NASS CAMP

Aerial View, Nass Camp Apr 1972

Back in the 60’s and 70’s the place to stay at Aiyansh was Nass Camp,
operated by Columbia Cellulose Co.
When you stayed there, you shared a room with an unknown logger,
who depending on the fire season, would get up at 3-4 in the morning,
and put his cork boots on, while you were trying to sleep!
The meals were served cafeteria style, and breakfast ended at 7AM.
So if you wanted to eat, you got up at 6. Food was good,
and steak night was Wednesday night, and one night was Ice Cream night,
forget which one, but these were a special deal for the loggers!
No bars, or lounges, until the Kinsmen set up a small bar in the camp area,
opened very short hours, every so often. (not enough!!)
The bunkhouses in the wintertime, had the sweet fragrance
of stove oil and wet clothes, mixed together!
 

NASS STORE

Between Aiyansh and Nass Camp was the Nass store. Run in the 60’s
(before it burnt to the ground), by a guy named Larry Hoback.
It was here where I saw the first microwave oven in the north.
He called us to the back of the store one day, in the very early 1970's,
to show us how this thing could cook a hotdog in seconds, it amazed us!
It was a little Amana Radar Range, big enough to put 2 cups of coffee in.
He was an American, and had brought it back up from the states.
Microwave ovens were invented in in 1947 by the Raytheon Corp.,
and in 1967 they introduced the countertop model for $500.00 US.
The first Microwave was discovered by accident when
the inventor, Percy Spencer, melted a chocolate bar
in his pocket, while working on a Magnetron Tube.
Now every home around the world has one of these handy ovens.
We worked with Microwave Radio every day and this
technology intrigued us at the time.

LIFE ON THE
NASS ROAD

We always stopped for gas at these small stores,
to keep the locals in business.
Some day when you really needed them, they might be there for us, that way.
We had a real hankering for Skeena Valley Meats pepperoni,
or should I say our Boss Don did!
We couldn’t buy it in town at the Safeway or CO-OP on our food budget,
so we bought it at the Nass store. Larry (the owner)
would make a special trip to the butcher shop,
off Laurel in Terrace and keep it in stock for us.
Birke Brookbank would order his usual- 2 Diet Pepsi’s,
and a hand full of pepperoni for the road.
Don only asked for 2 things be bought, for his visits,
and that was Clamato juice for the beer
and pepperoni sausages for a snack. We seldom let him down!
Across the highway from the store was the tire shop. We lived there!
Every trip north you would take 2 spares and every day you had 2 flats.
Not sure what the gravel on the old Nass road was,
but had to be related to glass or nails!
No radials in those days, only Goodyear bias ply.
We kept Kalum Tire, in Terrace, and the Nass Tire Store,
in business for many years.