The nature of the stiffs' living accommodations was a subject of some controversy. Contractors and sympathetic government officials consistently claimed that the men were well-housed, but workers regularly complained about wretched conditions in camps. Testimony from independent observers seems to confirm the workers charges that the bunkhouses were poorly-built, overcrowded, and unsanitary. A young Scot who spent the winter of 1908 in a railway camp on the Winnipeg River gave a good account of his quarters: "along both sides of the sleeping camp there was built a double row of bunks like those in a liner. Each bunk held two men. There were two windows, one at each end, to admit light. A skylight in the room formed the only means of ventilation. At one end beside the window was the washing place; this consisted of a sort of trough in which two or three basins lay. Close by stood a barrel of water. All that was necessary when you were finished was to empty the basin into the trough. A hole bored through one of the logs let the water away. Once outside no more heed was paid to it. It might either lie there or run away. Such was the simplicity of their sanitary arrangements. An oil lamp at each end served for lighting. If one wanted to do anything special, such as reading or writing, it was necessary to purchase candles. As a matter of fact, most of the men did so."
