The early Interlake settlers had limited resources and as they carved out a living in the often harsh environment, necessity was regularly the Mother of Invention. (Please see my stories on the jigger and needle bar linked below and also at memoriesfromthelake.net.)

 

One challenge that had to be overcome, was manoeuvring on the glare ice of the Lake in their rubber boots. Getting traction to set and pull the nets was critical but when there was limited snow, it was practically impossible. They dug back in their “old country” playbook and came up with a solution used in Europe - crampons. 

 

There were no crampons available locally, so they asked the blacksmith to bend the four corners of a square piece of metal to form downward facing points that would dig into the ice. They used rivets, which they had from repairing their horses’ tack, to attach the metal to an old piece of sawmill belting or whatever else was handy. (Billie Valgardson says he remembers his father using a piece of old Ford Model T tire as the foundation for the sharpened metal plate).  A piece of side-line (net) rope acted as firm laces to tie the invention to rubber boots and the smooth ice was no longer an issue. In the Icelandic way of giving by-names or nicknames to most things, the crampons became “Creepers”.

 

Come November of each year, Lake Winnipeg is ready for a rest and tells her some-time fling, the North Wind, to cool it. Then, all else being equal, by the school break at Christmas, the Lake would be frozen over to depth of 6 inches. Thick enough to reduce the likelihood of an inadvertent December dip. I remember going out on the lake with the family to set the winter nets. I eschewed the creepers because they were uncomfortable. I very well remember falling hard on my bum on the glare ice as I tried to help pull a 30 fathom net under the ice. My rubber boots had no grip at all. Without a word I went to the caboose, tied on the creepers and returned to help set.

 

The smaller creeper in the image is 100 years old and came from our station at Alberts Point, which was across Humbuck Bay from Mill Point. The longer version in the second image, were made by my brother Robert from material that was handy some 50 years ago. Even today, when snow machines are used to set the winter nets in place like a curtain to catch fish, the fishers still use creepers on the ice to get a grip. These particular creepers that Robert made are practically indestructible and stand ready to be pressed into service once again this year. 

 

Ken Kristjanson

 

November 2024