Queen of the North' still sets a trapline

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Year after year the crowd at the Fort McMurray Winter Carnival cheered on home-town favorite Katie Sanderson. And for eight consecutive years she never disappointed her many admirers.

>From 1964 to 1971 Katie was crowned Queen of the North at the Fort McMurray winter carnival.

Before she retired from competition in 1985, she won the crown on two more occasions making her the most successful queen the carnival's 25-year history.

Whether it was carrying bags of flour on her back, making a pot of tea in the quickest time, snowshoeing or skinning a rabbit, Katie was the best.

Today Katie remembers her 10-year- reign with fondness.

She remembers her closest rival was Anzac's Nora Muluka with whom she shared the spotlight as queen of the north. Nora won the title almost as many tomes as Katie.

"We are friends. But when it came time to compete for the title, boy, we were like bitter enemies," Katie laughs.

Katie had been a trapper most of her life. So it's easy to see how she captured the queen of the north title so many times.

Katie was trapping when Fort McMurray was still in its infancy and not the bustling metropolis of abut 35,000 it is today.

She admits her age has slowed her down but the spunky 'first lady' still lives alone on her trapline.

Katie suffers from arthritis but maintains it won't stop her from trapping this fall.

"I lose money when I don't trap. Now I can't hold my 30/30 rifle anymore. It's getting harder all the time."

Her trapline is about 20 km from Fort McMurray - a place she said she will never leave.

"I can still take care of myself. Maybe I can't use my rifle anymore but I can still se snares to catch beavers," she smiles.

"I like my life on the trapline. I have my dogs. No, I'll never leave that place. What for?"

It frustrates Katie somewhat because the arthritis in her hands has stopped her from doing beadwork and making her own slippers.

"There was a time I never bought anything at a store. I made everything my family needed for clothes. But now my fingers hurt too much, so I have to buy things.

"When I was a young girl, I never thought I would get old.

"Arthritis is terrible if you have it. I know some people my age who are still going good. But now I can't even do the round dance."

She may have arthritis and sometimes she says it weakens her spirit, but Katie is no quitter.

Just recently Katie and a few of her 'Pals' from Fort McMurray journeyed to Moose Lake near Bonnyville by van for an elders' gathering - a distance of some 500 km.

One of her friends tried to coax Katie to a sweat. But being strong-minded Katie answered with "I don't want to get burned."

"When she makes up her mind there's no changing it." says Rose Cheechum, another friend of Katie's and one of the ladies who also made the 500 km journey.

In Fort McMurray Katie is well-known and respected. She is one of the last pioneers of the community and when they talk about the winter carnival, people always talk about Katie Sanderson.

"And Nora Muluka of course," Katie laughs.