Bill first came to The Pas in 1910 hauling in freight by four horse team and hauling out fish. In those days a dog team was the standard mode of transportation in the north so Bill switched from horses to dogs with considerable success. In 1917 he took second prize in the Winnipeg to St. Paul dog team race and won the 200 mile non-stop dog race in The Pas in 1923 and 1924. Incidentally, his first visit to Flin Flon was in 1915. He travelled from The Pas to Flin Flon via Beaver Lake with a team of horses and a sawing outfit. In 1927 Bill operated the first snowmobile service between The Pas and Flin Flon.

Bill and Leone moved to Island Falls in April 1935. For some years Bill was in charge of our transportation between Island Falls and Flin Flon. In later years Bill kept busy in the boat shop, turning out high quality canoes, hand made from keel to gunwale, hard wearing yet smartly styled, by a master craftsman.

In the fall of 1930 Mrs. Grayson caught a 62 pound trout in Lake Athapapuskow. She was using a regulation troll and stout line at the time. This fish held a world record for many years. It was mounted and presented to Hon. John Bracken, premier of Manitoba and rested in the Legislative Buildings for many years. Mrs. Grayson has been in the north since 1912.

Bill Grayson retired on pension April 30th, 1959. The Graysons planned to make their home in Flin Flon.

2 April, 2003