Abandoned Towns: Uranium City
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- čas přidán 22. 01. 2023
- Intro: Hey everyone, thanks for checking out my first CZcams Video! This is the first installment in my "Abandoned Towns" series where I cover once-prosperous communities that have gone awry. I plan on also rolling out an "Abandoned History" series where I cover less talked about historical events. Stay tuned to catch those videos.
Description: Straddling the Northern Shores of Lake Athabasca and sitting only 30 miles from the Northwest Territories border lies Uranium City. Only 40 years ago Uranium City was a bustling town with thousands of inhabitants. Today it's a ghost town. How did what was once a prosperous town in the middle of the arctic end up as a ghost town where the few remaining residents are fighting to keep it alive?
#abandoned #history
Useful Sources For Pictures:
uraniumcity-history.com/about...
www.earmp.com/fonddulac.html
Other Cool Videos on the Topic:
• July 19-21 - Uranium C...
• Uranium City - Life Af...
• A visit to the Gunnar ...
• Uranium City
Image credits:
Uranium City History Website (uraniumcity-history.com/),
Del Trobak (uraniumcity-history.com/place...)
Chris Robinson (uraniumcity-history.com/photo....
Gnarly Films (Royal Visit to UC) ( • 1959 Royal Visit to Ur... )
Used under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Public License.
License: creativecommons.org/licenses/...."
Cool! I lived in Uranium City as a child from about 1976-1980. My little brother was born there. My earliest memories were of winter: going sledding with my older brother and my mom. And having to wear a too small for me snowsuit, so when I fell over I couldn’t move enough to help myself up. Everybody thought it was so funny. Ah memories! My dad worked in one of those mines. He’s still alive
That’s so cool. Do y’all stay in touch with anyone else from UC?
So cool.
@@abandonedhistoryUS
I’m I your dad???
😮 I lived there at the same time as you did
My late Wife, Shelley Kunzel, was born in Uranium City in 1963. Her Father, Erich Kunzel, just passed away this year. He was a carpenter at Eldorado Mine in the early 60’s. His Wife, Norma, is living in Calgary now, and an avid African Violet enthusiast.
That is super cool thank you 🙏
In some ways it was easier to move in winter. You could haul all your stuff across the lake. When I lived up there, a grader operator went through the ice. He escaped his vehicle and found his way through the hole. When they came upon him, they had to lay him in the box of the truck because his clothes were so frozen. He was back at work the next day. They were tough people.
Wowwww. Canadians are just built different!
I have a fondness for Uranium City. I paddled there from Kinoosao on Reindeer Lake back in 1975 when I was 16 years old and then returned to visit my friend Charles Camsell in 1978. I had no idea I was there during the peak years.
Did you go into the town at all?
@@abandonedhistoryUS yes, I spent about a week there. The canoe trip ended there and there was a barge that came (docking at the end of the highway 962 (bringing supplies to one of the mines maybe?) and I waited around thinking I would hitch a ride back to Ft McMurray. That didn't work out and I ended up flying out but I got to know the town a bit while waiting around. That's how I met the Camsell family. Have you ever been? If you are a canoeist, I can recommend the waters up there. Tazin River!
Thank you for the informative video. I was born in Uranium City in 1977 when my parents were missionaries in Stoney Rapids. That is the first time I've seen a picture of the hospital where I was born.
Wow that is so cool! Did you get to grow up there at all? Or just born there?
Check out my newest video! (The Man who slapped Joseph Stalin Across the Face!): czcams.com/video/L92SSl9ee8g/video.htmlsi=Kuu3-dlpfIN_Ai7W
I worked in Eldorado, Uranium City in the 70s I was just a young fellow drilling underground, installing rock bolts, I can remember watching Ali and Leon Spinks fight in the TV room they had in Camp, Ali lost to Spinks, but this brings back memories that for sure.
This is so cool. Was there anything notable from the town that you recall? Like a parade or any big controversy?
Thanks for watching my first video! Let me know what you would like to see next!
Are you a canuck ? Not many people have heard of this place
@@kyleklukas4808kind of a weird complicated situation. The short answer is (kind of). 😂
Born in the First Aid Post in Eldorado. Attended Shannon Elementary and UC High School (before Candu). Thanks for the visit back. Still have a birch and moss relief picture of Santa Barbara Church.
That’s very cool. Any crazy incidents or events that occurred during your time at school there?
A former workmate of mine had worked up there. When the mine was filled in and the town was shutting down he bought the garage from his former house, for an experience he drove up with his truck and a trailer, loaded up the garage on the trailer and drove it back out on the ice road.
That is so cool. He just did it because he could 💪
My father's uncle worked in the uranium mines in Uranium City for decades and is well into his 90's now and still in very good health.
That’s great to hear that your great uncle is still in good health. God bless him!
Hi All, I won’t be addressing any more comments regarding the Arctic mention or the pronunciation of Métis. I have addressed both of these at length in other comment replies. I will be replying to anything else though! Cheers!
My family lived in Uranium City in the 50's. My family had many health issues due to Uranium exposure. My mom has good memories from when she lived there though. She worked in the theater when she was a teenager.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I always find it crazy how a video like this can bring together so many people who have roots in this town. I’m sorry that she had health issues as a result but it’s touching to know she still has great memories of her experience there
I was born in Uranium City in June 1959. We left after i turned one. It is my dream to go there one day and have a look around. Excellent video. Thank you for making it.
That is so cool Kevin! I appreciate the kind words and as so glad you enjoyed!
My dad is a journeyman machinist and would commute to Uranium city areas for repair work to the equipment. As a little kid I remember him leaving on a Monday and him coming back about 2 weeks later.
Did he ever have crazy stories from his trips up?
Back in 1972 I got my first job after graduation as an electronics tech. I worked out of a shop in a hangar at Edmonton Municipal. It said ELDORADO on it. While based in that building I worked all over the airport. However in that building I did a fair amount of service work on the DC-3s and the DC-4 that were marked ELDORADO. I knew they flew supplies to Uranium City and brought back sealed drums. I left that job in 1973 for a research job at the University of Alberta. I never knew until this what happened to Uranium City itself.
Super cool story. Did you ever get to interact with anyone at the Uranium City location or anything?
I worked for Eldorado doing exploration work nr Fond du Lac in 1979-80. We staged out of UC. My office was in Ottawa, to get to field work we would fly commercial to Edmonton International, then cross town to take Eldorado's own DC-4 from Edmonton Municipal to UC, then fixed wing to Fond du Lac. All our supplies came through the Eldorado warehouse in UC. Heavy goods for UC came by barge from Fort Chip when Lake Athabasca was open, lighter perishables came in by air. I remember the beer in UC was full of preservatives (came in infrequently by barge, and only when lake was ice-free) and could affect one's digestive system if one over-indulged (or so I heard...).
Thank u so much for sharing. That’s crazy about the beer, I wonder if there are any current equivalents to that beer found in UC
How interesting, both my sister and I were norn in Uranium City, I in 1958 and my sister in 59. A couple of years ago I printed off a phonebook listing for my parents bringing back many memories for them as they read through the names.😊
That has to be such a cool experience. They probably had something to say about most people in there! It would make for a cool video
i'm so glad you made a video on this! Uranium (city) has been an interest of mine for a while now, but there isn't much content surrounding it out there. This is all very interesting information, and i learnt a lor from this video. It might interest you to know (if you didn't already) that there is actually an airline that runs flights to and from uranium every monday, wednesday, and friday, called Transwest air. I too hope that the increasing exploration benefits uranium city, in fact it is a dream of mine to visit someday. Again, well done - this is an amazing and incredibly informative video.
I really appreciate the update Faith! Great to know that there are flights running to UC I hope that it can spur some tourism to the area.
Thanks so much for the support!
Hi my name is Randy Bourque - my parents were Ed & Ruth Bourque, my dad worked at Eldorado and Gunnar as an electrictian and my mom was a nurse at the hospital.
My brother was born in 1956 and died in 1961 and was buried at the cemetary there.
I was born in October 31 1958 and lived there till 1962 we live in a house at 253 Martin Ave.
We moved to Prince George BC as my dads sister lived there and the town was booming and needed carpenters.
My dad went on to help construct 2 of the 3 Pulpmills that are in Prince George BC
I lived in Prince George till 1976 in which I moved to Edmonton Alberta because of the Oil Patch boom.
I now live in Calgary Alberta since 1984.
In all my life I have only me one young lady back in 1988 who was born in Urainium City.
This was a nice video as it gives a pretty good look at the city.
From the stories my parent told it was a vibrant community and people had fun living there.
Thank you for this video.
Blessings
Pastor Randy Bourque
Thank you for sharing this it’s very interesting! It’s so great to hear first hand accounts that the community was vibrant!
Hi Randy, my name is Dan Piesinger, we lived right across from you, my dad had a salvage yard.
I was up there in 2022 flying a helicopter on a drill exploration program for uranium. Not many people live there but yes there are a few and a store exists where I bought a couple Uranium Nine T shirts😃👍🏼🇨🇦
Radically cool! Any good chow spots?
Late 1970's as a young Air Force technician I was part of a group that flew into UC airport with a DC-3 & a Twin Huey. CFB Cold Lake to Uranium City, quite an adventure in the old Dak. We used the Huey to ferry us to a lake in the north east corner of Alberta, the DC-3 stayed in UC while we were gone. A truly memorable trip. Didn't get to spend any time in the community though.
Thanks for sharing Mike. Even being around the area at the time is super cool. Thank you for your service as well!
Merci pour cette vidéo très intéressante, ça donne envie d'y aller visiter..! Ces paysages de ville fantôme me font beaucoup penser au jeu vidéo The Long Dark... Je crois que ce qu'il y a de plus intéressant que la vidéo encore c'est les commentaires sous la vidéo c'est incroyable tout ces témoignages... Merci Abandoned History d'avoir permis ce regroupement d'informations...
Thank you for the wonderful comment. I agree, I think it’s wonderful that the comments have become probably the largest information dump of first hand account of Uranium City. Quite spectacular really
My parents met and were married in uranium city. My mom was a teacher and dad worked in the mine. Lots of stories from those days...over 63 years ago now.
Too cool Tracey, mom a teacher and dad a miner, what a hard working family! When did your parents move away from UC?
@@abandonedhistoryUS I'm guessing about 1962 or '63There have been books written about that Era, my mom was interviewed by one of her former students.
An informative and well written video - thanks for producing it.
Thanks Michael!
I moved to Uranium City for 1 year, between Oct. 1, 1990, and Sept. 31, 1991. I made a few friends during that 1 year. I wonder how they are doing. Sadly, because of hard economy, moved away, and never returned. I always enjoyed fishing along Martin Lake, across the creek from the floatplane base.
Out of curiosity why did you move there in the early 90s, family, friends, job opportunity? I only ask as that was a fair amount of time after the cities’ apex.
friends invited me to stay there. try different opportunities I never would have had in the other small town I lived. @@abandonedhistoryUS
Loved your video. I’m 85 now but around 1967 I was with Pacific Western Airlines out of Edmonton. We flew DC-4s on a scheduled run to Uranium City, sorry to hear that the town closed down. I had visited the area on Google earth a few years back and remembered the sandy beaches along the southern shores of lake Athabaska.
That’s awesome, did you ever visit the town itself or did you only remain on the airstrip?
Only made half a dozen flights there, then changed equipment and routes. Never got into the town.
I worked for an aviation company in Fort McMurray over the past summer, and we still operated charter flights with Cessna 208s into Uranium City.
A friend used to have to fly into uc in the early 80s he told me one time that the usual plane was unavailable and he had to fly in a DC3.RBC
Cool, I used to work for PWA too, starting in '79. I remember Al Gee was station manager in Uranium. After we pulled out he went to Brandon. Great memories.
My father and uncle as well as a good friend’s father were part of the original surveyors for Uranium City. So it is wrapped in nostalgia and curiosity for me. Nice video, thanks!
Oh that’s so cool. Did they ever live there after or they were just part of the original surveyor team?
They were all engineering students from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. My dad spent two summers doing the surveying. They lived in tents and lots of bear encounters. I had a good friend from university whose dad was supervised by my father. We found out by pure coincidence. That was a great generation from a great place during interesting times.
Thank you Jane for this detailed explanation! It’s so awesome to hear stories about peoples real life experiences with UC!
Ice roads are actually "pretty normal" for Canada:)
My grandfather lived here in the 60s. I didn’t know much about it. Thanks for the information.
Super cool, was your grandfather a miner there or did he do another job?
Liked this video ! In the late 80s my friend bought a 1963 Volvo from a retired draftsman who lived there. It must have been barged there in 1964 and driven from the town to the minesite office daily. It only has 76000 miles on it now,runs like new .
If anyone remembers this white Swedish car in UC please let me know.
Too cool! Hopefully someone confirms a Volvo sighting!!
I was able to visit there a few times. My dad is from there born and raised, worked in Eldorado for years, then it closed down. The scenery is gorgeous. The landscape is calming and vast.
Im sure your dad has some really great stories about UC, such a cool history. Was he around for the Royal Visit?
My parents were also in the area about 50 years ago. Lots of stories about flying in (dad was a pilot for calm air) to UC for food etc. I was born in Lynn Lake and lived in Stony for short period.
So sad for the people, same happened in Elliot lake it's a travesty 😢
I will definitely look into that. Thank you!
I went up there in the 70's it was great! I went with my friends family.
You went at the best time!!
I still remember the weather man including uranium city on his list of current temperatures.. I'm getting old lol
me too,...im in Regina(1980) now but born in Labrador City(1971)... Dad worked for the mine in Lab, then CBC television in Regina, got both weather reports and i always wanted to visit UC... we're getting old alright, lol
Do you remember the average temperature over there back in the day? Was it ridiculously cold?
I worked as a geologist assistant for a summer out of the old Gunnar mines. Best student job I ever had. Loved the 'inside' and the people and the times up there.
That’s so awesome, how long ago was that you think?
1968 or 69. Four months. Memories, eh. We were unaware of the Israeli 6 day war but were right up to date on Mrs. Tukuyucktu's progress with her pregnancy hundreds, if not thousands of miles away, via short wave radio. Not much entertainment at night.@@abandonedhistoryUS
Northern Saskatchewan is amazing.
Super cool and under appreciated place
Northern Canada is so fascinating, great video!
Such well thought out video with lots of interesting facts!! This is amazing for your first upload and I will be looking forward to many more videos to come! Keep it up king!!
Thank you Min!!
My parents were married in Uranium City. They left there in 1981 a year before i was born. Dad worked in the mine and mom at the hardware store.
Dad also played for the Uranium City Steelers softball team. I still wear the jersey now and then lol.
Their house was shipped to Fort Mc Murray.
This was excellent thanks. You covered a good amount of history and the story itself of the area in a video just the right length.
Thank you Brian, I really appreciate the feedback!
Great vid, thx!
Very nostalgic tour of the places I started my flying career.
U city, fon du lac, Wellington, Campsell portage,
I was an F/o on a Dc3 1990-93. We served u city 3 times a week with the mail & groceries. I don’t remember what the population was at the time but it was low. Many houses were moved out by barge leaving foundations as the only evidence of a once thriving community.
Anyone remember the “Beaver lodge 1” approach? Lol!
Thank for the vid
Thank you for this background. That is radically cool that they floated entire homes on barges. Do you still fly currently?
Very cool. I grew up in Saskatchewan in the 80s and 90s and was always intrigued looking at maps seeing uranium city way up north and getting snippets from books as a child of its disbanding. I love you chose this video topic.
Thank you Taylor for your kind words! I hope all is well and I am glad you enjoyed!
My Dad was a superintendent on the construction of the high school in Uranium City back in the late 70's. He would be up there for weeks at a time and come home for a week off every month, driving out on the ice road in the winter months. I believe it was the Candu High school they were building.
That is so cool. So sad that Candu is falling apart now.
"Royal Visit to Uranium City" by Kitz Willman is just one example of pop culture that references the town
Thank you for posting this !!!
I lived IN U.C. for about a month in 2002, where I attended the local school (I was in grade 8 at the time), and my father died. There was a significant gap in the winter population of about 70, mostly people with their homes there or running the few services in the area, and the summer population of about 130, which were more itinerants who came to fish in Lake Athabasca or work in the fly-in tourism industry (or worked in the bible camp operating across the lake from the airport). I still have a huge scar on my thumb from throwing a chunk of ceramic tile in CANDU High, and the culture is an interesting mix of local Dene and southerners who mostly operate the equipment or planes.
Everyone knows everyone there, but there was a surprising amount of racial tension between the white Christian types and the other residents, who were mostly of Dene descent. Now whether the Dene were just too drunk for real or that was just a stereotype... I was a sheltered kid okay? I had other things on the brain. There was an older white couple that lived outside the town. Their house was actually fairly modern, but they lived almost completely off-grid and didn't really interact with others (or maybe it was just my parents) much. Still, everyone knew the Sullivans.
Everyone had a quad there at the time: it was the de facto method of getting around - the only people who didn't drive a quad were children too young to walk, or people using trucks or vans to do work duty. At night, no one wanted to go out because wildlife would roam the settlement. One day, my class took a nature hike in the valley separating the town from the hospital (and B&B and the only modern houses in the town), and we saw a gray wolf. Speaking of how everyone lives, it's a very reuse-heavy culture where nothing is tossed until it's dust. The various abandoned buildings in the area are raided for building supplies, and if anything new is brought in, it's used until it breaks and then it's repurposed.
One of the most curious things in the town is the old catholic church. It has a huge solid gold statue hanging from the ceiling, and plenty of artifacts made of gold can be found in the rooms below the church and nearby rectory if you brave the mildew and unlit rooms.
Another curious thing is the cedar ceiling of CANDU High. It's made of solid 2x4 made from actual cedar. From what I was told, you can't get that stuff into U.C. and so raiding that is the only way to get it. However no one does because CANDU has a high ceiling and no one wanting it but lacking the money or tools or knowhow will risk upsetting the precarious building to get at it. Unlit rooms are a recurring theme, but a lot of the building was traversable back then, and you could even walk into the HVAC from the mechanical room on the roof (I really wouldn't recommend this as you could fall through)!
This comment might have to win my “best comment ever award” 😂. The detail you go into is incredible. So so interesting, you should really consider writing this into a little story about your experience there. I love your mentioning of the professions and racial tensions, this is such an awesome piece of history. Thank you
Thanks for making a video about a little known part of Saskatchewan.
My pleasure Cory!
He explained the uranium miners had health problems or live shorter lives due to toxic exposures. Then he also explained there was a warning not to to eat any fish caught in the area.
Grew up there as a kid, wow. Still meet people who remember the skating rink in our backyard!
That’s so awesome, any cool UC stories?
Love seeing history of my Province :) thank you.
Of course Markus, I’m glad you enjoyed!
My paternal grandfather helped build a d work there. We also have records of ancestors around Lake Athabasca. Sad how corporations can make or break a community
Yea pretty incredible, UC would have never existed with out these companies but at the same time it’s demise was largely as a result of them as well.
My dad, a union rep for the Sk. gov. employees, travelled several times during the winter from Ft. Chippewan to Uranium City on the ice road over Lake Athabasca - quite a harrowing experience.
That is so cool, how long ago did you get to do that?
Very interesting video, I subscribed and hope to see more videos from you.
Thank you Donald ! 👍
Just seen a video on the abandoned CANDU high school. Now, seeing this just satisfied my curiosity. ❤
I’m so glad 😄
I keep forgetting Uranium City is an actual place and not a made up town from the musical Ride the Cyclone 😭
When I worked at the Lupin Mine, in the NWT, two of my co-workers were from Uranium City.
Best wishes from Northern Manitoba.
Very cool! Thanks for your comment!
Ice roads are actually "pretty normal" for Canada:). I'm from there and just recently left there. Great video..
I’m glad you enjoyed thank you!
Nicely done. Super informative
Thank you Howard! Much appreciated!
Most of the people in northern Saskatchewan were born there up until it closed. Growing up I always heard stories of how big it could have been had it not been shut down. Never knew or heard of the reasons why it shut down though.
Yea it is really sad that they decided to shut down. UC was impressive to say the least
My Grandmother was born up there. I've always wanted to visit.
If you ever get up there let us know how it is!
I'm from there and just recently left there. Great video.
Thanks a bunch Brandon! Any cool anecdotes from your visit?
Subscribed. Bankhead is also very interesting.
Thanks Hugo
Very interesting - I have a friend who grew up there, although I believe that he had to leave to go to to high school.
How recently did your friend grow up there? CANDU might have been closed by then
@@abandonedhistoryUS About 1970, I believe. The mines were still going because his parents were still living there.
I knew a guy that was raised there and he said it was a great place to grow up. He was fun to take camping and not just for his skills in the bush but for his glow in the dark abilities at night.
😂😂😂
@@abandonedhistoryUS thank you, thank you very much. I’m here all week and don’t forget to tip your server.
I currently work for cameco at their port Hope facility, as a carpenter. I love it there wish they’d send me to uranium city in the future
If you get there let us know how it is!
There is a town in southern Alberta called Orion. Population 7. I'd love to hear about its history
I will look into Orion thank you
Insanely interesting video -- can't believe that it had its population grow from 50 to 91 in 2021. Wonder what it's like to live there
cold
@@kevinrbarker😂😂
Great video
Thanks Michael!
I live just across the lake in Fort Chipewyan and know many people from uranium ❤
That is so awesome, you get up there at all?
@@abandonedhistoryUS my friends and family have but i have yet to, hopefully i will before its completely abandoned
My mom was born in Ft. Chip. She still calls it 'home'. We still have family there. I'd love to visit again one day 😊.
Happy to be Ur tenth sub
Very well done. Subbed.
LOVE IT!
Thanks crackbone!
@@abandonedhistoryUS you’re very welcome!
You should talk about New Mexico, there's tons of interesting abandoned towns out there
Thanks for the recommendation brotha. I will check NM out when I am doing research for the next abandoned towns vid. Any recommendations for towns in NM you would want to see?
hey my mom was born in uranium city!! my grandfather worked there. sent her this video
That’s so cool! Thanks for sharing my stuff, I really hope she enjoys!!
The waterways. Based out of Fort Chip a tug server still operates. Athabasca River was the main cargo path for UC. I jet boated from Fort McMurry to UC in 2016.
Oh that’s super cool. Did you go into the UC town itself or only stay by the water?
On the water.@@abandonedhistoryUS
A correction note: Rise Air operates scheduled flights into Uranium City three times a week as of 2023. This connects residents and visitors with the rest of the Rise Air network which includes Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Stony Rapids, Fond Du Lac, La Ronge, and Wollaston Lake.
Thanks for sharing this Rise Air. So glad to hear you are operating flights!
Nice video
Thanks fartpants 😂
Hi . I heard they were getting a OSB plant up and running a few years ago . Was wondering if it kept going .
Not sure, that would be huge for their economy though if it is
good video! got a question though. im assuming you aren't from sask based on how you said metis and fond du lac. subbed keep it up
Thanks for the sub Ben 🙏. No I am not from Saskatchewan, just interested in Canadian history!
@@abandonedhistoryUS a rare breed
Use to live there, on Nuclear Ave.
Incredibly cool. Any cool stories or things you miss ?
Cool channel
Thank you Jordan!
Well done. I to have had a interest in UC and Lake Athabasca but have seen neither
Thank you!
Watching about a deserted town in northern Saskatchewan and having a commercial for visiting the USA is the height of irony!
Giving you warmer destinations 😂
I flew out of U-City for Great Shield Air in 1980. They were going broke and owed me a month's pay. They still do. You say it's in "the middle of the Arctic". Did they move it? It was in Northern Saskatchewan when I was there.
Will you ever see that pay or is that good as gone?
@@abandonedhistoryUS It's only been forty-three years. I'll keep checking my mail. I really wish you hadn't said that U-City was in the "middle of the Arctic". It's in the Boreal North, a long way from the Arctic Circle. I worked in the Arctic, too. A clanger so early in the video undermines the rest of it for me. Although it's a good video, misplacing a location geographically doesn't inspire confidence in the accuracy of your narration. You might as well get it right if you're going to invest in doing it, don't you think?
Apologies. Where I am from in the states we kinda just use the word “arctic” to describe colder regions but I realize that is an incorrect lay mans usage and that Canadians take these designations way more seriously than we do. Hopefully you can look past it.
Also I do think it’s important to keep in mind that this is my first video I ever made and I think I’ve come a long way since in terms of accuracy.
@@abandonedhistoryUS My comment was intended to assist you to improve, and not meant to be hostile in any way. Part of producing videos is doing your research. Then comes respect for the subject. If I posted a video about Seattle, and stated that it was in Oregon, you'd likely have difficulty with that. Why would Canadians, or anyone else, be any different? Keep making these videos. They're good. Do the requisite prepwork and they'll be awesome. I'm subscribed.
I don’t hear about this city from my generation (gen z), but my grandfather has told interesting stories about when the place was booming.
Super cool! Your granddad grow up there?
@@abandonedhistoryUS Wish I could say he did but no. He grew up in Saskatchewan for a good while and witnessed the excitement about Uranium City in his surrounding small town communities. Around that time Uranium City was one of the few fast growing new places in the province.
A friend of mine told me there was a full size Woodward's department store there
Really wow! Does he have an article about it or anything? Or is this based off memory?
Could you do a video on penny it’s an old railroad town with very few people living in it I use to work for the company that would maintain the road in and out of penny I’ve only been down there once its in the willow river area on the outskirts of Prince George bc and it’s maintained by YRB hopefully that helps 🤘🤘
I will definitely check that out. I really appreciate this suggestion
@@abandonedhistoryUS hell yeah thank you 🤘🤘
Some interesting parts to this video. It could use some fact checking however. I also wonder about the source of your photos (be nice to give people/organizations credit before using them), the video clips of the "open pit" that show up a couple of times (yes, Gunnar had an open pit but not like that), your pronunciation of things/locations, the proper lining up of your photos with things you are talking about, etc. Just as examples, ice roads do not form they are made by road crews, many people got their personal belongings out "over the ice road", by barge and/or air when the mine closed, etc. Confirming the content of your video with some former local residents (I am one of them) would be a good idea before posting it. A strong suggestion if you are planning to do a series of videos-please visit the place first. I have "gone back" up to UC twice now (1994 and 1997) and this has helped me understand the history of the place much better with still lots to learn about it.
While I appreciate a lot of your feedback I decided to end my coverage of modern towns for this exact reason. In my academic career I studied history and that’s really what I am best placed to speak on. Also I would like to remind you that this is the first CZcams video I ever created so there were some things to smooth out.
I do have to strongly but respectfully criticize the idea that I have to visit the place. Unfortunately, with a full time job and having recently graduated university I am just not in a place where I can hop on a plane a fly to remote northern Saskatchewan! I do think that is a great thing to do and I encourage people like you who have spoken to locals and traveled there to make an effort and try their hand at a encompassing historical video. I think it could produce some really great results. Personally CZcams is just a hobby for me, I’m not a journalist, the idea that I would go hunt down former residents and bother them with unsolicited questions just isn’t who I am.
Which is why I made the decision to switch to content focused on medieval and ancient history!
I hope this help’s understand why the video was the way it was and my thought process about the shift in content
@@abandonedhistoryUS Thanks for your reply to my comments. Much appreciated. Good luck with your switch in content for future videos.
Yeah, I noticed the (uncredited) thumbnail from my video as well.
While I appreciate the time and effort made in creating this, perhaps a little credit is due in a small way in the future.
Although the footage supposedly from Gunnar isn't actually from Gunnar, then a quick and easy fix is to add a title reading "illustrative example" to let viewers know it's not actual footage.
@@CrosscutFilmsSask I taught at a Canadian College for 30 years (and marked all sorts of student projects) and I also ended up with a Master's degree by the end of my career. Giving people/organizations/agencies credit for their work is not only common courtesy but also follows Canadian copyright law. I noted those pit mining video clips and they are not even good "illustrative examples" of what went on in a place like Gunnar (it does not rhyme with lunar by the way). I tried to note some sort of identification on the trucks as they rolled by. Same with the first nations' photo and the teepees. Would be interesting to note the source, when and where that photo was actually taken. I could go on.........................
@@CrosscutFilmsSask Apologies Ganarly Films, I will credit you. I thought I did as I credited the Uranium city website, which is where I found your video (at the time it did not occur to me that the video was posted by someone other than the guy who manages that website). Once again sorry for the mix up
Ty 4 video. I was born there in 1961. Family lived there for a few years before moving south. I bumped into a fellow from work and he tells me that they have a Uranium city get together every year in Waterton national park, Access only if you have Uranium city ties. Don,t know if they still have this event. Maybe someone can advise me or l will research more.
This sounds incredibly cool. If you find more information please let me know and I can add it to the description of my video with credits to you!
@abandonedhistoryUS probably only way to confirm is if someone reads this and responds or maybe Waterton national park has a listing for group rental sites. Either way it would be nice to know if folks still get together. Remote place but special. My 3 brothers tell me stories of hunting and fishing that was amazing. We had a hybrid dog named Nordy. He was a cross from a wolf and a husky, Great dog so they tell me but hated Indians cus they would tie him up. He just showed up at our farm 1 day and we kept him as our own, Good luck on your research and thx again for video. It's history .
@abandonedhistoryUS probably only way to confirm is if someone reads this and responds or maybe Waterton national park has a listing for group rental sites. Either way it would be nice to know if folks still get together. Remote place but special. My 3 brothers tell me stories of hunting and fishing that was amazing. We had a hybrid dog named Nordy. He was a cross from a wolf and a husky, Great dog so they tell me but hated Indians cus they would tie him up. He just showed up at our farm 1 day and we kept him as our own, Good luck on your research and thx again for video. It's history .
Maybe time to start investing there, get in early
Perhaps buy low, right ?
I worked there in 2000 was quite the town then...
What did u do up there?
@@abandonedhistoryUS cooked at the fishing resort..
I was up there as a kid , also , fact pam anderson lived up there
What a cool fun fact. Darn! I wish I knew that before I made this video, totally would have included it.
Did six kids die in a rollercoster in fall fair there?
Im not sure if thats true or just apart of a fictional story but I am leaning toward the latter. Found this play on it en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ride_the_Cyclone
@@abandonedhistoryUS the comment is actually a reference to that musical!
There was never a roller coaster in Uranium City
No, but, Ride The Cyclone was based on an amusement park in Uranium City that got destroyed.
I worked there a lot and peaple will never know what it was
Now there are hydro electric dams in the area and the airport road only goes as far as the dams The Wellington dam is one..Also the Athabasca Sand Dunes are in the area..
It’s good to hear they are developing it. Do the people that manage the sites live in UC or do they have on sight housing
Not sure but i think you can Google it..👍
I flew from Beaver Lodge with three friends (coworkers) in 1978 to the desert on the south shore of Lake Athabasca. Spent the weekend there. It was so unusual and magical.
My grandpa was the mine forman I believe, Rudolph Dufort
That’s so cool how long did he work there?
Very hard to get to. I bet the rent is cheap there and fishing good.
I’m sure it is!
I worked underground at Eldorado on a long tom. . I was 19. 70 now
Wow that is incredible Dave. Were the working conditions as bad as I’ve been told?
I was there gold feilds old tumb stones seen it lived it I have a lot to say
Shoot me an email kirk it’s on my channel info page I believe. I would love to talk a bit.
Ride the Cyclone!
🔥🔥