Far North Friday #50: Taxi
The world has its share of different types of taxis. In the south, we don’t think twice about arranging or flagging down a taxi. In the far north, it can be a challenge because many remote communities don’t have taxi service or because the taxi service changes seasonally.
In Moosonee, close to the James Bay coast (Photo 1), Ontario, not only are the taxis different, their style changes to adapt to the season. There is a lot of business back and forth between the town of Moosonee, located on the mainland, and Moose Factory, located on Moose Factory Island. The Moose River separates Moosonee from Moose Factory. There is no tunnel. There is no bridge. Just water. So, how do people get back and forth?
Photo 1: Location of the community of Moosonee, northern Ontario, close to James Bay. Google Earth image.
In the summer, you take a water taxi - a boat. In winter, you take a snow machine or ice taxi - a snow machine with an attached sled (Photo 2). The sled is enclosed to help cut the wind and to keep you warmer. “Warmer” is a relative term.
Photo 2: Photo 1: Winter snow machine taxi that takes clients across the Moose River, between Moosonee and Moose Factory. My notes say the snow machine ice taxi operator is Tony Blackned, of Moosonee. I hope my notes are accurate. Photo composed Dec 9, 2005.
In the fall and spring, when the river ice freezes up and breaks up respectively, neither boat nor snow machine is useful. In those seasons, a helicopter is used to ferry people across the river (Photo 3). Yes, a helicopter. Exciting!
Photo 3: I suppose some would consider this to be an form of taxi - a helicopter taxi. The helicopter is used for a short time to provide transportation between Moosonee and Moose Factory when the Moose River freezes up or the ice breaks up in fall and spring, respectively. At that time, the river ice is not safe to cross. My notes remind me that I (red parka) am standing beside Juan Carlos Reyes (Consultant) and Steve Nolan, of Missanabie Cree First Nation. Photo composed Dec 10, 2005.
My first ice taxi ride between Moosonee and Moose Factory was exciting. The Moose River is tide water. The river ice rises and falls with the tide. The tide often creates a narrow ribbon of open water between the land and river ice (Photo 4). As we approached the shore, I could see that brown ribbon of open water. The taxi driver had my full attention. I mused to myself “that’s interesting. How will we get across”. All those YouTube “fail” videos of snow machines crossing open water flashed before my eyes.
Photo 4: The Moose River is tide water, so the river ice rises and falls with the tide. That movement often creates a ribbon of brown water between the shore and the ice sheet covering the river. The winter ice taxis find a suitable place to traverse this thin water ribbon to safely deliver their passengers to their destination. Photo composed Dec. 9, 2005.
The taxi operator drove close, but parallel, to the open water for a 100 meters on the river ice, looking for a passage (Photo 5). The potential water crossings all the same to me, but I reassured myself by remembering he does this for a living and is skilled at reading the ice and water. When he found the right spot, he gunned it and we flew across the open water - snow machine, sled and passenger. Piece of cake. Well, an exciting piece of cake.
Photo 5: Travelling from Moose Factory to Moosonee via ice taxi. The ice taxi operator drove along the shore to find the best water crossing location. Photo composed Dec. 9, 2005.
We talked about the water crossing. He laughed and said there is seldom an issue. Seldom? I was a little fuzzy about the word “seldom”. His big concern was having the front of the sled porpoise into the water just in front of the ice lip. You can imagine the consequences.
So, living, visiting, or working in the far north, in Moosonee and Moose Factory comes with different, but exciting benefits and experiences, depending on the season.
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Dec. 8/21 (Facebook post Dec 8/21).