This section contains extracts from the Hudson's Bay Company Post Daily Journal entries relating to Constable Sydney Montague - and his partner, Corporal Nichols - of the RCMP who was stationed at the Port Burwell RCMP Detachment between July 1926 and January 1929.
Friday 23 July 1926
Tommy and Henry emptying coal oil from barrels into steel drums. Charlie and Uncle Bill bringing up coals from the beach. All the other men are working for the RCMP taking up his lumber from the beach.
Thursday 16 Sep 1926
Overcast in morning, raining hard in afternoon. Tommy, Morgan and rest of gang hauled up the lash boats in their winter resting place on the other side of the bight. Police erecting Radio Poles.
Notes for December 1926
The Police Set is working good at times, and we heard some messages most of whom were for Constable Montague.
Monday 14 Feb 1927
Cold wind from Northwest. Scenes of activity were witnessed in Burwell this morning previous to the departure of the mail for George's River. The team left at 10:30 a.m. accompanied by Constable Montague, who will make the trip as a "patrol" to see that no "lawlessness" is being committed.
Notes for February 1927
The mail team made George's River on average time. This trip was Constable Montague's initial komatik journey. He lays claim to having enjoyed himself, although bad weather was prevalent on the up stage. However, they managed to get a week of spring like days coming home again making up for the bad part. They brought no deer meat home as was expected they would. They report the deer scarce, so we will have to patronize M Clark more than we hoped this spring.
Friday 29 Jul 1927
Fine weather, calm and warm. C Ford & Constable Montague & Albert Edmonds & Bill went off in the motor boat, over to Calm Bay to fetch 5 barrels of salt.
Saturday 30 Jul 1927
The above party got back at 4 pm like half-drowned rats, started to rain last night at 10 p.m. and poured rain for 12 hours steady. Nevertheless, we got what we went for.
29 Sep 1927
Nice day. Working in the office in the morning, started to snow a little about noon. Mrs. Ford very sick. We had to call the doctor from the Air Force. Cpl Nichols found her down by the store in apparent state of collapse, a little better now.
Wednesday 21 Dec 1927
Bar:- 30'4, therm:-23º above. Still very mild weather. Ungava Bay all water, very poor time for trapping. As long as it keeps open water in the Bay, we stand a very poor chance of getting any foxes worth mention. Air Force all well. Raider's crew all well. Police & Company all well, but nothing doing of importance.
Tuesday December 27th 1927
Very nice day. All of our hunters that came in for Xmas, went back to their hunting grounds. Also a team gone up the bay from the Air Force men, (Monty and Terrie) supposed to be on a hunt, also to see the little shack belonging to the Police. (Bluff, the bounders). Barometer 29.70, temperature 0º.
Monday 16 Jan 1928
Bar:-29'7, therm:-18º below. Still blowing hard and rough. Eclips men still here. Saw no one from airforce today except Bobby, their servant came down for dogs food. They are getting two teams ready for a deer hunting trip. Also the Canadian Raiders is getting a team to go off hunting for them. Morgan & the Jack of Spades came in today, no fur as usual. Corp. Nichols & Cons. Montague, & Capt. Bennett & Chief Engineer spent the evening with us, last evening, playing 45s.
Wednesday 18 Jan 1928
Bar:-29'4, therm:-21º below. Very nice day with moderate wind from West. One of the airplanes was up today for a short time. 3 foxes caught today by some of the Post natives. Nothing much doing except Birt & Noah fetching water for the house. Corp. Nichols and myself was on board the Raider this evening having a game of 45s.
Friday 20 Jan 1928
Bar:-28'9, therm:-0. Nice day, little wind from the south. Corp. HG Nichols and the two girls that work in their house was pretty badly gassed today when their stove pipe got clogged. One of the girls especially was very sick. Towards evening the weather got very mild. C Ford was across to the sealing place dividing William & Sons seals. After finishing, got their share hauled over here and put into Depot. Mr. Coghill, & doctor & Wilson was down here today.