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The Arctic

Country-wives were an essential part of that HBC system in the early stages, not sure how well that concept would go over these days......
jurassic park life finds a way GIF
 
Part of the new Arctic strategy is the development of Northern Operational Support Hubs/Nodes (NOSH/NOSN).





I can't help but see echos of the old Hudson Bay Company network in this plan. The NOSH sites being analogous to the HBC Forts/Factories and the NOSN sites being similar to the Posts/Depots. It worked then so I can't see why it shouldn't work now.

For the Node sites I wonder if rather than rotational postings to these austere locations you might instead adapt an all volunteer system for those that might enjoy this type of opportunity. The old HBC posts sometimes were staffed with only 1-3 men who acted not only as traders but as liaisons with the local communities, a source of emergency shelter/supplies, etc. Personnel could fill a similar role, not only maintaining the pre-positioned equipment and supplies but coordination with the local Ranger Patrol and other Government agencies, provide facilities for fly-in services (e.g. vaccinations, etc.) and emergencies, SAR assistance, etc.

This was announced by Bungalow Bill Blair a year ago... that's like ancient history.

Are these still happening? I have no idea of course...
 
This was announced by Bungalow Bill Blair a year ago... that's like ancient history.

Are these still happening? I have no idea of course...
Raised it again because the initiative was mentioned in the Defence Industrial Strategy that was just released
 
Country-wives were an essential part of that HBC system in the early stages, not sure how well that concept would go over these days......

The whole character of the British Empire changed when the Honourable East India Company started taking their wives with them.

Fortunately there no wives were interested in going to the Arctic. The lads had to forage.
 
The whole character of the British Empire changed when the Honourable East India Company started taking their wives with them.

Fortunately there no wives were interested in going to the Arctic. The lads had to forage.
In India they sent the Scots first, who worked their way into the power structure and married into powerful families. The Indians and the Scots got along. Then came the stuffy Brits who banned interracial marriage and made life miserable for those women. That laid the foundations for the mutiny.
 
In India they sent the Scots first, who worked their way into the power structure and married into powerful families. The Indians and the Scots got along. Then came the stuffy Brits who banned interracial marriage and made life miserable for those women. That laid the foundations for the mutiny.

And, unlike the East India Company who followed the 'Prime Directive', they spoiled all the fun by banning things like Sati ;)

In 1828 Lord William Bentinck came to power as Governor-General of India. When he landed in Calcutta, he said that he felt "the dreadful responsibility hanging over his head in this world and the next, if... he was to consent to the continuance of this practice (sati) one moment longer."[127] Bentinck decided to put an immediate end to sati. Ram Mohan Roy warned Bentinck against abruptly ending sati.[128] However, after observing that the judges in the courts were unanimously in favour of reform, Bentinck proceeded to lay the draft before his council.[129] Charles Metcalfe, the Governor's most prominent counselor expressed apprehension that the banning of sati might be "used by the disaffected and designing" as "an engine to produce insurrection". However these concerns did not deter him from upholding the Governor's decision "in the suppression of the horrible custom by which so many lives are cruelly sacrificed".[130]

 
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