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Transportation

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The earliest transportation on the Shuswap River was cottonwood canoes used by the natives; later river boats and log booming rafts were built by the settlers.

The cottonwood canoes were the original transportation in the Enderby area. The natives made their canoes from cottonwood trees and used them for fishing and transportation. On making these canoes the natives cut down the trees; when the water went down they floated them to their settlement where the logs were beached. The natives then began the process of hollowing out the tree using rock scrapers, and burning.

As more settlers came into the region, they brought new ideas and methods for transportation. One of these methods of transportation used on the river was the river boat. These boats were similar to the St. Lawrence Skiff, originally used on the St. Lawrence River and probably brought out west by the French Canadians. The riverboats were 15 to 30 feet long, very shallow and flat. These boats were also strong and heavy and could hold up to a tonne of cargo. The main users of the boats were trappers and loggers. The trappers used them to transport themselves and their provisions along the river. The loggers, on the other hand, used the boats to haul work crews and cooks up or down the river to their next campsite. The river boats were usually taken into the lake for the same purposes.

The loggers also used another boat and raft for hauling log booms across Mabel Lake. The raft, usually called a donkey, was quite large with a wheel, wound with rope, placed in the center. Also on the raft was a horse harnessed to the end of the rope. After everything was in place, a couple of men would row up river in a rowboat which was attached to the rope on a raft as well, and drop anchor. The horse would walk round the capstan winding up the rope and pulling the boom across the lake to the anchor. The men in the rowboat would then pick up anchor, row up the lake, drop anchor and repeat the cycle. For the times this method was very effective at pulling large booms over the lakes.

As time wore on and new and better transportation developments occurred, the use of Cottonwood Canoes. Riverboats, and Donkeys went out of use but were never forgotten.

Sheryl McCaig, Erika Whitehead
ALF School 1989