The Lansdowne Letters: The Last Plane ~ Or Not???

I wasn't up in Lansdowne House
as freeze-up approached in the fall of 1960,
but I remember the following spring
and the approach of break-up clearly.

Gossip, speculation, and story-telling
swirled around the community
as everyone scrambled to get supplies in
and letters out before The Last Plane.

The trouble was you never knew when the last plane was 
until the weather truly cut you off from the Outside

Freeze-Up Northern Ontario
flickr:  dmffryed   license

On Monday, October 24, 1960 
My father wrote:

Hi There:
Freeze-up may or may not be upon us.  
The temperature was down to two degrees 
below zero this morning, 
and  the lake was about three quarters covered 
with a layer of ice about a third of an inch thick.  
I had to cross by way of the causeway again, 
but had no accidents today.

The Causeway

linking the Father's Island to the Mainland

Painting by Don MacBeath

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

All Rights Reserved

The ‘last plane’ from Nakina arrived today with mail, 
but didn’t bring any of the freeze-up groceries.  
It looks as if there may be another ‘last plane’ tomorrow 
with the grocery orders and some more mail.
  
It looks even more hopeful, since the temperature 
rose to above freezing by this afternoon, 
and most of the ice on the lake melted.  
It all depends upon what happens tonight.  

It is very calm now, and if we have a real hard frost, 
we have had it for several weeks at least.  
However, I am going to get the letter ready to go out tonight, 
in case another ‘last plane’ arrives tomorrow.
Some years they have three or four ‘last planes’ 
before it finally closes in.

 A Bush Plane Off-Loading Supplies

(de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter)

wikimedia

There is one consolation about freeze-up 
happening in October instead of in November though. 

If  it comes early, before there is too much danger 
of too much snow, it only takes two or three weeks 
to freeze the required thickness to support aircraft 
(seven inches of good hard ice), 
but if it snows during the freeze-up, 
it takes much longer for the ice to reach the required thickness.  

The longest freeze-up period that the Father remembers 
was seven weeks, the average is from four to five weeks, 
and last year it took only two weeks.  
Let’s all pray for a short period, 
because it is deadly up here without mail.

 Letter from My Father

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

All Rights Reserved

Keep the letters coming though, regardless of freeze-up, 
and I will have a glorious time the first mail after freeze-up.  

Please explain to all members of both families 
why there will be a long delay in answering their letters.  
To be specific, explain to Grammie, Athol, Don Fraser, 
Aunt Nan, and Aunt Louise.

Uno’s in bed, and it is pretty late, 
so I have to wind this up.  
I will keep writing this during the freeze-up period, 
and there should be quite a book coming 
after the lake has frozen over.

Bye for now,
Love,
Don.

KEEP THE LETTERS COMING REGULARLY, 
REGARDLESS OF FREEZE-UP PLEASE!

My Father Typing

at his small desk sandwiched between the beds

in the small bedroom he and Uno shared

© M. Louise (MacBeath) Barbour/Fundy Blue

All Rights Reserved

I can't help imagining poor Uno in bed
just inches from my father right elbow
as he quickly typed trying to get one last letter written 
before freeze-up set in and there were no more planes.

Please Note:  For the next several weeks 
I will have little or no access to the internet.
During this period I will be re-posting 
a few of my earliest northern posts.

If I have an opportunity to get on-line,
I'll reply to comments and visit your blogs.

You can be sure I'll have stories to tell
when I can reliably get on-line again!

Till next time ~
Fundy Blue