Elder Stories
~Gilbert G. Faries~
Elder Gilbert Faries is a Swampy Cree Indian and was born in Fort Albany on the western shore of James Bay in 1916. As a young man, he accompanied his step-father in a birch bark canoe along the bay; fishing, trapping, and hunting. Mr. Faries now resides in Moose Factory, Ontario, with his wife. The following stories chronicle life back in those days.
"The Story Teller"
It was in the summer of 1936 when I signed a five-year contract to serve with the Hudson's Bay Co. as an apprentice clerk in the fur trade, with a starting salary of $15.00 a month for the first year and an annual increase of $5.00 a month to the completion of my apprenticeship years. My first assignment was to work under the local foreman (shipwright Joiner) and our task was to proceed to Rupert House and dismantle a Revillon Frer's Store which had just been bought out by the Hudson's Bay Co. The building was of B.C. fir throughout, and it was not an easy task to take apart and save the material for reassembly to use on the Belcher Islands, which would be my first posting, under Mr. Robert Cruikshanks the manager.
By late July, we had dismantled, and had all the material bundled in lots and ready for shipment by one of the Hudson's Bay Transport vessels named "Fort Churchill M.K.". M.K. stood for motor ketch, and was about a 90 ton capacity. It wasn't long and I called it a tub, as I got very seasick before arriving at our destination (Belcher Island).
In view of the fact that we also had a part shipment for Great Whale River, we had to call in there first. Once we unloaded the Great Whale supplies and weighed anchor, we began our final journey towards the Belcher Islands. It was blowing a nor-wester, and the skipper decided that we had better seek shelter, and he swung the boat around and headed for Taska Harbour, some 30 nautical miles just south of the mouth of the Whale River. We spent the night in tranquility, and the next day we again weighed anchor, and the weather was fine, sunshine and a fair breeze yet from the nor-west. After a few hours cruising, we arrived at the post which was to be home for a few years in training.
In a short time the material for our store was unloaded and work began in short order. I was being trained the building trade, on-the-job training by a very fussy boss who in later years became my father-in-law. We managed to construct the foundation and the four outer walls before the "churchill" weighed anchor for the return to Moose Factory. I was left to complete the roof and all the interior decorating before the cold weather set in.
The next thing I had to do was learn the Eskimo language. I found it hard at first, however after about a year, I became quite fluent and I was able to communicate with the natives when they came in from their camps to trade. In my second year, I had had enough of the isolation and I requested a transfer but to no avail. I submitted my resignation, which the authorities reluctantly accepted.
Now how were they going to get me home to Moose? The only chance was to meet the H.B.C. mail carriers at Great Whale River and hitch a ride with them when they returened to Moose, but first I had to get off Belcher Islands. My boss arranged a trip with two Eskimos and a dog team.
It was a very nice day when we began our trip from Belcher Islands to Great Whale River Post. We set up our tent about half the distance, and we arrived at the Whale before dark the next day. I hung around the Whale until such time as the mail carriers were ready to begin the trip to Moose Factory, calling in at the H. B. C. posts, Fort George, Eastmain, Rupert House. The travelling was not that easy. A twelve dog team is a lot of dogs to ready each morning, and to bed down each evening. Hail, rain or shine it was the same routine. Can you just imagine what a time we had when we had to start putting on the dog boots to protect their feet from getting cut on the glass-like hard snow crust? And as you put the boots on each dog they would start pulling off the boots as you were doing up the boots on the others. Yes! I'm telling you, it was quite a task. The late Robert Linklater was the boss of the mail run, and he was known as "the dog skinner".
His assistant was Fred Moore of Moose. I was the passenger, however, I had to do my share of the work too. There was the brushing down of the dogs each night for bed, and wood to get for cooking oatmeal in a ten gallon, light, steel drum and the feeding of the dogs before dark. All in all, it was a great experience to travel with such good fellows. We used to play tricks on each other during the daytime en route, ie. trying to run away, to make each other run all the harder to keep up. At one point (Cape Hope Island to East Main River), I had to run over ten miles without snowhoes in about one foot of snow, and this was supposed to be a joke.
Our second day after leaving Rupert House, we set up camp and it began to rain, and rain for two to three days. We were weather-bound until the wind changed to the north. After it froze enough, we made our final charge to our home port, Moose Factory, and it was mighty good going on the hard frozen snow and the odd ice ponds left by the rain. We had a slight mishap crossing the Partridge River, as we broke through the ice which was not thick enough for the heavy load we had. However, the final lap up the Moose was good until we arrived at Moose Factory Island, when we encountered the first of the flood water from up river, as we had trouble keeping our big sleigh on the narrow ledge of ice along the shore.
Thus ended my dream to become an employee of the famous company for many years to come. My two travel companions were not finished at Moose Factory, as they had to return the dogteam and sled to the home port of Attawapiscat the next day. I never did know how long it took them, however, they made it in record time and they were able to return home to Moose before the spring river break-up.
HOME 
ELDER STORIES
MISSION
PROJECTS SERVICES
