Episode 22: Thom Andriesen; What Does A Small Town Owe Its Volunteers?

Send us Fan MailA Disney crew, a Gold Rush story, and a tiny Alaska town that had to pull off big-league logistics in the dead of winter. We’re joined by longtime Haines resident Tom Andriesen, a familiar face to anyone who’s spent time around town, and he walks us through how White Fang ended up filming entirely in the Chilkat Valley and what it took to make it happen day to day.Tom shares the behind-the-scenes reality of movie production in Southeast Alaska, from scouting and paperwork to moving trailers, tents, restrooms, security, and keeping sets safe in remote locations like Chilkoot Lake and Nataga Creek. Along the way, we hear about meeting actors, housing animal trainers, and why film workflows looked so different in the 35mm era.We also zoom out into the fuller Haines story: growing up between Seattle and Alaska summers, his family’s Alaska-made art and gift shop hustle, and the fairgrounds accident at age 12 that led to 13 surgeries and later changed his career path after an engineering degree. Tom talks candidly about decades as a volunteer firefighter and EMT, the strain of middle-of-the-night calls, and why small towns depend on people who keep showing up. If you love Haines Alaska history, White Fang filming location stories, volunteer EMT life, or the real mechanics of tourism in Southeast Alaska, you’ll find a lot here.Subscribe for more local conversations, share this with a friend who loves Alaska stories, and leave a review if you want to help the show grow. What’s one moment in your life that changed everything without warning?