Pioneer, railwayman.
In 1911, he came to The Pas from Selkirk and ended up guiding surveyors over proposed railway routes in the north. He even took Sir Frederick Palmer and members of the legislature down the Nelson River to help determine the future terminus of the railway. A northern pioneer, he later operated the HBC railway speeder that carried mail, freight and passengers beyond the train schedules from 1918 to 1926. The speeder had stops in Pikwitonei, Kettle Rapids and Herchmer. Clemens also delivered the mail by dog-team to Port Nelson until Churchill became the more prominent port.
He was married twice and had three children. On 26 May 1950, he died while traveling from his home in Pikwitonei to The Pas at the age of 75. His obituary declared his “name was a symbol throughout northern Manitoba.”
“North trail blazer Luke Clemens dies,” Winnipeg Tribune, 29 May 1950. [Manitoba Legislative Library, Biographical Scrapbook B10, page 144]
This page was prepared by Sarah Ramsden.
Page revised: 28 August 2010
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