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Ella Frye, first registered female trapper
1933
Tete Jaune Cache, British Columbia, Canada

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Ella Frye, daughter of Fred and Edith Bronson Frye, was born in Red Deer, Alberta in 1907. She was one of nine children. Ella's father brought the family to settle in this area before the CNR came through. The Frye family came from North Dakota to British Columbia, a trip that took six years. Fred became the first white man to settle in the Albreda area.

Ella's family moved from Red Deer to Tete Jaune in 1911. In 1916, a school was built at Swift Creek. Ella attended the school for only a short time. Ella's grandfather Julius Bronson took seven-year-old Ella on many wilderness adventures. Ella left home at the age of sixteen. She was a sturdy-built woman with an independent mind.

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Ella Frye with her customized snowshoes
1930-1940
Valemount, British Columbia, Canada

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Ella trapped for many years, but never took land until 1933. She became the first female registered trapper in B.C. Ella would spend four months on the trapline. Her job was to kill a moose for food then travel from cabin to cabin. There were a total of eleven cabins on Ella's trapline. Ella trapped martin, fisher, beaver, and wolverine. She tried not to scar the hide as a good skin is worth more.

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Ella Frye with marten pelts
1930s
Valemount, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
Bill McAndrew

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Alice Mortenson and Ella Frye at a trapping cabin
1930s

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Ella Frye and Bill (Argyle) McAndrew with their horses
1949

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Ella Frye and Malcolm MacMillan with pack horses
1949

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During the summer, Ella worked for the forestry cutting trail and keeping forest fire trails clear. She would work at mills as well as make her own snowshoes, cabins and new trails for the coming season.

Ella's last trip on the trapline was in October 1978 at the age of seventy-two. During her years she had shot four grizzlies, and became a poet, capable logger and experienced packer. She died in 1995.

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Ella Frye: The tie maker
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Trapper Ella Frye had other talents. Here she is with a double bitted axe, a cross cut saw and her dog.