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18 unusual facts about Alaska Highway


2d Troop Carrier Squadron

After the United States entry into World War II, flew aerial mapping missions over Western Canada and the Alaska Territory, mapping uncharted territory to support the building of the Alaska Highway.

Bob Zimmer

During the campaign Zimmer said he would advocate for reduced spending until the federal budget was balanced but also lobby to direct federal funds to widen Highways 2 and the Alaska Highway to four lanes between the Alberta border and Fort St. John.

British Columbia Highway 29

Highway 29, known locally as Don Philips Way, is a shortcut route from the John Hart Highway to the Alaska Highway in the Peace River Regional District.

British Columbia Liberal Party

Pattullo was also a great advocate for British Columbia, and suggested such things as the annexation of Yukon by BC, and the construction of the Alaska Highway to reduce the power of eastern Canada over BC.

Cosmopolitan Railway

Cosmopolitan Railway was one of the earliest documents envisioning a land route to Alaska, a vision that would first be realized (though not in the form of a railroad) in 1942, with the completion of the crude original version of the Alaska Highway.

History of Edmonton

During World War II saw Edmonton's becoming a major base for the construction of the Alaska Highway and the Northwest Staging Route.

Kaska people

Kaska Dena also live in British Columbia communities of Fireside and Muncho Lake, between Watson Lake and Fort Nelson, British Columbia along the Alaska Highway.

Liard Highway

It begins at a point on the Alaska Highway 28 km (17 mi) northwest of Fort Nelson and runs 138 km (86 mi) northeast through expanses of forest to the border of British Columbia and the Northwest Territories, beyond which it continues for 254 km (158 mi) as a very rough packed dirt and gravel road, designated Highway 7.

Pat Pimm

During the BC Liberal Party leadership electionto replace Campbell, Pimm endorsed Kevin Falcon in mid-December citing Falcon's performance as Minister of Transportation where he directed significant funding to improving oil and gas resource roads and the Alaska Highway.

Rocky Mountain Front

In the 1940s, planners considered building the Alaska Highway along the Rocky Mountain Front in British Columbia and Albert but ultimately decided on a coastal route.

Slim Williams

Clyde "Slim" Williams (born c. 1882, date of death unknown) was a promoter of the Alaska Highway in 1930's.

Snow Trac

Approximately 200 Snow Tracs ended up at the Canadian National Railway, and Snow Tracs were also located at each of the microwave sites along the length of the ALCAN (Alaska Canadian Highway).

Stewart-Cassiar Highway

Originally, a roadway extended south from the Alaska Highway to serve the Cassiar mining district, eventually reaching Dease Lake and joining a road to Telegraph Creek (sometimes referred to as Highway 51, but not signed as such).

North of Jade City, Highway 37 travels another 120 km (75 mi) to its crossing of the 60th parallel into the Yukon Territory, becoming Yukon Highway 37 and terminating at a junction with the Alaska Highway near Upper Liard just 3.4 km (2.1 mi) later.

Studebaker US6

Studebaker US6 trucks were also used in the construction of the Burma Road as well as the Alcan Highway in North America.

The Milepost

It was first published in 1949 as a guide about traveling along the Alaska Highway, often locally referred to as "The ALCAN".

Utah Construction Company

This situation spurred the American Government to plan and build the Alaskan Army Highway, later renamed the Alaska Highway.

William C. Gribble, Jr.

During World War II, he served on the staff of the 340th Engineer General Service Regiment as it first built a section of the Alaska Highway in western Canada and later assisted MacArthur's drive in New Guinea and the Philippines.


Alaska Route 7

In British Columbia, it continues north as the Haines Highway with no designation, eventually connecting with Yukon Highway 3 (whichs ends at the Alaska Highway at Haines Junction in the Yukon Territory).

Cassiar Country

After the excitement of the gold rushes, the Cassiar was nearly forgotten until the early 1940s when the American military built the Alaska Highway from Dawson Creek, British Columbia to Fairbanks, Alaska, thus further opening up the area and providing ease of transportation like never before.

Dease Lake, British Columbia

In 1837 a Hudson's Bay Company post, known as Lake House, was created by Robert Campbell on the shore of Dease Lake about 50 km North of the Stikine River and 150 km south of where the present day Alaska Highway passes.

Haines, Alaska

Haines is much more accessible than most other southeast Alaskan communities of its size, as it is connected to the North American highway system by the Haines Highway, which passes through British Columbia on its way to the junction with the Alaska Highway at Haines Junction, Yukon.

Johnsons Crossing, Yukon

Johnson's Crossing is a settlement in the Yukon territory of Canada, located at historical mile 836 of the Alaska Highway, at the junction of the Canol Road where the highway crosses the Teslin River.

Marsh Lake, Yukon

Marsh Lake is an unincorporated bedroom community on the Alaska Highway on the shores of Marsh Lake southeast of Whitehorse in Canada's Yukon.

The municipal boundary of the community of Marsh Lake extends along the Alaska Highway from the Yukon River bridge east of Whitehorse to include all of the residential areas up to Judas Creek along the Alaska Highway.

Richardson Highway

Under SAFETEA-LU, Alaska Route 2 from the Canadian border to Fairbanks, comprising parts of the Richardson and Alaska Highways, has been declared a High Priority Corridor (Corridor 67).

Teslin Lake

On the Yukon portion of the lake there are three Indian Reserves of the Teslin Tlingit Council - Teslin Post Indian Reserve No. 13, Nisutlin Indian Reserve No. 14 and Nisutlin Bay Indian Reserve No. 15, and the community of Teslin, which is located where the Alaska Highway meets the lake, following its northern/eastern shore from there towards Whitehorse.