John H. Winant, President of the National Business Aircraft Association. Terrace Bay receives fund for commercial site Terrace Bay is receiving a $101,648.00 dollar grant from the Ministry of Nor- thern Affairs and Mines towards water and sewer services for anew highway commercial site and four apartment lots. In announ- cing the grant, Minister Rene Fontaine said, "This project will-allow the con- struction of a 35-unit motel and restaurant leading to 18 full-time jobs. It is in keep- ing with our goal to in- crease Northern Employ- ment Opportunities." Four apartment lots located " behind the highway development will also spur construction of housing to relieve Terrace Bay's shor- tage of rental accommoda- tion. Water and sewer ser- vicing of the $293,000.00 dollar project will be com- pleted in the 1985 construc- tion season.