The world is a very different place than it was almost 75 years ago when Nicholas Verbisky was born to pioneer parents in the small village of Vilna. It was those changes in the world that inspired Verbisky to write a book preserving the stories of his early days as an aeradio wireless operator in a variety of airports in Alberta, Northern B.C., and the Northwest Territories.
The book, called Embarras Portage: Before and After, not only documents changes in air travel communication, but also describes the lifestyle and unique character of the isolated northern communities in which Verbisky lived.
His position was similar to an air traffic controller in that he communicated with pilots flying planes. However, the technology used was very different. “Early communication was all done through wireless radio using Morse code,” the author said in an interview.
“Nowadays with the new technology … a pilot flies out of Inuvik, goes to 30,000 feet and talks directly with Edmonton, but in those days, you couldn’t do that,” said Verbisky. He explained that communication systems only travelled short distances so there were many smaller airports located along known flight paths. “They were called compulsory reporting points. When an aircraft flew over the area, they had to report to the station what time they would be there and what time they would be at the next location. If they were overdue, then a search party would be sent out.”
Embarras Portage is named after a small community located about 130 miles north of Fort McMurray, where Verbisky was stationed as aeradio wireless operator. The book is composed of a series of short stories where Verbisky recalls true events he experienced in his time up north. He describes a way of life that existed nowhere else on earth, with one example being his depiction of the Letourneau family, whose trap lines bordered the airport.
“They were a happy bunch and even though there were some hardships, they all appeared to manage exceptionally well and there were never any complaints,” he wrote of the Letourneaus, describing how they lived off the land, eating moose, deer or caribou and drying or canning the vegetables from their garden. Verbisksy even accompanied George Letourneau on a trip along his trap line, travelling by dog team.
In another story, he describes how a major forest fire threatened the area and how the smoke became so thick that bush pilot Milt McDougal could not fly in the mail or supplies of much needed fresh vegetables.
Later in the book, Verbisky explains how skilled bush pilots, the McAvoy brothers, made an emergency landing at the airstrip when the front cable on the ski of their Cessna 195 became disengaged and flipped into a vertical position.
“If the landing was miscalculated even by a few degrees, the vertical ski would hit the runway first, and at the point of impact, it could cause the aircraft to spin and roll out of control,” Verbisky writes. “Just before touchdown, he cut his motor and banked in such manner that he landed on the one serviceable ski. It seemed like an impossible task and at the very least, could only be accomplished by an experienced pilot.”
Toward the end of the book, Verbisky even shares his personal life with the reader, describing how he met his wife Annabelle while living in Fort McMurray.
After a lifetime of adventure, Verbisky returned to his hometown area and now resides in the Town of St. Paul, along with his wife.
The book can be purchased online at www.traford.com or by calling the publisher at 1-888- 232-4444.
