Page 15 - July2017

Before boarding the aircraft, a "smoke jumper" dons a
white padded suit heavy and durable enough to protect
the body against falls and wears a crash helmet not unlike
a football helmet.

Saskatchewan Forms A
Smokejumper Unit

"Smoke jumpers on guard in north to pounce quickly onto
forest fires’ Source: The Leader-Post, August 9, 1947
Jumping from an aircraft at 2,000 feet and landing near a
roaring forest fire is no pink tea affair, but that's the
occupation of eight young men in Prince Albert who make it
their business to "smoke jump" on forest fires and by swift
suppression prevent destruction of valuable tracts of
commercial timber in northern Saskatchewan.

These eight "smoke jumpers" are the members of the
provincial government's first parachute group, organized in
June to provide an effective and economical way to Once the Norseman is in
extinguish fires in their early stages. First in Canada to form the air, the "jumpmaster"
a "smoke jumping" school, Saskatchewan holds the lead leans out from the open
over other provinces with its crew of well-trained men door, where the "coal
standing by in Prince Albert, ready to be transported in a scuttle" is located and by
float-equipped Norseman aircraft. using his hand indicates
the exact direction the
Within two hours after a fire has been reported, "smoke pilot should take in lining
jumpers" are dropped near the blaze to extinguish it before up the plane with the
it has opportunity to spread. target. When the aircraft
E.J. Marshall, director of forests, with the assistance of is directly over the target
Owen Hargreaves, forester, chose the eight men who were a drift chute, with a rate
to compose the first class from the department of natural of descent the same as a
resources., the Saskatchewan forestry school and the man, is dropped to assist
general public. The eight were: A. Fremont, Prince Albert; the jumpmaster in
D.E. Pryce, Moosomin; K.A. Smith, Garrick; H.C. Maycard, determining prevailing
Saskatoon; W.D. Kelly, Prince Albert; H. Knutson, Birch hills; winds.
A. Larsen, Aylsham; and D. Hansen, Prince Albert.