Day 6 --> Peace River, AB to Hay River, NT

Day 6 --> Peace River, AB to Hay River, NT 607 kms

New total = 4,710 kms

The drive from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Vancouver driving through Sault Ste. Marie and Winnipeg would be 4,572 kms. Here is a picture of the fire station in Peace River. I spoke with one of the Fire-EMS officers at the Tim Horton's and he told me that there are 6 full-time ems-firefighters for the town and about 30 volunteers. They run the ambulance service for the town and there is another service for the county.

I left Peace River at about 10AM for the long cold drive north. It was about minus 15 Celsius but was sunny. I dove across the bridge, grabbed a coffee and then just drove. It is only one lane each direction and there were not too many cars and trucks travelling north. I didn't know if I should have taken this as a good or bad sign.

By 2:00 PM I had made it to High Level, AB where I had lunch, bought some more windshield washer fluid and got a spare gas can (not filled yet.) There were even fewer cars travelling north from there in fact the whole trip up to Hay River from that point only had three transport trucks and four private vehicles pass me.

As I came up to Meander Creek which is about 180 kilometers from High Level there was a pickup truck on the side of the road with the front jacked up. I slowly drove past and came to a stop before asking what the situation was. The truck had a flat tire and the spare had "frozen" underneath the truck. (What a great design Detroit.) The gentleman told me that his neighbour has the same truck about 10 kms from our spot. I moved some things in the front seat and did my good duty for the day driving him to Meander Creek.

I carried on towards the NWT border in the dark. When I reached 60 I got out of the car into the cold and took some pictures. The previous time I came to Hay River I was travelling in the Buffalo Airways truck and I think I was asleep as we passed into the Territory. As I came towards Enterprise, I came back into cell phone range and learned that Ian would be up in Yellowknife but I could go to the staff house and visit with some of the pilots there. I made the final turn up to Hay River stopping to take a picture at the welcome sign and then checked into the Ptarmigan Inn so that I could watch the address to the people from Mr. Harper and finally once Mr. Dion got his message to the media his statement. I went to the sports bar at the hotel and then over to the Staff house. While there Gord gave me the news that the ferry had been pulled out at Fort Providence, 4,710 kilometres behind me and now no where to go. I was later called by Ian to tell me that he would be in town tomorrow and we will figure it out from there. I returned to the sports bar to digest the news and to watch the end of the Edmonton hockey game.