THE MYSTERIOUS HORSE LOVER

 We were working with Don Muirhead from the Department of National Revenue (DNR) in his attempt to lower his costs of maintaining the border crossings in British Columbia and Yukon. The original chance meeting in 1971 provided the joint opportunity to provide services for Border Crossings at Patterson, Nelway, Rooseville, Rykerts and Boundary Bay. The scene of this story is Beaver Creek, Yukon in 1972.

Verigin Industries Ltd (ViL) had never worked on projects too far away from the Kootenays and these border crossings were a new experience for our crews and administration challenges for me. All projects were Design / Build as a “Turn-Key” with all the responsibilities to ViL and approval and inspections by Don. The relationship proved beneficial to both parties.

The Yukon projects involved the provision of staff quarters at Pleasant Camp, B.C. and Beaver Creek YT.

There is a story on the procurement of materials and mobilization but I will deal with one incident at Beaver Creek that will be the subject of this story.

Beaver Creek is located on Mile 1220 of the Alaska Highway and I had arrived on site a few days after my crews had mobilized. After spending time on the site, the crews retired to the motel where they were fed and housed by the lady proprietor in the small community of Beaver Creek. It was the end of June an there was little or no darkness at nightfall. I had brought up fresh strawberries as a special treat from Lucy Voykin for her husband Peter and the crews. Our landlady made enough cake so that the RCMP Constable and the other Boarders could enjoy this rare treat.

So it was still daylight when I decided to retire for the night at 2300 hours. I awoke suddenly at about midnight, sensing that someone was in my room. At that time in the Yukon, no one ever locked their doors. So it was that the Landlady was sitting on my bed. I was rather taken aback as I had no idea of her intent when she explained that “a lady is in the bar wanting to see you. “ My response was obvious “I don’t know anyone here”

The Landlady went on to explain that, “This lady lives alone and is sometimes confused but asks to see you right away.” Well I needed to find out what was going on.

I was ushered to her table in the Bar and I sat down across from a wizened elderly lady who obviously spent a great deal of time in the outdoors. She was silent. As I had no idea why I was there in the first instance, I decided to ask her if she wanted a drink.  She nodded affirmatively, so I ordered a drink for each of us.

She was still silent through the first half of her beer when she asked “You are an Engineer, correct?” I confirmed with a simple “yes”

“I have many horses on a spread some distance from town”. “The situation there is that my horses need to cross a creek in the winter and I would like to protect their legs from getting cold. I need to build a bridge. I have a great deal of steel cable and  I need a design for a suspension bridge. Can you design such a structure?”

This was getting interesting! I thought about my answer while she sat patiently again deep in her own world as if I was not there.

“I do not design suspension bridges as this a specialty that some Civil Engineers undertake as there are many disciplines for Engineers available and each Engineer must understand his level of expertise and knowledge and not go beyond that as it is his responsibility to protect the public and exercise safety as his oath to the practice of Engineering.”

Did she hear me? Did she understand what I said? After what appeared to me to be an eternity, she answered, “Will you do this thing for me?”

The Landlady had warned me that the lady may act strange and perhaps she may have the beginnings of Dementia and so I was not sure how to proceed to explain that I had no interest in designing nor constructing such a structure for an unknown span with a specific sized cable that may not be the required capacity to perform under the conditions on the site. So, how do I handle it so as not to insult her and yet gallantly bow out of the scene?

“Like I said, this is not within my level of expertise and I need you to understand that I can accept most challenges in construction but in design, I need to practice within my field. I am a Builder and not a Designer.”

“Will you come with me and have a look?” she responded after a period of “deafening silence”.

How do get out of this I thought?

“ I need to leave Beaver Creek at noon today (it was 0100 hours now) and with the three (3) time changes and four (4) hour drive, should just make the plane in Whitehorse that leaves at 1900 hours today.” After a pause, I added “how long will it take us to get to your place?”

“About an hour” she responded.

“I will meet you at the motel at 0900 hours then” I offered. “We can have a look and perhaps, I can suggest another Engineer or firm to undertake the opportunity”.

With that I got up and left her sitting at the table with a half-finished beer.  I was still unsure if she comprehended my answer and intent.

My duties the next morning were to ensure that there were enough materials, equipment and labor on site to complete our contract and so I had little time to think about the lady.  At noon check out time, I drove away when I noticed her coming onto  the jobsite. “Well, too late” I said to myself and left for Whitehorse, actually, happy that it did not turn out.

My crews told me later that she had come enquiring for me and appeared to not understand why I was not there.

Is this the end of the story?  Read on for an epilogue!

Some seven years later, I dropped in to Beaverdell, B.C. for breakfast on my way to the airport at Kelowna and noted a Truck Driver enjoying the great breakfast for which this restaurant was known.

“Where do you drive and what are your more interesting routes” I started the conversation as there was no one else there.

“All over Canada and the USA” he responded.

“What was your most interesting trip?” I extended the conversation.

“One time I got called to take a cattle van to an address near San Francisco as a truckload of horses needed to be transported to the Yukon.” “It seems that this herd of horses had aged and were in need of being destroyed” The wife of this retired Doctor refused to allow this to happen as she considered them all her beloved pets.”

After spreading strawberry jam on his toast, he carried on “and so the lady rode in my cab as we drove the entire route to Beaver Creek, YT. “We stopped at a “path” access from the Alaska Highway and she led off her horses into the apparent wilderness”

On his third cup of coffee, he added, “I was prepaid by her husband before I left San Francisco and so had no reason to hang around”

“How do you like that story?” he ended.

“I met that lady at Beaver Creek, YT, some seven years ago when she wanted me to design a suspension bridge for her horses,” I ended to a puzzled look.

Take that for a coincidence!

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