Misplaced Pages

#429570

26-508: The goal is to cross the wilderness of the northern parts of Alberta and northern British Columbia in Canada, while making a film, testing Citroën half-track vehicles and generating publicity for himself. Bedaux was acquainted with car manufacturer, Andre Citroën , who designed the Citroën-Kégresse equipped half-track trucks that were used on the expedition. Of the five Citroëns that

52-464: A wireless operator in British and Commonwealth English) is a person who is responsible for the operations of a radio system and the technicalities in broadcasting. The profession of radio operator has become largely obsolete with the automation of radio-based tasks in recent decades. Nevertheless, radio operators are still employed in maritime and aviation fields. In most cases radio transmission

78-649: A basement in Paris. A documentary, The Champagne Safari , based on this footage, was made in 1995 by filmmaker George Ungar . A radio drama was produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation "Champagne Safari". The radio-drama implied some shady ulterior motive for Bedaux's excursion into northern BC and the Far North, making reference to the fact that he had come to the same area previously, in 1926 and 1931. Northern Alberta Northern Alberta

104-407: A singular gray fox ( Urocyon cinereoargenteus ) was recorded close to Lake Athabasca , and multiple vagrant birds including northern cardinals ( Cardinalis cardinalis ), wandering tattlers ( Tringa incana ), and northern wheatears ( Oenanthe oenanthe) . Alberta also has reports of wild boars ( Sus scrofa ) coming into the province. Highway 43 and Highway 2 pass through the southwest of

130-417: A third was floated downriver for an explosion scene that didn't pan out. Nevertheless, Bedaux's plan worked and Canadian and American newspapers carried the news that three of the cars had been lost and that some of the expedition members had barely escaped death in these terrible "accidents". The party was lauded for its bravery and determination to continue on despite this terrible setback. By mid-September,

156-635: Is a geographic region located in the Canadian province of Alberta . An informally defined cultural region, the boundaries of Northern Alberta are not fixed. Under some schemes, the region encompasses everything north of the centre of the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor , including most of the province's landmass as well as its capital, Edmonton . Other schemes place Edmonton and its surrounding farmland in Central Alberta , limiting Northern Alberta to

182-611: Is also used by the University of Alberta to define eligibility for northern research grants. The region consists of aspen parkland in the south, grading to boreal forest and muskeg in the north. The southwest of the region is part of the Peace Country , an area that stretches into northeastern British Columbia consisting of fertile prairie , ranchland , and farmland along the Peace River and its tributaries. Northern Alberta

208-769: Is conserved by the Caribou Mountains Wildland Park . The adjacent Wood Buffalo National Park is Canada's largest protected area. Other tourist attractions in Northern Alberta include the Fort McMurray Historical Society-Heritage Park, Historic Dunvegan , Kimiwan Birdwalk and Interpretive Centre, Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory in the Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park , Muskoseepi Park , Kakwa Wildland Provincial Park , Willmore Wilderness Park and

234-775: Is controlled by Alberta Health Services . On a provincial level, Northern Alberta is represented in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta by Members of the Legislative Assembly elected in the ridings of Athabasca-Redwater , Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock , Bonnyville-Cold Lake , Dunvegan-Central Peace , Fort McMurray-Conklin , Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo , Grande Prairie Smoky , Grande Prairie Wapiti , Lac La Biche-St. Paul , Lesser Slave Lake , and Peace River . 57°N 115°W  /  57°N 115°W  / 57; -115 Radio operator A radio operator (also, formerly,

260-706: Is crossed by the Peace River and the Athabasca River , both of which eventually convene to form the Slave River that ultimately drains into the Arctic Ocean via Great Slave Lake and the Mackenzie River within the Northwest Territories . Other major rivers are Wapiti , Smoky , Hay , Chinchaga , Petitot Rivers in the west, Wabasca River in the centre and Firebag , Beaver and Clearwater River in

286-506: Is now only one of several tasks of a radio operator. In the United States, the title of Certified Radio Operator is granted to those who pass a test issued by the Society of Broadcast Engineers . The role of 'Wireless Operator' aboard aircraft during WWII was often abbreviated to 'WOp' or 'WOP' in official documents or obituaries. This article related to radio communications

SECTION 10

#1732837142430

312-1136: The Oil Sands Discovery Centre. Northern Alberta contains several diamond bearing diatremes associated with kimberlite fields, including the Buffalo Head Hills and Birch Mountains kimberlite fields which in turn form the Northern Alberta kimberlite province . Animals of Northern Alberta include the Mackenzie Valley gray wolf ( Canis lupus occidentalis ), British Columbian red fox ( Vulpes vulpes abietorum ), fishers ( Pekania pennanti ), American black bear ( Ursus americanus ), northwestern moose ( Alces alces anderson i), white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ), wood bison ( Bison bison athabascae ), groundhogs ( Marmota monax canadensis ), northern coyotes ( Canis latrans incolatus ), wolverines ( Gulo gulo ), and mountain lions ( Puma concolor ). Multiple elusive and out-of-range animals have been reported in this region, including

338-530: The boreal forests of this region. As of 2023, the region had a population of approximately 374,572. Various definitions exist of Northern Alberta's boundaries. The definition used by the Northern Alberta Development Council, an agency of the provincial government, includes the communities of Whitecourt , Athabasca , Saddle Lake , St. Paul , and Cold Lake , while excluding Hinton , Edson , Mayerthorpe , and Westlock . This definition

364-497: The decision that the expedition had to become more newsworthy than it already was and he fired his radio operator and announced that the party would continue without a radio. Furthermore, he decided that the Citroëns were expendable and would create a bigger sensation if they were destroyed on film rather than simply making the trip intact. In August, two of the Citroëns were pushed over a 300-foot (91 m) cliff near Halfway River and

390-474: The east. Alberta's two largest waterbodies, Lake Athabasca and Lake Claire are located in the wetlands of northeastern Alberta , forming the Peace-Athabasca Delta , that drains through the Slave River towards the Arctic Ocean . The Caribou Mountains are an elevated plateau in the relatively flat Albertan north which provide core habitat for an endangered woodland caribou herd. This area

416-517: The expedition through much of their trip. Despite the weather and poor road conditions, they made good progress and by July 12 they left Grande Prairie and on the 17th were in British Columbia on the trail from Taylor to Fort St, John. The party stayed in Fort St. John until the 22nd, purchasing supplies, repairing the Citroëns, hiring more cowboys and attending banquets. By then, Bedaux had come to

442-628: The expedition to cross over the Sifton Pass, to Dease Lake and the Stikine River to Telegraph Creek, and ultimately the Pacific Ocean . However, this final leg of the trip was never completed. After enjoying a champagne breakfast hosted by Edmonton's elite and parading down Jasper Avenue , the expedition was formally sent off by Alberta's Lieutenant Governor . Just outside the city, it began to rain. Those dismal weather conditions would accompany

468-520: The expedition were kept too busy attending champagne parties and formal dinners that were being held in their honor. The expedition began at Edmonton, moved to Athabasca and Grande Prairie and then into British Columbia to Dawson Creek , and Fort St. John . From there the expedition headed north to Montney and then northwest to Halfway River on to Whitewater Post over the Northern Rocky Mountains . From there, Bedaux had planned for

494-449: The going smoother for the expedition's vehicles. In June 1934, Bedaux assembled the members of the expedition in Jasper, Alberta , for compulsory fitness training. Bedaux reported to the press that such training was necessary for what was sure to be a long and difficult trip, involving hiking , rafting and mountain climbing . However, no training sessions were accomplished as the members of

520-497: The northern half of the province, where forestry , oil, and gas are the dominant industries. Its primary industry is oil and gas , with large heavy oil reserves being exploited at the Athabasca oil sands and Wabasca area in the east of the region. Natural gas is extracted in Peace region and Chinchaga - Rainbow areas in the west, and forestry and logging are also developed in

546-493: The papers were reporting that the expedition would reach its destination in October. But when the expedition arrived at Whitewater Pass, Frank Swannell, then one of the very few men who knew Northern British Columbia well enough to be considered an expert on the terrain, advised Bedaux against traveling further through the snow-covered mountain passes. His advice was proven well founded when the party's horses began to die of diseases and

SECTION 20

#1732837142430

572-481: The party used, two slid off of cliffs and a third was used in a shot where it was put on a raft where it was supposed to meet a stick of dynamite and explode. However, the shot was ruined when the dynamite failed to explode and the truck floated down river and was stuck in a sandbar. The last two Citroëns were abandoned near Halfway River. When the Alaska Highway was built in the 1940s, a Fort St. John man discovered

598-613: The region, this being the end of the CANAMEX corridor. Other important routes are the Mackenzie Highway and Bicentennial Highway in the northwest, the Northern Woods and Water Route in the southeast and Highway 63 in the east. Grande Prairie Airport , Peace River Airport , Fort Vermilion (Wop May Memorial) International Airport and Fort McMurray Airport are regional air transportation hubs. Northern Alberta's health region

624-545: The remains of these last two half-tracks and one was donated to the Western Development Museum in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan . Bedaux set off on this unusual excursion accompanied by more than a hundred people, including his wife, his mistress (an Italian Countess ), and an Academy Award -winning film director from Hollywood , Floyd Crosby , who would later be praised for his work on High Noon . Also along for

650-483: The route simply proved too arduous to continue. On October 17, the Edmonton Journal reported that the party was turning back. The party reached Hudson's Hope after nearly four months in the wilderness and a party was thrown in honor of their near achievement, a party which turned out to be one of the biggest celebrations that the town had ever thrown. Crosby's footage disappeared only to be found decades later in

676-562: The trip were several dozen Alberta cowboys and a large film crew. To map the route of the expedition, the Canadian government sent along two geographers, Frank Swannell and Ernest Lemarque. The expedition started off at Edmonton, Alberta on July 6, 1934 and their goal was to travel 1,500 miles (2,400 km) to Telegraph Creek, British Columbia . Much of the trip would have to be made through regions that were relatively uncharted and had no trails, not to mention proper roads that would have made

#429570