Dore Lake Memories - Part Nine.

Erick Viden was born in Skattunge, Sweden, in 1893. He immigrated to Canada with his parents Erick and Brita, also his brother and sister in 1909. They lived in the Parkside district for about two years, before getting a homestead near Canwood. He told of, he and his father, walking from Parkside to Big River in cold weather in summer clothing, to get work at the Big River sawmill. He married Mary Moline, who had also moved with her family to the Canwood district. The Moline family came from Ratvik, Sweden to Minnesota, thence to Canada. Olaf and Anna Moline with three daughters, including Mary, and one son immigrated first to Prince Albert, then to Canwood, to a homestead in 1911. Three other members of the family remained in the United States. Erick and Mary farmed near Canwood for several years after their marriage, then moved to the Deer Ridge district in 1927, to a homestead bordering the National Park boundary. As well as clearing and farming the land, Erick had sawmills that kept him and his family busy during the winters.

They moved to Big River in 1943, where Erick was employed by Big River Fisheries, and thence to Dore Lake, where he built and operated a sawmill for Waites Fisheries. He operated the diesel motors for the freezer, did shop work such as welding, and kept the machinery operating.

In 1946, Erick bought Nels Edson's fishing outfit and camps. His sons, Art and Harold, fished for him. In 1947, they purchased a few mink and eventually established a mink ranch. Erick also continued to do the welding and machinery repairs for the community.

In 1960, they sold the mink ranch to Bernard Johnson and moved to the South End of Dore Lake. Here they started a gas station and Erick did repair jobs, not only for the community but also for tourists, who were now coming to Dore Lake to fish.

Erick passed away in September 1980, but Mary still lives at Dore Lake. They have four children: Harold, Arthur, and Ted, and Mrs Eileen Edquist.

Harold was born at Canwood, Saskatchewan and moved with his parents to the Deer Ridge district in 1927, where he spent his childhood and eventually took over the farming. He first came to Dore Lake in the summer of 1945 to help his father, Erick, operate the refrigerating equipment, at the Waite's Fisheries filleting plant.

I, Florence Viden (nee Conlan) was born at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and had moved with my parents to Dorintosh in 1939 after suffering through drought, dust storms and grasshoppers. I returned to Moose Jaw to attend Normal School (Teacher's College), and after teaching in the south for a time, I came to teach at National Park School, in the Deer Ridge district in 1944.

Harold and I were married in 1946 and the same year came to make our permanent home at Murry's Point. Our first house was a log cabin that had been Nels Edson's fish camp.

In 1947, we purchased a fishing outfit from Harold Frederickson. Between commercial fishing seasons, Harold worked at Waite's sawmill and box factory, also did some trapping and hunting to supplement our income.

In 1948, we purchased five mink from Harold Eldridge to start mink ranching. The following spring the ice break up frightened the females when the kits were small. The result being, that the females killed their young and the ranch still consisted of five mink. In 1949, we purchased fifteen mink from Olaf Neilson and eventually built up the mink ranch, which we still operate today.

When the sawmill and box factory were discontinued in 1954, Harold bought the mill cookhouse and bunkhouse from Waite's Fisheries. He renovated these buildings for a house and garage.

In 1960, the first school was started at the South End of Dore Lake. We moved our mink ranch to South Bay so the children could attend school. Up to this time, they had taken correspondence lessons provided by the government. Moving entailed crossing five miles of ice in mid-winter with mink pens and equipment loaded on sleighs, pulled by Bombardier or Caterpillar tractor. The house and shop were moved by professional movers from Prince Albert.

We have two children, a son Garry, and a daughter, Darlene. Being there were no high school facilities at Dore Lake, both children attended and graduated from Carpenter High School in Meadow Lake. Garry then took up electronics and graduated from DeVry School of Technology, in Toronto. He is married to Rose Fiolleau and they have two children - Stephanie and Lonny. Darlene attended Saskatoon Business College. She is married to Gary Jordan and they have three daughters - Tanis, Toni and Twyla.