ALCAN’s Role During World War II: The goal of ALCAN was to build a military road that would act as a defense mechanism for the west coast should Japan attack the mainland United States and Canada. Japanese occupation of Alaskan ports was the greatest fear. The road would transport ships and supplies as quickly as possible to where the invasion occurred. Of course, the mainland was never invaded by Japanese ground forces, though the Aleutian islands of Kiska and Attu were invaded in June, 1942. This escalated the ALCAN effort, though the Japanese came no further. Thus, in retrospect, the main wartime contribution of ALCAN was not Army defense. Instead, in my opinion, ALSIB was a contribution to World War Two that the ALCAN played a role in and was significant. Beginning in September, 1942, the Alaskan/Siberian (ALSIB) Ferry Route began transporting planes from US factories to Ladd Field in Fairbanks, across Siberia, and into combat in Moscow or Leningrad. From 1942 to 1945, 7,926 planes were received by Russia from the US's Lend - Lease policy via Ladd Field. The highway aided this project by helping to upgrade the very primitive airfields of the existing Northwest Staging Route. In this way, the pilots had a very safe trip up from the factory to Ladd Field. In sharp contrast, the flight across Siberia was dangerous; many pilot died in accidents en route. Had Siberia been equipped with airfields and a highway, albeit primitive, linking these stations, many of these accidents could have easily been avoided.

ALCAN’s Affect on the Northwest Canada's Natives, Economy and Environment: Following the occupation of Northwest Canada by the Army Corps of Engineers, a variety of epidemic struck the native population and decimated many of their rural settlements. An example of this is the village of Teslin. Epidemics of measles, mumps, whooping cough, hepatitis, influenza, and meningitis crippled the natives, in a similar manner as when the first Europeans came to the continent. Economically, the highway established what would become the major cities in Northwest Canada. Both Whitehorse and Dawson Creek grew rapidly. Dawson City, on the other hand, once a leading center, has dwindled slowly over the years, as the highway bypassed it. The highway has brought tourists and travelers to the region, as well as an ease of transportation and communication to Northwest Canada. Many Canadians would argue that they were "occupied" and even "victimized" the US Army, but few deny that at the least, ALCAN gave their region more exposure to the legislators in Ottowa. Environmentally, ALCAN epitomizes the military's shortsightedness and single-mindedness in wartime. Few, if any, constraints were put on the regiments in terms of environmental regulations and disposal of equipment. Timber was used for firewood for heat and also in the construction of numerous bridges and road building techniques. Spilled diesel fuel from trucks and bulldozers was usually left to seep in the watersheds. Latrines were carelessly built by creeks. Thoughtless smokers' cigarette butts burned acres upon acres of virgin forest to the ground. Most of this abuse was due to the haste and ignorance of the military. However, some of it was inexcusable and careless.

ALCAN’s Auxiliary Projects:

Northwest Staging Route and ALSIB: The pre-existing airfield on the Norwest Staging route were used as bases to fly Lend Lease planes to the Russians via Ladd Field in Fairbanks. Known as ALSIB, the mission benefited from the ALCAN because of the upgrades that the highway was able to provide the stations. Thus the route from the factory to Fairbanks was safe and flexible, unlike the flight across the Bering Strait, Siberia, and into combat on the Eastern Front.

CANOL: The CANOL project consisted of oil pipelines running south from a refinery at Norman Wells. Nineteen new wells were drilled over the summer of 1943, and as a quickly put- in - action project, CANOL succeeded. On an environmental level, CANOL was a disaster. Welded pipes were left on the bare ground, and as they sunk into bogs, broke and spilled. The shoddy workmanship resulted in oil running through the pipes for a mere few months. CANOL was closed off in March, 1945, and dismantled in 1946. The Truman Committee saw it as a waste of the Army's time and efforts and as a picture of the inefficient use of resources and money. Though the Army defended it vehemently, the Truman Committee was able to slow it to an eventual halt. The cost to the United States was 135 million dollars. (Pictures from Twichell)

Telephone Lines (CATEL): This project was begun in October, 1942 and by December ALCAN commanders were able to talk directly with Washington. The project was called "Canadian Telephone", with the purpose to provide phone communication for the Army and Air Force installations along ALCAN. The cost of the project was 4.3 million dollars. The Army hired the firms of Oman and Smith and the Miller Construction Company to do the job. By the nearing end of the task, the workers were sometimes laying the wires on bare ground in an attempt to go quicker. CATEL was a help during construction, though much of the hastily laid lines had to be reconstructed after the war.