Jan 17, 2014 the februarymarch 2014 issue of canadas history magazine includes the story of a littleknown wartime pipelinebuilding project in canadas north. Mining heritage society have restored a cat train that was used to transport freight in the 40s and 50s. We decided that the south canol road would fit the bill nicely a truly unique drive that few people ever do. The troops that came through dawson creek pushed the road through to mile 588, contact creek, where they met with troops coming south. The highway was completed in only nine months and was considered one of the engineering marvels of modern times. Cathy and i were in need of an adventure yesterday just one day of something unique. A pipeline network was constructed that consisted of a 950 km crude oil line canol 1 from norman wells to the refinery in whitehorse. In the end, canol amounted to an obscure footnote in wartime history, remembered by few and cared about by fewer.
Jul 05, 2017 in the end, canol amounted to an obscure footnote in wartime history, remembered by few and cared about by fewer. This was a wartime effort by the canadian and american governments to supply oil to alaska from the oil fields at norman wells, northwest territories. Recollections of the life and death of the embarras. History of gas and oil pipelines without pic pipeline knowledge. The canol pipeline project to bring oil from norman wells in the northwest territories to whitehorse has been described as the biggest waste of time, energy and money during the construction of the alaska highway. Army regiments in the north, 19421943 chronicles the numerous difficulties. Canol road, yukon listing regions yukon territory alaska. Ruth gruber 19112016 was an awardwinning jewish american journalist, photographer, and humanitarian. Aug 01, 2011 theres an interpretive sign about canol construction equipment as well as this old dump truck, a pull grader of similar vintage, and buried in long grass, a section of the canol pipeline. I saw chester russell on the history channels modern marvels when they interviewed him in a documentary of the. Fairbanks pipeline calcango fioak1033 canol pipeline phase i draft technical report.
The canol road pipleline was an ambitious project to ship oil overland from norman wells, northwest territories, to military bases in alaska. He is a member of the explorers club and the author of way out there. Its on outdoor display at the giant mine boat launch parking. The 1,600 kilometre canol pipeline was built in the 1940s to move oil from norman wells, n. Current issues friday bulletin libraries, archives. The pipeline no longer exists, but the 449 kilometres 279 mi long yukon portion of the road is maintained by the yukon government during summer months. The canol project, 194245 aina publications server. The canols legacy may be mixed, but the pipeline construction story is truly incredible.
Canol, as the project evolved to in august 1942, became not only the one crude oil pipeline between norman wells and whitehorse, but also three distribution lines, roads, and a string of airports. The first canadian transmission pipeline was built in 1853. The list below contains most of them almost 100 nonfiction alone, not counting travel guides. The canol pipeline was built to carry crude oil from norman wells, northwest territories, in canada to alaska, usa, during world war ii.
A history of two great wwii alaska canada projects. The whitehorse refinery and the pipeline were shut down in 1945. From there, three pipelines were built to carry products to ports in alaska, and to watson lake. Home alaska highway construction collections all guides. The routing was to johnsons crossing and then along the alaska highway to whitehorse, yukon, where a refinery was built even though the pipeline was on canadian territory, as a wartime expediency the building of the pipeline was overseen by the united. A majority of the collection pertains to the construction of the canol pipeline, however the collection includes photographic postcards of alaska highway construction scenes. Canol pipeline, a 10 cm oil pipeline built from 1942 to 1944 from norman wells, nwt, km to a refinery at whitehorse, yukon. The hainesfairbanks pipeline the hainesfairbanks pipeline fairbanks kristy hollinger edited by.
Yet canol s contribution to the advance of oil exploration and development in the mackenzie basin is one of the significant events of the time. The canadian oil pipeline, otherwise known as canol, completes a crude oil pipeline from norman wells, nt to whitehorse, yk. The new monument was established to commemorate this pivitol period in our nations history and elevated nine historic sites in hawaii, california, and alaska to monument status. I enjoyed the book so much i have planned to drive the alaska highway at my leisure in march of 20 rv and all. I appreciated the authors approach of interspersing historical context and detail about the construction of the canol pipeline road with his own backpacking journey. The enlisted men, most of them from the south, faced racial discrimination from white.
Thanks to frank dabbs author and member of the board of the petroleum history society for permission to reprint his chronologies of events before the leduc discovery. The story of the development of field artillery during wwi. Previous winners include m dresslers acclaimed novel the last to see me, the true story veterans day. Morale on the project hit the highest highs, and the lowest lows, judging by comments of the day. Ottawa learned about the establishment of this oil pipeline only after the united states had commissioned a contractor for its construction.
Alberta petroleum exploration and discovery 1875 1947. Launched in 2014, book pipeline connects writers worldwide with publishers, agents, and the film industry. This document details the information evaluated during the literature search or phase i assessment of available records for. The expenses mounted from the frequent repairs and maintenance of the pipeline along with the high cost of refined oil production in whitehorse. Clark was employed as a civilian construction worker on the canol pipeline. The military need for the alaska highway and canol pipeline declined at the end of world war ii. Hiking the spectacular canol trail of the northwest territories. Center for environmental management of military lands colorado state university ft. Although the norman wells section was shut down, oil was received from skagway and pumped to fairbanks and a pipeline was also extended from whitehorse to watson lake. The listed titles are not all solely about the alaska highway or canol, but all at least make significant commentary about the projects.
The canol pipeline actually consisted of four sections. She also wrote several memoirs documenting her astonishing experiences, among them ahead of time 1991, inside of. The canol road and a telegraph line running north of johnsons crossing were also constructed at this time to service the oil pipeline. The canol pipeline project is a case in point, causing canadian frustrations.
Portland montreal pipe line completes its 380 kilometre oil pipeline from south portland, maine, usa to montreal, qc. Still, canol is more than just a testament to haste and waste. The american armed forces, which urged the project on a reluctant canadian government, wanted a secure supply of oil products to fuel defence efforts in the northwest. Tales of a catskinner building alaska highway winter trail. Canol pipeline f1 oak1 033 and haines fairbanks pipeline, f10ak1016. A refinery was also to be constructed in whitehorse. A 25 kilometre castiron pipe moving natural gas to trois rivieres, qc. Book pipeline is developing writers that may be more amateur, perhaps more used to writing novels as. Born in brooklyn in 1911, she was the author of nineteen books, including the national jewish book awardwinning biography raquela 1978.
The pipeline has come and gone but most of the road remains. Established in 2014, book pipeline was created by the creators of script pipeline, a website that connects writers of film and television to producers, agents, and managers. The canol road was part of a project to build the canol pipeline and a road from norman wells, northwest territories, to whitehorse, yukon, during world war ii. Pipeline industry overview types of pipelines pipe manufacture and coating fundamentals of pipeline design pumps and compressors prime movers construction practices and equipment welding techniques and equipment operation and control metering and storage maintenance and repair. Robert harris mr93 has been a lifelong resident of new york city, but since 1966 he has completed more than fifty multiweek unsupported treks. After the war, the canol 1 pipeline was no longer needed and was removed. This is the first detailed account of the 5,000 black troops who were reluctantly sent north by the united states army during world war ii to help build the alaska highway and install the companion canol pipeline. The line was funded by the usa and strategically located safely within canada to supplement supply to the war effort protecting alaska from japanese incursion. Bush established, by executive order, the world war ii valor in the pacific national monument. The norman wells historical centre offers an exciting introduction to the canol project. Alberta petroleum public policy milestones 1670 1945 frank dabbs is a journalist, columnist, author and business communicator who has spent most of his 38. Reprinted in 2012 by the norman wells historical society covers history of the pipeline and description of the backpacking trail. However, just like any resource, if the writer does not utilize it to its fullest potential, it will not provide any aid. Exploring the yukons historic and remote south canol road.
Many of these publications are now out of print, but virtually all can. Hiking the spectacular canol trail of the northwest. The reality, however, was that the pipeline had to cross through the heart of both the selwyn mountains and the huge barrier presented by the mackenzie mountains. Our final conclusion regarding book pipeline is that it is a helpful resource for writers, especially those that are looking to adopt their work for tv and film. Pipelines have operated for a long time in canada since 1853 to the point that we now have 119,000 kilometres of underground transmission pipeline. Theirs were the first black regiments deployed outside the lower 48 states. Army regiments in the north, 19421943 chronicles the numerous difficulties caused by the peculiarities of subarctic climate temperature variations that rose from below freezing to above 80 degrees in 12 hours, quaking bogs, and permafrost and by the continental divide.
The line was dubbed the canol pipeline, an acronym for canadian oil. Gage 1990, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. The canol road the canol road is a classic and somewhat rarely used road compared to the more known roads like the dempster. The pipeline was removed long ago, but the yukon portion of the canol road remains open in summer. These were the alaska highway, an allweather road connecting the united states through canada to alaska. Four years later, in january 1991, karen swansoniwamoto of the u. For your efforts to preserve the historical legacy of the petroleum industry in the norman wells region, including the canol pipeline and trail, through your exhibits and research support at the norman wells historical centre.
The canol pipeline was built during world war ii to move oil from the imperial oil field in norman wells to a refinery in whitehorse. Pictorial history of two interesting ww2 construction projects the alaska highway and canol oil pipeline. Text and documentary photographs by richard finnie. Self published, september 1999 softcover, 128 pages, 85 photographs, maps, 210x5mm. A personal account of building the alaska highway, the winter trail, and canol pipeline road in 194243 coos bay, or. The book is an excellent story that contains a lot more facts than what can be covered in a tv documentary. We so badly wanted so slow down, but it was either have a quick look at the south canol or none at all. Sackett conservation branch directorate of public works u. The canol project, 194245 1992 is the 50th anniversary of diverse military activities, including the canol project, in northwestern canada initiated by the united states war department as defence measures during world war ii. The american armed forces, which urged the project on a reluctant canadian government, wanted a secure supply of oil products to fuel.
A pictorial history of two great world war ii construction projects by cohen, stan and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The project was initiated during the early days of world war ii when the military situation appeared critical. Through two submissions platformsunpublished and adaptationthe company seeks both new and established authors and playwrights. Division of spill prevention and response alaska dec. This is a multiinstitutional annotated bibliography of collections, which are housed in repositories in alaska, canada, and within the. The pipelines route is now a wilderness hiking trailthe canol heritage trail.
The portion of the road that still exists in the nwt is called the. Petroleum history society two chronologies by frank dabbs. In the spring of 1943, the first women arrived at camp canol, and a distinct change in the social nature of the camp occurred variety shows were held, choral groups started, and a regular newsletter was produced. Mile 0 dawson creek was the muster point for the american, and canadian troops and the many contractors who built this amazing road. It was the longest pipeline in the world at the time. The road was built to support a pipeline from norman wells in the northwest territories to whitehorse in the yukon.
It seems appropriate, then, to mark the canol projects birthday with a profile of its accomplish. The canol pipeline and road were abandoned less than one year after completion in 1944 as the war had ended and the pipeline was no longer required. Industry expert john kennedy details the oil and gas pipeline operation industry in this complete text. A set of moose antlers tangled in telephone wires found at mile 170 on the canol trail. The project was regularly under fire from many directions, for reasons ranging from. The februarymarch 2014 issue of canadas history magazine includes the story of a littleknown wartime pipelinebuilding project in canadas north the canol road pipleline was an ambitious project to ship oil overland from norman wells, northwest territories, to military bases in alaska. I would view this as a mustread for anyone who dreams of hiking the canol heritage trail.
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