the 1939 Nipawin Annual Derby was propeller driven snowplanes racing each other! What a hoot! Thank you Terry!

http://www.prairie-towns.com/nipawin-images.html

one of the above snowplanes is in the Nipawin & District Living Forestry Museum

https://twitter.com/tourismnipawin/status/1197526412833411072

"in 1939 the snowplane came into general use, and this was a godsend – something one could at least make time in either on the beaten track or across the fields."

[Dr Harry Fitton purchased a snowplane in 1939 in order to reach patients in the rural areas in wintertime. The snowplane had a cigar-shaped body on four skis, driven by a V-8 motor with a large propeller at the back.] 

"Their speed made up for the deafening roar of the propeller. When one came home from a call on a cold night your wife would hear you coming a good mile or more away, and have time to hot up something to eat – usually a good big dish of moose soup. 

These machines were good for the medical practice too as they always produced the odd finger amputation and hand repair. With the coming of grading and gravelling of many of the side roads, the community snowplow clubs, the improvement of the snowplows the snowplane gradually disappeared from the scene, to be replaced with the car as we have it now.”

Frank Wickens accompanied Dr Fitton on a trip with the snowplane and when they returned, the Dr went directly to the house, leaving Frank to park the plane in the garage. The Fittons, in the house, heard a crash. Frank accidently pressed the gas pedal instead of the brake and he rammed the skis of the plane through the back wall of the garage. You had to be there.

Excerpts from the Dr's 1975 speech

https://www.saskhistory.ca/fitton-family/

In 1929 Karl E. Lorch, at 19 years of age, built and patented the first propeller-driven snow plane. This invention made winter travel much easier for thousands of people, including doctors, patients, police, mail carriers, geologists and the Armed Forces at times when roads were often impassable.

A facility in Spy Hill, Saskatchewan (Canada) produced Lorch Snowplanes in the 1930’s & 1940’s and Mr. Lorch also built snowplanes in Wolford, North Dakota for about three years. The Wolford models were designed so they could be switched from skis to wheels in the summer. Some reports indicate that with a good tail wind, the later Lorch Snowplanes could reach speeds as high as 90 MPH on the snow.

In the 1940’s another manufacturer in Mossomin, Saskatchewan produced a similar machine named the Fudge Snowplane (shown below) which was powered by a Chrysler “L” head industrial engine, which was the same engine found on Massy Harris combines and stationary welders until the mid 1950’s.

Price Snoplanes were built in Durango, Colorado in the 1950’s. The Price Snoplanes are easily recognized by their cockpit design which resembled a light aircraft cockpit. They were later banned from operating in the National Parks for environmental reasons.

https://www.woodyboater.com/blog/2011/02/17/what-did-they-do-before-snow-plows-snowmobiles-to-get-around/

1935 Snow Plane  Willingdon Canada

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2015/01/09/blizzard-sno-matter-well-take-the-snow-plane

https://www.jhnewsandguide.com/valley/feature/flying-low-over-the-snow/article_6d826bf7-179b-5541-9a60-d18dc2fbec95.html

http://www.vintagesnowmobiles.50megs.com/MERRYMAKER_BROCHURE_1.html

Ice Boat PropDrive Snow Plane 1937 HowTo build PLANS from Ford Model T parts