Category Archives: North of 58

Sorry, buddy

Posted on Friday, October 20, 2006 by bt

I always knew that lying on a spine board for a two and a half hour drive to town would be uncomfortable, but I never thought I’d hear this one: “Please let me up! C’mon, man! I’d rather sit up … Continue reading →

Posted in North of 58, Stories from the ditch | 1 Comment

Scene Safety

Posted on Wednesday, October 4, 2006 by bt

Allright, this one happened to the next station south, but it’s way too good a story to pass up. A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine was dispatched to an MVA near Fort St. John. A pickup towing a trailer through heavy fog … Continue reading →

Posted in North of 58, Stories from the ditch | Leave a comment

Guess I won’t kneel down, then.

Posted on Wednesday, October 4, 2006 by bt

“So is that a puke stain or several-days-old moose blood he’s lying in?” “Oh, you never know what happens around here.”

Posted in North of 58, Stories from the ditch | Leave a comment

Garbage Day

Posted on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 by bt

My good friend GP, one of the three crazy medics of Fort Nelson, happens to be the son of Trapper Ray, the local legend who used to run a trap line near Liard River, and once mounted a vigorous campaign … Continue reading →

Posted in North of 58 | Leave a comment

Gridlock

Posted on Saturday, March 25, 2006 by bt

An exerpt from yesterday’s traffic report for the Northern Rockies: “…sanding in progress, and watch out for buffalo on the highway from kilometre 800 to the Liard River.”

Posted in North of 58, Travel | Leave a comment

Fort Ware

Posted on Wednesday, March 22, 2006 by bt

Yesterday, we flew into the tiny native middle-of-nowhere village of Fort Ware. To get there, you head out over the rockies and straight on til morning, or until this huge green valley appears out of nowhere in the middle of … Continue reading →

Posted in North of 58 | 1 Comment

Cruel Survival

Posted on Saturday, February 25, 2006 by bt

The other day, Geordie, Matt and I were eating supper with Geordie’s girlfriend, who’s from Seattle, and hadn’t previously been much north of Vancouver. Various remarks were made about the high fat content of the meal. Here’s Matt’s explanation: “Yeah, … Continue reading →

Posted in North of 58 | Leave a comment

So many hours, so few patients

Posted on Friday, February 17, 2006 by bt

Had a pretty good couple of days last week, but didn’t get to post for a while. First thing Sunday morning, my partner and I headed out on an all day pair of flights. We landed just in time to … Continue reading →

Posted in North of 58 | Leave a comment

Northern Physicians

Posted on Monday, January 30, 2006 by bt

Doctors up here are a different breed. It seems like half of them are South African. “Why do they all come here, though?” I once had the naivete to ask. “Because they get killed there.” Oh. Right. In Fort Nelson, … Continue reading →

Posted in Characters, North of 58, Reflections | Leave a comment

Just don’t let them drive

Posted on Saturday, January 21, 2006 by bt

Overheard in a rig camp cafeteria, here’s a pretty good hint at some of the ways roughnecks spend time off: “Yeah, I just hate going out with his crew, cause none of them have drivers’ licences, cause they’ve all got … Continue reading →

Posted in North of 58 | Leave a comment