A Hard Road to Travel: Land, Forests and People in the Upper Athabasca Region

A sweeping story of the region, peppered with fascinating anecdotes and historical photographs.

People have co-existed with the land in the upper Athabasca for the last 10,000 years. The authors trace the changing relationships between people and forests as humans first travelled through the area, then stayed to struggle, survive, and eventually flourish—first despite the forest, then in harmony with it.

People have co-existed with the land in the upper Athabasca for the last 10,000 years. Its geology, topography, waters, climate, forests, and wildlife have all had a significant effect on the relationship between people and the land.

The authors trace the changing relationships between people and forests as humans first travelled through the area, then stayed to struggle, survive and eventually flourish—first despite the forest, then in harmony with it. With extremes of temperature, drought and forest fires, deep snow, floods, muskegs and fallen timber it truly has been a hard road. Such a history must inform our present and future decision-making about resource use and sustainability.

Whether waterway, trail, railway, highway or logging road, the road was hard won. This book does ample justice to the story of those who knew and know as much.