| Susie Sydney owned two boats at one time. The Omingmuk, originally at Tuktoyaktuk, and now broken up in storms, was one of them. There is hardly anything left of her. The Omingmak (meaning Muskox in Eskimo language) was originally this vessel was owned by James Wolkie who also owned the Nanuk II (meaning Polar Bear). When James Wolkie died he was locally considered to have been a wealthy man in the Arctic and Inspector Henry Larsen of the RCMP schooner St. Roch was sent from Walker Bay to Sachs Harbour to settle the estate. His widow, Susie (who later married a Mr. Sydney), then owned both boats. James Wolkie traded half interest in the North Star of Herschel Island for the Nanuk. Through wheeling and dealing in bad years the Nanuk was later this vessel was owned by Stanley Peffer from Aklavik. The Department of Indian and Northern Affairs bought her from Peffer. In 1963 carrying survey teams at Cape Parry, Gunther Abramson as master. In 1964 carrying survey teams, Gunther Abramson master In 1962 this vessel was fitted out in Tuktoyaktuk harbour for government service doing area surveys. They sent industrial officers who would travel to an area and carry out resource and economic inventories. This vessel was used by the Industrial Division for this purpose until about 1964. This vessel returned from her last expedition virtually a wreck Johnny Norberg, Johnny was so rough with her that this vessel was being shaken to pieces. Getting old this vesselcouldn't take the poundings of taking weather head-on at high speeds. Johnny did it for so long that this vesselstarted opening up and taking in water. From Tuktoyaktuk this vessel was taken to the Federal Government boat shop at Inuvik for repairs. When this vesseljust about half finished being rebuilt in 1967 Johansson requested that vessel for the reindeer operation at Reindeer Station on the Mackenzie River. Johansson finished up the bottom planking of her at Reindeer Station. Sven Johansson also installed the engine and radar. That was his first vessel in northern Canada, he had had others in Lapland before coming to Canada. In 1966 this vessel was rebuilt by Sven Johansson at Reindeer Station NWT and used as freighter in reindeer meat operation from Atkinson Point to Inuvik NWT under Sven Johansson as master. This vessel was taken to Inuvik in 1968 and that same year this vessel was taken to Fort Franklin for Indian trappers on Great Bear Lake NWT. About 1971 this vessel was vandalized by young people on beach at Fort Franklin NWT. In 1977 this vessel was still listed in the List of Shipping as being this vessel was owned by the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, Ottawa ON. In 1968 when Sven Johansson finished with the reindeer operation he returned the vessel to the Federal Government. He owned the engine and the automatic pilot himself so he removed them. He sold the engine to the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs but kept the autopilot for later installation in the North Star of Herschel Island. The Nanuk II was taken by the Department of Northern Affairs to Great Bear Lake (the largest lake in Canada). There this vessel was used for a couple of years by the local indian trappers to establish trapping camps in the summer and fall. Then this vessel was pulled onto the beach at Fort Franklin. The local children started playing with the equipment on board and it wasn't long before a fire broke out which caused considerable damage. The wreck is still on the beach there. The Nanuk II was this vessel was built at George W. Kneass Shipyard in San Francisco and was taken up as deck cargo by Captain C. T. Pedersen. As far as Sven Johansson could trace her back this vessel was owned by James Wolkie. When James Wolkie died, Susie Wolkie (sister of Fred Carpenter) inherited the boat. Inspector Henry Larsen had to go from Walker Bay to Sachs Harbour to settle the estate. He owned the Nanuk II and the Omingmuk. Susie gave James Wolkie the Nanuk II for Jim Wolkie's half share ownership in the North Star of Herschel Island. The Nanuk II was taken to the boat shop at Inuvik. They started building a very BC fishboat-looking pilot house on her. They did a lot of work on her: re-fastening, took out the old gas engine. During this process Johansson asked for her to be assigned to the reindeer operation. There were still four planks in the bottom to be replaced so Johansson brought up proper planks and lumber from British Columbia. In the end Johansson had to replace eight or ten planks.. This vessel was in poor shape. The last four he tried to have flown-in but the airline refused because they were too long so he had to wait until the next barge. By 1967 Johansson had her all planked, painted, new diesel engine installed, radar, auto-pilot and other gear installed. Sven Johansson used her hauling reindeer meat from Atkinson Point (east of Tuktoyaktuk) up to Inuvik. This vessel had a fish hold still in her which was used to store the meat. He still had her operating until the spring of 1968 when he resigned from the reindeer operation. At that time this vessel was taken back to Inuvik and transported up to Fort Franklin on Great Bear Lake to be used by the trappers in the fall to establish winter camps. This vessel is still there on the beach, falling apart. The last Johansson heard was that there had been a fire in her, probably set by children. This vessel was up for sale through Crown Assets and Disposal Corporation at one time and he knew people who had bid $6,000 for her and their offers were refused. |
