The Force in the North

Transportation

From their early arrival in the territory the Mounties sought to bring order and safety to the transportation of people and goods. In a land as vast as the Yukon, the Mounties relied on extensive patrolling to keep track of people and their activities. During the early days, no transportation network or services existed. Mounties traveled by foot, canoe, horseback and dog team to deliver mail, check on isolated cabin dwellers and enforce game laws.  

In 1900, White Pass & Yukon Route (WP&YR) began service to Whitehorse, drastically reducing the risks and time involved in traveling into the Yukon. From Whitehorse on, however, it was paddlewheelers on the rivers in summer and overland sleigh in the winter for many more years to come.

The Mounties of the early Force used local First Nations to guide them through the North.  Over time, the Mounties became leaders in northern transportation innovation.  The NWMP/RCMP began to use cars, boats, and planes for their work and changed the face of northern transport forever.

Join our Mountie friends as they share travel escapades they experienced while posted in the North.