Akłavik

History

Aklavik began to develop in the early 1900s after the Hudson's Bay Company opened a trading post in 1912. The Roman Catholic Church later established a mission here in 1926. Located on the Peel Channel, the community became a transportation hub in the Mackenzie. It was in a good trapping area. Aklavik became part of the Northwest Territories and Yukon Radio System (NWT&Y) in October 1925. The NWT&Y system, a pioneer system, was critical in providing communications in Canada's North. It was operated by the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (RC Sigs). In Aklavik, besides providing services to the general population, NWT&Y also provided communication for any aircraft that overflew the site, with or without radio. An aircraft without radio that was passing over one of these stations and not planning to land, would fly very low over the station so that it could be identified and the date and time of its passing could be recorded. The call sign for the NWT&Y station in Aklavik was VEF. In 1931, Albert Johnson, also known as the "Mad Trapper of Rat River", moved into the area. A complaint was made to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) post in Aklavik and the two members attempted, unsuccessfully, to talk with him concerning trapline tampering. A few days later, after gaining a search warrant, they tried again to talk with him, but Johnson fatally shot one of the RCMP and fled. A 42-day manhunt began, ending with Johnson's death. These events are considered to have been the catalyst for introducing the airplane and communications radio as tools to help track a person. Museums dedicated to Albert Johnson can be found in Aklavik and in Fort Smith. In December 1946, radio station "CHAK" went on the air at Aklavik. The AK in the call sign was the first and last letters of…