1

Two women standing on either side of a Slow sign on Mile 5, Highway 10.
1948
The Pas, Manitoba

Credits:
E. Soost Photo, Winnipeg
PP2007.1.117

2

Roads - something we take for granted now, but it was not until 27 years after The Pas became a town that one could arrive by highway. The Pas was accessible by river, rail, air, or even dog sled, but not by car until 1939. Simply put, highways were SLOW to get here.

3

Road construction crews had the challenge of building Highway 10 over the gravel ridges and through the swampy valleys between The Pas and Mafeking. Both the provincial and federal government were keen to build a highway into Northern Manitoba in order to have greater access to the mineral resources of the north - just in time for the beginning of World War II. This road construction project during the 1930s was also a welcome source of jobs for men from The Pas who found themselves unemployed during the Great Depression.

4

Men and teams of horses doing construction work on the highway, 10-14 miles south of The Pas.
c. 1936
The Pas, Manitoba

Credits:
Tom Stephens
PP2001.8.1

5

Jim Gibson, Timekeeper of the 1936 road construction project 10 miles south of The Pas in Freshford.
c. 1936
The Pas, Manitoba

Credits:
Tom Stephens
PP2001.8.2

6

Six men by a construction crane in a bush clearing.
1937-1938
The Pas, Manitoba

Credits:
Crystal Photos
PP2002.9.2

7

Two ditches on either side of a roadbed.
20th Century
The Pas, Manitoba

Credits:
Crystal Photos
PP2002.9.6

8

Construction of highway bed
20th Century
The Pas, Manitoba

Credits:
PP2002.9.7

9

Construction of the highway
20th Century
The Pas, Manitoba

Credits:
Crystal Photos
PP2002.9.8

10

Two construction cranes at the Bog overflow along present day Highway 10.
1937-1938
The Pas, Manitoba

Credits:
Crystal Photos
PP2002.9.1

11

Camp for road construction workers at the Bog overflow along present day Highway 10.
1937-1938
The Pas, Manitoba

Credits:
Crystal Photos
PP2002.9.3

12

Supply barge floating in a water-filled ditch at the bog overflow along present day Highway 10.
1937-1938
The Pas, Manitoba

Credits:
PP2002.9.4

13

It took ten years to build Highway 10 from Mafeking to The Pas. The first road survey party set out by dog sled in 1929, road construction began in 1933, and opening celebrations were held on June 10, 1939. Premier Bracken was in attendance for the highway's opening, which included a ribbon cutting ceremony, an arrival of the "Cavalcade" of cars in The Pas, a banquet and dance in the Legion hall, and sports in Devon Park.

"This new road beckons the business man to join in the profitable development of our resources, and is an invitation to the tourist to enjoy the good hunting, good fishing, and good fellowship which are characteristic of the north."
- John Bracken, Premier of Manitoba, 1922 to 1943

14

Brochure for official opening of The Pas Highway
10 June 1939
The Pas, Manitoba