Lögberg-Heimskringla - 26.01.1990, Blaðsíða 6

6 • Lögberg - Heimskringla • Föstudagur 27. Janúar 1990
Lake Winnipeg Veteran
by Kristiana Magnusson
In today’s mobile and changing world
there are fewer and fewer individuals who
will stay in one job during their working
lifetime. Oscar Magnusson of Riverton,
Manitoba, who recently celebrated his
87th birthday, is one person who has
worked at the same job during his entire
worldngyears. He began fishing alone on
a boat at the tender age of 13 years, in
1915, and was lifting nets with his son
Amold on the day before
his 87th birthday.
Oscar grew up in a
family that was involved
in every facet of the fish-
ing industry - fishing,
packing and freighting,
as his father Magnus
Magnusson owned and
operated fishing stations
along Lake Winnipegand
had the freight boats
“Icelander” and the
“Bettylew” plying back
and forth between stations on Lake Win-
nipeg and Hnausa and Winnipeg. Thus
Oscar, alongwith his brothers J oe, Sveinn,
Magnus, Jon, Einar and Mundi, all grew
up leaming every aspect of the fishing
industry.
Oscar’s 74 years of fishing probably
makes him the veteran fisherman on Lake
Winnipeg, or at least one of the longest-
term fishermen on the lake. He still fishes
the summer and fall seasons with his son
Amold, as well as parts of the winter sea-
son, when weather permits.
Over this span of years Oscar has seen
many changes in the fishing industry.
When he started in 1915, flat-bottomed
skiffs with sails were used for the summer
and fall seasons. Cotton nets were used
and these had to be periodically spread
and hung up on reels to dry, before they
could be used again.
In the late fall the fishermen would
travel by boat to get to their winter fishing
camps. These log homes or camps were
usually built along a bay, in the shelter of
large spmce bluffs. Husky dogs were used
by the fishermen for transportation to and
from the campsites to the fishing spots, as
well as to haul the day’s catch. These dog
teams became an important part of a
fisherman’s life and each man seemed to
have a favourite dog. Oscar’s favourite
dog was Sandy, who was a leader of his
dog teams for many years.
The winter fishing season was some-
timeshazardous, especiallyrightafterfirst
ice, when fishermen, anxious to catch the
first mn of fish, sometimes set nets under
precariously thin ice.
Oscar Magnusson remembers only too
well one terrifying moment which oc-
curred at Bloodvein Bay. He was setting
nets on first ice when, all at once»he broke
through the ice. F ortunately, another fish-
erman nearby heard his shout and he was
ableto rescue him.
Photo Above:Sailboat, used for whitefishing around Georges Island, in the
eariy 1920’s. Left: Oscar Magnusson, a veteran fisherman.
Below: Dog teams were a familiar sight on Lake Winnipeg in the late 1800's
and early 1900’s. These dogs, which resembled husky dogs, were able to
® travel long distances. At night the lonely, keening sound oftheir howls could
be heard for miles around.
Duringthewinter
fishing season the
long freight trains of
sleighsandcabooses
were a familiar sight
along Lake Win-
nipeg. These freight
trains, usually with a
snowplow in the
lead, were pulled at
first by oxen, then
horses and later trac-
tors.The freight sleighs carried up to 200
boxes of fish which were loaded on freight
cars at Riverton or Gimlifor Winnipeg and
markets in the United States.
The cabooses were actually winter
homes on wheels. These houselike stmc-
tures, built on a sleigh, had a door and one
or two windows, as well as an opening for
the horses’ reins to pass through. Often
these cabooses were lined with Kraft
paper. All had heaters, a table, benches, a
few shelves and bunks for the freighting
crew to sleep in. The horses had tent-like
shelters which could be rolled up during
the day.
Over the years, cotton nets were re-
placed by nylon nets which could be used
continuously during each season. Jiggers
and augers replaced the mnning poles
and ice picks for winter fishing and dog
teams were replaced by bombardiers and
skidoos. Motorized boats have long since
replaced the oar boats and sail boats of
former times. When interviewed, Oscar
remarked that he, personally, felt that the
biggest changes were in the use of nylon
nets and the better quality boats and
motors now available.
In his 74 years of fishing Oscar Mag-
nusson has seen the evolution of all these
changes. In his quiet and introspective
way he looks back on a life work which
often required endurance, guts and hard
work. However, it was work that had a
certain freedom and independence. Best
of all, it was fruitful and provided for his
family during the lean years of the depres-
sion, as well as the more recent prosper-
ous years.
As Oscar sits in the prow of Arnold’s
and his boat each fall moming when
they set out to lift their nets at Frog Bay,
he is like a Viking patriarch of old:
proud of his sea-faring heritage and
ever hopeful that today the catch will
be plentiful.
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