The Dogs of Hazelton

In the early days of Hazelton, hundreds of dogs littered the town.  These dogs were of all kinds and sizes and, for the most part, had no particular owners.  In the winter months, a number of the larger dogs were trained as sleigh and pack dogs.  These dogs were invaluable since the only means of transporting essential supplies and mail from the coast to Hazelton during the winter months was the dog team.  This incredible journey was 150 miles long.

Dog sled leaving Hazelton for Manson Creek
Image Courtesy of BC Archives - Detail of Call #B-01337

When the dogs were hauling sleighs and toboggans, they were fed a mixture of rice mulligan and smoked salmon.  At feeding time, each dog had to be fed separately and watched to insure that they got their portion.  

As the ice on the Skeena broke away and snow on the trails melted, the dog teams were no longer needed.  Sternwheelers and pack trains once again became the main method of transportation.  At this point, the sled dogs were free to roam around Hazelton.  According to the local people who used the dogs during the wintertime, when the dogs were not working, they did not get fed.   The dogs had to steal food from around the town or wherever they could to survive until the next winter when they would be rounded up and put back to work.

Supplies on route from Hazelton to Manson Creek, 1911
Image Courtesy of BC Archives - Detail of Call #A-09678

This digital collection was produced under contract to the
   SchoolNet Digital Collections program, Industry Canada. Revised:  02/15/99