ALGONQUIN DEFINING MOMENTS

Episode 70: Our Algonquin Park Experiences Part 3 In this episode I share my experiences at Algonquin Park Children's Camps (Camp Tamakwa on South Tea Lake and Camp Wapomeo on Canoe Lake) and Rory shares his experiences working as a summer naturalist and his later work helping establish the Archives and undertaking various archeological projects in and around the Park.  We both then share some ot the details as to why we had to leave and our lives now.

Episode 69: Our Algonquin Experiences - Part II This is the second of 3 episodes capturing the experiences of Gaye Clemson and Rory MacKay who were blessed to be able to spend the summers of their youth on Canoe Lake and Lake of Two Rivers respectively. It is dedicated to Brock Easterling, who suggested that this would a fun topic for our listeners. In this episode we focus on Canoe Lake's 1960s social life, the challenges of mice and bears, canoe trips and park visitors. Key References include: Reminiscences of Gaye Clemson and Rory MacKay as well as the following publications: The Canoe Lake Chronicles (published privately 2001 by Gaye Clemson Treasuring Algonquin: Settlement Stories of 100 Years of Leaseholding by Gaye Clemson The musical interlude is called Whispering Pines from Dan Gibson's Solitudes Lakeside Retreat CD. It is brought to you with the approval of Digital Funding LLC. Solitudes music can be found wherever you get your music streaming.

Episode 68: Our Algonquin Experiences Part 1 This is the first of three episodes capturing the experiences of Gaye Clemson and Rory MacKay who were blessed to be able to spend the summers of their youth and most of their adult lives as leaseholders on Canoe Lake and Lake of Two Rivers respectively. Key References include: Reminiscences of Gaye Clemson and Rory MacKay as well as the following publications: The Canoe Lake Chronicles (published privately 2001 by Gaye Clemson Treasuring Algonquin: Settlement Stories of 100 Years of Leaseholding by Gaye Clemson The musical interlude is called Lakeside Retreat from Dan Gibson's Solitudes Lakeside Retreat CD. It is brought to you with the approval of Digital Funding LLC. Solitudes music can be found wherever you get your music streaming.

Episode 67: Childrens' Camp Founders  In this episode I share profiles of many of the founders of the key childrens' camps in Algonquin Park including Fanny Case from Camp Northway and Wendigo on Cache Lake, Franklin Gray, William Bennett and Herman Norton from Camp Pathfinder on Source Lake, Taylor and Ethel Statten from Camp Ahmek and Camp Wapomeo on Canoe Lake, Mary Jean Hamilton from Camp Tanamakoon on Lake Tanamakoon, Lillian Kates  from Camp Arrohon on TeePee Lake and Lou Handler and Omer Stringer from Camp Tamakwa on South Tea Lake. Key References include: Summer Camp, Great Camps of Algonquin Park by Liz Lundell, Beverley Bailey, John Taylor and Robbie Sprules; Taylor Statten A Biography by C. A. M. Edwards, Talks to Counselors by Hedley S. Dimock and Taylor Statten, The Nurture of Nature: Childhood, Antimodernism and Ontario Summer Camps 1920-1955 by Sharon Wall and A History of the Taylor Statten Camps 1985 Masters Thesis by Donald Alexander Burry The-South-Tea-Echo-Issue-21-Summer-2023-Version-for-Tamakwa-website Camp Wabuno Brochure provided by Elizabeth Otto  The musical interlude is called Time Stands Still from Dan Gibson's Solitudes Lakeside Retreat CD. It is brought to you with the approval of Digital Funding LLC. Solitudes music can be found wherever you get your music streaming.

Episode 66: Part II - How Logging in Algonquin Park has Evolved over a Century (1922-Present) This follow-on episode shares how logging dramatically changed in 1974 when the Algonquin Park Master Plan came into being and created the Algonquin Forest Authority. They were now responsible for all tree marking, harvesting, delivery to sawmill operators in the area, and later all of the silviculture efforts.  Key References: Donald Lloyd's Algonquin Harvest: The History of the McRae Lumber Company 2006 Roderick MacKay's Algonquin Park: A Place Like No Other 2018 Bob Lyons Whitney: Island in the Shield 1986 Algonquin Park Forest Authority's Annual Reports (2021-22 and 2022-23) Algonquin Park Forest Authority Website (www.algonquinforestry.on.ca) Maintaining the Balance in Algonquin Park: Algonquin Forest Authority and the Use of Portable Bridges – Forestry Success Stories 2015 The musical interlude for this episode is called Standing Tall and comes from Dan Gibson's Solitudes Breaking Through the Mist CD. It is brought to you with the approval of Digital Funding LLC. Solitudes music can be found wherever you get your music streaming.

Episode 65: Modern Day Lumbering 1919-Present For those of us who have been long-time summer residents of Algonquin Park, the issue of logging in the park has been a difficult one. Difficult because, though most people don't realize it, logging has always been an integral part of the Algonquin Park governing mandate. Though known today as a recreational paradise and wildlife refuge, those of us who have lived in and around the park are very much aware that allowing logging was one of the key compromises that was needed in order for the Park's creation in 1893. Though hard for us to visualize today, the idea of setting aside such a large expanse of land, so close to the industrial heartland of Ontario was truly a game-changing event, with many conflicting voices. Another parallel objective has always been economic support for the local communities of Eastern Ontario. In this episode, my goal is to focus narrowly on what has changed since the days of John Egan and J. R. Booth's logging efforts in the Park. I am going to try to look at the topic from four perspectives, namely: the cutting of the trees; the process of getting them to the sawmills; the actual sawing of the wood into lumber; and its marketing; and to the degree possible how this has all impacted the surrounding people and communities in general and the Whitney area in specific. Part 1 focuses on the 20th C, up until 1974, when the Algonquin Park Master Plan was issued. Key References: Donald Lloyd's Algonquin Harvest: The History of the McRae Lumber Company 2006 Roderick MacKay's Algonquin Park: A Place Like No Other 2018 George Warecki's Douglas Pimlott and the Preservationists in Algonquin Park 1958-1974  2021 Bob Lyons Whitney: Island in the Shield 1986 Algonquin Park Forest Authority's Annual Reports (2021-22 and 2022-23) Algonquin Park Forest Authority Website (www.algonquinforestry.on.ca) Maintaining the Balance in Algonquin Park: Algonquin Forest Authority and the Use of Portable Bridges – Forestry Success Stories 2015 The musical interlude for this episode is called Hardwood Haven and comes from Dan Gibson's Solitudes Breaking Through the Mist CD. It has been brought to your attention with the approval of Digital Funding LLC. Solitudes music can be found wherever you get your music streaming.

Episode 64: J. R. Booth Part II: Industrialist and Great Canadian This the second of two episodes on the life and times of John Rudolphous Booth. Most of the content comes, with many thanks from Roderick MacKay's second edition of a Booth biography called J. R. Booth Lumberman, Railway Builder, Industrialist, Great Canadian and Influence on Algonquin Provincial Park.   The musical interlude is called 'Master of the North' and comes from the Wakami Wailers' Un, Deux, Trois Four album.

Episode 63: J. R. Booth - An Ottawa Valley Lumber King (PT1) This is the first of two episodes on the life and times of John Rudolphous Booth one of the great Ottawa Valley Lumber Kings in the second half of the 19th C. Much of the content comes, with great thanks and appreciation from Roderick MacKay's, newly published second edition of a Booth biography called J. R. Booth Lumberman, Railway Builder, Industrialist, Great Canadian, and Influence on Algonquin Provincial Park.   The musical interlude is called The Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Rail and comes from the Wakami Wailers' Un, Deux, Trois Four album  

Episode 62: Ontario Lumber Kings - John Egan Up until recently, I'd always thought that anyone who cared about Algonquin Park human history was already familiar with J. R. Booth and so never put any energy into building an episode around his life experiences. However, last summer I stumbled upon a 2018 biography by Michael McBane on John Egan.. In so doing, I discovered a whole new aspect of lumbering in the Ottawa Valley that I knew nothing about. The end result is this multi-part series about two of the most well-known of the Ottawa Valley Lumber Kings, namely John Egan and J. R. Booth. In my view both are tightly connected in history because as you all know J.R, Booth made his fortune by buying at auction Egan's timber limits in 1867. In this episode I'll focus on the life of John Egan. I think though I have no proof that, though of different generations, Booth may have seen Egan as a role model in the lumber industry The musical interlude for this episode is called Below a Towering Pine and comes from Dan Gibson's Solitudes Breaking Through the Mist CD. It is brought to you with the approval of Digital Funding LLC. Solitudes music can be found wherever you get your music streaming. Key References: Michael McBane's John Egan: Pine & Politics in the Ottawa Valley, published in 2018 H. T. Douglas'1969 talk to the Gatineau Valley Historical Society called An Irishman in Canada: John Egan R. Morgan's 1926 article in the Ottawa Journal History of the Early Ottawa Stephen Banks' A Polite Exchange of Bullets: The Duel and the English Gentlemen 1750-1850, published in 2010 Debates of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada 1849 John McGregor‘s British America published in 1832 Roderick MacKay's Sprits of the Little Bonnechere 2nd Edition, published in 2016 David Lee's Lumber Kings and Shantymen, published in 2006 Dictionary for Canadian Biography, - John Egan search term Ottawa Branch of the Ontario Ancestors, 2020 discussion Robert Grace's The Irish in Quebec: An Introduction to the Historiography, published in 1993

Episode 61: The Earth Caretaker Way - Being of Service This episode is the last of a six-episode series on the Earth Caretaker Way Tim Corcoran, Julie Boettler from Headwaters School in Mt. Shasta California and focus on one of the most important aspects of The Earth Caretaker Way, which is to contemplate how to be of service in ways both big and small. The musical interlude in this episode is called Silent Meditations and comes from Dan Gibson's Solitudes CD 2024 CD called Mountain Magic  It is brought to you with the approval of Digital Funding LLC. Solitudes music can be found wherever you get your music streaming. Referenced Books and Articles: Peter Mathiesen- Wildlife in America - Discusses the injustices committed by people against the North American wildlife from the first colonies to the present published in 1987 Can Wolves and Beavers Help Save the West From Global Warming? By Bob Berwyn in Climate News August 2022 Alan Wiseman, The World Without Us, 2008 Life Without People – 2009-2010 TV Series created by David de Vries Ben Goldfarb, Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet 2023

Episode 60: Earth Caretaker Way Philosophy & Spirituality:  In this episode, Tim, Julie, and I focus on various aspects of Earth Caretaker Way earth philosophy and spirituality including: Acknowledging the mystery of nature, and greeting with gratitude sacred moments and peak experiences Recognizing the important role of power animals as helpers and spiritual guides   Awareness of the power of trees to transform lives into lives of purpose, living beauty, kindness, and service The importance of pilgrimage which involves going back to a place over and over so that it becomes sacred and in so doing a source of inspiration, where one can let go and let one's true self out Valuing the collection of personal earth medicine in the form of creating nature art, building altars, and creating ceremony to honour medicine moments We end with a short discussion of elementals and their role in protecting the earth.  The two musical interlude tracks come from Dan Gibson's Solitudes  CD's  The Great Bear Softly Sleeps from his Sleeping Under the Stars CD. The second track is called  Mountain Tops from the MountainnMagic CD. Both are brought to you with the approval of Digital Funding LLC. Solitudes music can be found wherever you get your music streaming.

Episode 59: Building Confidence by Mastering Wilderness Living Skills This episode is the fourth of what is now seven episodes on the Earth Caretaker Way a newly released book by Tim Corcoran and Julie Boettler from Headwaters School in Mt. Shasta California. In this episode In this episode Julie Tim and I delve deeply into Part 2 of The Earthcaretaker Way that focuses on value in building knowledge of Wilderness Skills such as shelter building, foraging for edible plants, tracking, building fire without matches and what to do if you get lost on a trail. Another important book that Tim references  by Ben Goldfarb is called Crossings – How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of our Planet published in 2023. The musical interlude in this episode is called Morning Stroll and comes from Dan Gibson's Solitudes CD 2024 CD called Mountain Magic  It is brought to you with the approval of Digital Funding LLC. Solitudes music can be found wherever you get your music streaming.

Episode 58 Earth Caretaker Way Part 3: Nature Awareness - Building Connections and Relationships This episode is the third of what are now seven episodes on the Earth Caretaker Way a newly released book by Tim Corcoran and Julie Boettler from Headwaters School in Mt. Shasta California. In this episode, I continue my discussion and storytelling with Julie and Tim on the importance of nature awareness and how becoming more aware can help build meaningful connections and relationships with plants and animals.  This art of building a personal relationship with nature by awakening your senses and rewilding your heart helps generate purpose and meaning to our lives. Several books that Tim referenced include: Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird's 2004 book  The Secret Life of Plants: A Fascinating Account of the Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Relations Between Plants and Man Peter Tompkins' 1997 book The Secret Life of Nature: Living in Harmony With the Hidden World of Nature Spirits from Fairies to Quarks Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird's  1998 book  Secrets of the Soil: New Solutions for Restoring Our Planet Douglas W. Tallamy's 2020 book Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard  There is also a Young Person's version that was published in April 2023. The musical interludes in this episode come from Dan Gibson's Solitudes CD 2024 CD called Mountain Magic  They include one called Spring's Caress and a second called /Quiet Moment. Both are brought to you with the approval of Digital Funding LLC. Solitudes music can be found wherever you get your music streaming.    

This episode is the second of what is now seven episodes on the Earth Caretaker Way a newly released book by friends Tim Corcoran and Julie Boettler from Headwaters School in Mt. Shasta California. In this episode I'm going to introduce you to Julie, one of the key land Earth Caretakers at Headwaters. Over the next six episodes, she and I with Tim's help are going to delve deeper into the four key elements of the Earth Caretaker Way beginning with Nature Awareness, which is the art of building a personal relationship with nature by awakening your senses and rewilding your heart. The musical interlude in this episode is called Silent Contemplation and comes from Dan Gibson's Solitudes CD 2024 CD called Mountain Magic  It is brought to you with the approval of Digital Funding LLC. Solitudes music can be found wherever you get your music streaming.

Episode 56: The Earth Caretaker Way Origin Story with Tim Corcoran In this episode and the four-part follow on, I'm going to take my podcast in what I hope you will experience as an innovative new direction. Nearly 20 years ago I had the pleasure of meeting Tim Corcoran, leader, and owner of the Headwaters Outdoor School near Mount Shasta in California, who has just released a new book called The Earth Caretaker Way. 30+ years in the making, Tim with co-author Julie Boettler, have synthesized the essence of all of their learnings and teachings into an absorbing guide filled with stories to tell around the campfire or in a meadow. The Earth Caretaker Way is designed so that you can choose your own adventure by opening up to any page and do as Tim often says, Walk Backwards into the Future and Remember What We Already Know.  But The Earth Caretaker Way isn't just a book, we want it to become the beginning of a global movement. A movement designed to amplify this knowledge, reconnect with our past through nature and use that wisdom to personally help heal the earth and reverse some of the negative impacts of climate change. In this episode I'll be focusing on Tim's origin story and then explore at a high level his views on Nature Awareness, Wilderness Living Skills, the keys to opening your heart through learnings about Earth Philosophy and lastly how to integrate the Earth Caretaker Way into your life through a Life of Service to the Earth. Some additional links for those interested: The Earth Caretaker Way Website: https://www.earthcaretakerway.org The Earth Caretaker Way Introductory Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDzaDHg8oiQ The Earth Caretaker Way  Book Intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giPEY5joVSg Headwaters Outdoor School Website: https://hwos.com The musical interlude for this episode is called  “A Purposeful Life” and comes from Dan Gibson's Solitudes 2024 CD entitled Mountain Magic.  It is brought to you with the approval of Digital Funding LLC. Solitudes music can be found wherever you get your music streaming.

This is the third of three episodes on archeological activities that have taken place in Algonquin Park  since the late 1930s. The focus in Part III  is  to share insights into the archeological work that has been done in the Park since the 1990s. Most of the investigations have been initiated by private archeologists with permission from the then Park Authorities.  This musical interlude is called Algonquin Provincial Park and comes from Dan Gibson's Solitudes National Parks and Sanctuaries CD. It is brought to you with the approval of Digital Funding LLC. Solitudes music can be found wherever you get your music streaming. For this series, I've relied on a number of key sources including: Rory MacKay's Algonquin Park – A Place Like No Other and Spirits of the Little Bonnechere  Several ‘thought leadership papers by William Allen including: Importance of Archaeology re Species at Risk: Eel Focus William Allen Nov 2007 Nineteenth Century Aboriginal Farmers of the Madawaska River Several ‘thought leadership papers by Rory MacKay including: Potatoes in the Pines - Looking at the Material Culture of Nineteenth Century Logging Camps: An Algonquin Park Perspective and beyond April 2014 Why was this research on the camboose shanties of Algonquin Park important?- Rory MacKay Archaeological Research in Algonquin Provincial Park and immediate vicinity to 2023: A Categorization and Chronology An Alternate Explanation for the Anomalous Vision Pits at Rock Lake in Algonquin Provincial Park Looking at the Material Culture of Nineteenth Century Logging Camps: An Algonquin Park Perspective and beyond April 2014 Ontario Archeological Society's ARC Notes Vol 12 Issue 5 Sept-Oct 2007 Pukaskwa Pits: Rethinking the vision quest hypothesis, by Nancy Champagne Ontario Archeological Society's ARC Notes Vol 14 Issue 6 Nov-Dec 200 The Aarel Site Camboose Shanty in Algonquin Park by Rory MacKay Archeologists Come to Their Senses - Looking beyond visual archaeological evidence By William Allen Ontario Archeological Society's ARC Notes Vol 16 Issue 2 Mar-Apr 2011 The Nesswabic (Petawawa) River Watershed – Zone of Political Tension Over the Centuries by William Allen

This is the second of three episodes on archeological activities that have taken place in Algonquin Park since the late 1930s. The focus of Part II  is to provide some insight into the archeological work that was done from 1939 to the late 1990s, mostly by private archeologists with permission from the then Park Authorities.   This musical interlude is called Ride the Wind and comes from Dan Gibson's Solitudes CD Thunder Spirit.  It is brought to you with the approval of Digital Funding LLC. Solitudes music can be found wherever you get your music streaming. For this series, I've relied on a number of key sources including: Rory MacKay's Algonquin Park – A Place Like No Other and Spirits of the Little Bonnechere Several ‘thought leadership papers by William Allen including: Importance of Archaeology re Species at Risk: Eel Focus William Allen Nov 2007 Nineteenth Century Aboriginal Farmers of the Madawaska River Several ‘thought leadership papers by Rory MacKay including: Potatoes in the Pines Looking at the Material Culture of Nineteenth Century Logging Camps: An Algonquin Park Perspective and beyond April 2014 Why was this research on the camboose shanties of Algonquin Park important?- Rory MacKay Archaeological Research in Algonquin Provincial Park and immediate vicinity to 2023: A Categorization and Chronology An Alternate Explanation for the Anomalous Vision Pits at Rock Lake in Algonquin Provincial Park Ontario Archeological Society's ARC Notes Vol 12 Issue 5 Sept-Oct 2007 Pukaskwa Pits: Rethinking the vision quest hypothesis, by Nancy Champagne Ontario Archeological Society's ARC Notes Vol 14 Issue 6 Nov-Dec 2009 The Aarel Site Camboose Shanty in Algonquin Park by Rory MacKay Archeologists Come to Their Senses - Looking beyond visual archaeological evidence By William Allen Ontario Archeological Society's ARC Notes Vol 16 Issue 2 Mar-Apr 2011 The Nesswabic (Petawawa) River Watershed – Zone of Political Tension Over the Centuries by William Allen The Ontario Archaeological Society Field Manual William Hurley's Second Annual report on Archaeological research conducted in Algonquin Provincial Park. Dr. John Casselman: American Eels in the St. Lawrence River System - Going, Going, Gone?         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3uKAKkHzb0

Episode 53: Digging in Algonquin Park Part 1 - Indigenous Origins This is the first of three episodes on archeological activities that have taken place in Algonquin Park since the late 1930s. The focus of the  Part 1 is to provide some insight into the archeological and anthropological origins of Algonquin Park's first visitors. This musical interlude is called Arrival and comes from Dan Gibson's Solitudes CD Thunder Spirit.  It is brought to you with the approval of Digital Funding LLC. Solitudes music can be found where ever you get your music streaming. For this series, I've relied on a number of key sources including: Chapter 2 in David Euler and Mike Wilton's 2009 Algonquin Park – The Human Impact by Chief Kirby Whiteduck, Rory MacKay's Algonquin Park – A Place Like No Other and Spirits of the Little Bonnechere  Several ‘thought leadership papers by William Allen including: Importance of Archaeology re Species at Risk: Eel Focus William Allen Nov 2007 Nineteenth Century Aboriginal Farmers of the Madawaska River Several ‘thought leadership papers by Rory MacKay including Potatoes in the Pines - Looking at the Material Culture of Nineteenth Century Logging Camps: An Algonquin Park Perspective and beyond April 2014 Why was this research on the camboose shanties of Algonquin Park important? Archaeological Research in Algonquin Provincial Park and immediate vicinity to 2023: A Categorization and Chronology An Alternate Explanation for the Anomalous Vision Pits at Rock Lake in Algonquin Provincial Park Ontario Archeological Society's ARC Notes Vol 12 Issue 5 Sept-Oct 2007 Pukaskwa Pits: Rethinking the vision quest hypothesis, by Nancy Champagne Ontario Archeological Society's ARC Notes Vol 14 Issue 6 Nov-Dec 2009 The Aarel site Caboose Shanty, Algonquin Park by Rory MacKay Archaeologists Come to Their Senses - Looking beyond visual archaeological evidence By William Allen Ontario Archeological Society's ARC Notes Vol 16 Issue 2 Mar-Apr 2011 The Nesswabic (Petawawa) River Watershed: Zone of Political Tension over the Centuries  by William Allen The Ontario Archaeological Society Field Manual William Hurley's Second Annual report on Archaeological research conducted in Algonquin Provincial Park. Dr. John Casselman: American Eels in the St. Lawrence River System - Going, Going, Gone  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3uKAKkHzb0 Paddling through the past. Ottawa-Gatineau's Ancient Cultural Landscape https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fShFTkp9j7g 

Episode 52: Tom Thomson Remembered: Anniversary Special Given that it is the anniversary this week of Tom Thomson's disappearance and ultimate death 106 years  ago, I thought it would fun to take Algonquin Defining Moments in a slightly different direction. Published two years ago by  Deryck N. Robertson from Paddler Press in Peterborough, Ontario, Canoe Lake Memories is a book of poetry with reflections on Thomson, Canoe Lake and of course fishing and water.  In addition are some great paintings, which I have posted on my www.algonquinparkheritage.com website. So for this episode, it's best to find a relaxing spot in nature along with your favourite libation, assume your mindfulness pose and view the episode as a meditation of sorts.  For each  piece, I'll introduce a bit about the writer so as to provide a bit of context.  I've also included my 3  favorite Tom Thomson songs from Ian Tamblyn including 'Down at Tea Lake Dam' My Heart Belongs to the Northland in Spring' and 'Brush and Paddle'  from his Walking in the  Footsteps  CD.  Also special thanks to Deryck N. Robertson Editor-in-Chief at Paddler Press.  The book Canoe Lake Memories can be found on www.paddlerpress.ca   Enjoy!!!  

Episode 51: Habitat Impacts due to Climate Change In this episode, I'm focusing on sharing some of the latest research and thinking on how climate change may impact the habitats of Algonquin.  Specific focus is on the work on both climate projections overall and the expected impacts to fish habitats.  Musical interlude is a composition by Sara Spring called Under Cold Water which can be found anywhere you listen to your music streaming or www.sarapringpiano.ca Key References include: Ridgeway  M.,  Smith D., and Middel T.,  Science and Information Report  IR-14: Climate warming projections for Algonquin Provincial Park  Ridgeway R., Middel T.,  and Bell A., SciencE and Information Report IR-10: Aquatic ecology, history, and diversity of Algonquin Provincial Park  Ridgeway M, McMeans B.,  and Wells M.,Science and  Research  Report  IR-22: The Smoke, Canoe, and Tea lakes fish movement project in Algonquin Provincial Park  2021 Lemieux C., Gray P., Scott D., and Davis R., Climate Change Research Report CCRR-06: - Climate Change and Ontario's Provincial Parks: Towards an Adaptation Strategy Tozer R., Birds of Algonquinn Park, 2012   Michael Runtz, Explorers Guide to Algonquin Park 2021 Edition Wildlife Research Station Researcher's Day Presentations Raven article July  27, 2012 (Vol 53 No. 3)  Climate Variability Promotes Unnprecedented Cyanobatterial blooms in a Remote Oliotropic Ontario Lake. Journal of  Paleolimnology  JUne 2019  

Episode 50: PT2 - Salamander Research Update with Patrick Moldowan. This is the second of two episodes where I sat down with Patrick Moldowan from the University of Toronto's School of the Environment and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Board Chair of the Wildlife Research Station to share his recent research insights into the world of the Spotted Salamander. Amphibian research has occurred periodically in Algonquin Park working from the Wildlife Research Station since the mid-1980s and in 2008, Glenn Tattersall from Brock University initiated a continuous study of the salamander population. It appears that they are now key indicators (canaries in the coal mine) of the potential impacts of climate change on the Algonquin landscape. For those interested in learning more about the Algonquin's Wildlife Research Station check out www.algonquinwrs.ca. This musical interlude is called Spring Awakening and comes from Dan Gibson's Solitudes CD of the same name.  It is brought to you with the approval of Digital Funding LLC. Solitudes music can be found where ever you get your music streaming.  

Based out of the Wildlife Research Station, amphibian research has occurred periodically in Algonquin Park since the mid-1980s.  In 2008, Glenn Tattersall from Brock University initiated a continuous study of the salamander population. Still very active today, this research has generated an extensive body of knowledge, which may be showing us that salamanders could be key ‘canaries in the coal mine' as it relates to the impacts of climate change on the Algonquin ecosystem. This is the first of two episodes where I am sitting down with Patrick Moldowan from the University of Toronto's School of the Environment and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology to share his research insights into the world of the Spotted Salamander. Patrick has just successfully defended his PHd thesis on Ecology and Sensitivity to Environmental Change of a Northern Population of Spotted Salamander. Patrick is a devoted lifelong interpretive naturalist with a special interest in herpetology and biogeography especially salamanders and turtles.  In 2015, he was named Canada's 26th ‘New Noah' by Wildlife Preservation Canada.  Patrick is also the Board Chair for Algonquin's Wildlife Research Station.  For those interested in learning more about the Algonquin's Wildlife Research Station check out www.algonquinwrs.ca. This musical interlude is called Marshlands and comes from Dan Gibson's Solitudes Algonquin Suite CD.   It is brought to you with the approval of Digital Funding LLC. Solitudes music can be found where ever you get your music streaming. Key Research References of Interest Favot, E. J., Rühland, K. M., DeSellas, A. M., Ingram, R., Paterson, A. M., & Smol, J. P. (2019). Climate variability promotes unprecedented cyanobacterial blooms in a remote oligotrophic Ontario Lake: evidence from paleolimnology. Journal of Paleolimnology, 62(1), 31-52.  (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10933-019-00074-4?muraadminpreview&error=cookies_not_supported&code=5bff1736-2082-4895-b515-fb960cbdf5d8) Lemieux, C. J., Scott, D. J., Gray, P. A., & Davis, R. G. 2007. Climate change and Ontario's Provincial Parks. Towards an adaptation strategy. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Applied Research and Development Branch. Climate change research report CCRR-06. (https://files.cvc.ca/cvc/uploads/2011/02/climate-change-and-ontarios-provincial-parks-adaptation-strategy.pdf) Moldowan, P. D., Tattersall, G. J., & Rollinson, N. (2022) Climate-associated Decline of Body Condition in a Fossorial Salamander. Global Change Biology, 28(5), 1725-1739. (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gcb.15766?casa_token=axFcXV7OJx4AAAAA%3A6geU4RawXjNJHlG8LgX12YTE9wd3s0ZP2Hio3F5w9PsWYS7wfHEoiRjP171nGvZnkOB_TrRWslNOtNgQ) Ridgway, M., Smith, D., & Middel, T. 2018. Climate warming projections for Algonquin Provincial Park. Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Science and Research Branch. Science and research information report IR-14. (https://www.harkness.ca/wp_harkness/wp-content/uploads/SRB-IR-14-Ridgway-ClimateWarmingProjectionAPP.pdf)  

Episode 48:Lake Opeongo PT3 (Leaseholding 1925-Present) In this last of 3 Lake Opeongo episodes, my focus is now on leaseholding activities on  Lake Opeongo beginning about 1925 including a detailed history of Opeongo Lodge,  the life and times of John Bates (Opeongo's only private leaseholder), Lake Opeongo tragedies and few of my own Lake Opeongo musings.  Much of the content comes from a now out-of-print 1998 book by S. Bernard Shaw, called Lake Opeongo:  Untold Stories of Algonquin Park's Largest Lake. Other references include: Algonquin Park: A Place Like No Other by Roderick MacKay - 2018 Spirits of the Little Bonnechère by Roderick MacKay 2016 2nd edition Algonquin Story by Audrey Saunders 1946 Protected Places: A History of Ontario's Provincial Park System by Gerald Killan 1993 Nick's Story Pique Magazine by Robin Nish 2011 This musical interlude is called Thunder Spirit and comes from Dan Gibson's 2013 Solitudes CD of the same name. It is brought to you with the approval of Digital Funding LLC. Solitudes music can be found where ever you get your music streaming.  

Episode 47: PT2 The Great Opeongo Lake  - Colonization 1850-1925 In this episode, I'm going to focus on recounting the history of the early Lake Opeongo colonization efforts that began in the early 1850s with the building of the   Ottawa Opeongo Colonization Road. Then I'll share some stories about the Dennison Family's farming efforts and early attempts at leaseholding on the lake until about 1925. Much of the content comes from a now out-of-print 1998 book by S. Bernard Shaw, called Lake Opeongo:  Untold Stories of Algonquin Park's Largest Lake. Other references include: Algonquin Park: A Place Like No Other by Roderick MacKay - 2018 Spirits of the Little Bonnechère by Roderick MacKay 2016 2nd edition Algonquin Story by Audrey Saunders 1946 Protected Places: A History of Ontario's Provincial Park System by Gerald Killan 1993 This musical interlude is called Courage and comes from Dan Gibson's 2013 Solitudes CD called Thunder Spirits. It is brought to you with the approval of Digital Funding LLC. Solitudes music can be found where ever you get your music streaming.

Episode 46: The Great Opeongo Lake - Times Before 1893 In this and the next two episodes, I will focus on sharing as much history as I can about Algonquin's largest body of water, Lake Opeongo. Much of the content comes from a now out-of-print 1998 book by S. Bernard Shaw, called Lake Opeongo:  Untold Stories of Algonquin Park's Largest Lake. I'm also for the first time, going to try to share as much as I know about the indigenous Lake Opeongo experience.  For this, I depend upon two sources by Chief Kirby Whiteduck of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan including a 2001 Algonquin Park TED TALK and Chapter Two in Mike Walton's 2009 Algonquin Park: The Human Impact. Other references include: Algonquin Park: A Place Like No Other by Roderick MacKay - 2018 Spirits of the Little Bonnechère by Roderick MacKay 2016 2nd edition Algonquin Story by Audrey Saunders 1946 A History of Canada in 10 Maps by Adam Shoalts 2018 Protected Places: A History of Ontario's Provincial Park System by Gerald Killan 1993 Names of Algonquin - Technical  Bulletin No,  10  Friends  of  Algonquin Park 1991 It Made the Farmhouse Warm for Winter by Rory MacKay, The Raven, Vol. 63 No.5 Dec 2021 Trading Places, by Rory MacKay, The Raven Vol. 63, No. 4 The Algonquins of Pikwkanagan First Nation https://www.algonquinsofpikwakanagan.com This musical interlude is called Ancient Voices and comes from Dan Gibson's 2013 Solitudes CD called Shimmer    

Episode 45: Chat with Dr. John and Mary Theberge  -  What Good is a  Wolf? Part VI   In this, the final episode of my six-part series on wolf research in Algonquin Park, I have the pleasure of chatting with long-time wolf researchers Dr. John and Mary Theberge. Today we talk about their sense of where things are at these days regarding the plight of wolves both in Ontario, British Columbia, and the USA's Yellowstone National Park.  John and Mary as you know from episodes 3 & 4 picked up the baton from  Douglas Pimlott in the mid-1960s. Their extensive work on wolf vocalization amongst other topics was groundbreaking. In addition, they were instrumental in bringing to all of our attention the extent of the winter migration of deer outside of Algonquin Park. After much controversy, this eventually led to a total wolf-hunting ban in all the townships surrounding the park.  This musical interlude is another wolf track called “The Beckoning Sea” from Dan Gibson's Solitudes Legend of the Wolf CD, and brought to you with the approval of Digital Funding LLC.  Solitudes music can be found where ever you get your music streaming.

Episode 44: Dr. John Benson's Algonquin Wolf Research  2007-2011 (What Good is a Wolf Part V) In this episode, (Part V of a six-part series on wolf research in Algonquin Park), I chat with Dr. John Benson, who picked up the Algonquin Park wolf research baton in 2007, as part of his PhD studies at Trent University. Much of John's work focused on taking a look at wolf-coyote hybridization and its impact on Algonquin's wolf population, on territoriality, which researchers call spatial segregation and wolf and pup mortality risks amongst other very interesting topics. Dr. Benson is now an Assistant Professor of Vertebrate Ecology with the School of Natural Resources a the University of Nebraska. For info on his work check out this video:  https://mediahub.unl.edu/media/9745 This musical interlude is another wolf track called “Silent Running” from Dan Gibson's Solitudes Legend of the Wolf CD, and brought to you with the approval of Digital Funding LLC.  Solitudes music can be found where ever you get your music streaming.

Episode  43: What Good is a Wolf PT4  - More of John and Mary Theberge's Great Leap Research This episode continues by sharing the 1987-1999 work of Dr. John Theberge and his wife Mary Theberge. In this episode, I'm going to focus on the uncovering of the annual deer migration and the collective freak-out that this caused amongst the people of the Round Lake area, the Ministry officials, the Theberge's themselves, and eventually the general public of wolf lovers and protectors.  The list of references that have informed much of this and the previous episode includes: John and Mary Theberge's 1998 book Wolf Country https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article/89/4/1067/868475 Theberge, J. B., and M. T. Theberge. 2004. The Wolves of Algonquin Park, A 12-year Ecological Study, University of Waterloo, Department of Geography Several Raven Newsletter articles including: Kill the Wolves and Kill the Park Aug 5, 1993, Vo 34, #7 Is Algonquin big enough for its most famous animal? June 26, 1997, Vol 38 NO 2 The Best Wolf is a Wild Wolf August 14, 1997, Vol 28 No 9 A Wolfian Trilogy - Part 1: The Bite that shook our Faith July 15, 1999, Vol 40 # 4 A Wolf Trilogy Part 3: You Red it Here First July 29, 1999, Vol. 40 No. 6 This musical interlude is another wolf track called “Play Fight” from Dan Gibson's Solitudes Legend of the Wolf CD and brought to us with the approval of Digital Funding LLC.  Solitudes music can be found where ever you get your music streaming.  

Episode 42:What Good is a Wolf  PT3 -  John and Mary Theberge's Great Leap This episode focuses on the  1987-1999 groundbreaking work of Dr. John Theberge and Mary Theberge. A student of Douglas Pimlott in the 1960s, John Theberge was a professor and researcher in the Faculty of Environmental Studies, University of Waterloo, from 1972 until his retirement in 2000. His initial interest in wolves involved work on wolf vocalizations (published with WRS's Dr. Falls in 1967 and on observations about their behavior in the summer of 1969). His wife and research partner Mary Theberge was a key fieldwork contributor, an expert in aerial telemetry and satellite imagery interpretation, and very skilled in wolf vocalization.  The list of references that have informed much of these two episodes include: John and Mary Theberge's 1998 book Wolf Country https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article/89/4/1067/868475 Theberge, J. B., and M. T. Theberge. 2004. The Wolves of Algonquin Park, A 12-year Ecological Study, University of Waterloo, Department of Geography Several Raven Newsletter articles including: Kill the Wolves and Kill the Park. Aug 5, 1993, Vo 34, #7 Is Algonquin Big Enough For Its Most Famous Animal? June 26, 1997, Vol 38 NO 2 The Best Wolf is a Wild Wolf. August 14, 1997, Vol 28 No 9 A Wolfian Trilogy - Part 1: The Bite that Shook our Faith July 15, 1999, Vol 40 # 4 A Wolf Trilogy Part 3: You Read it Here First July 29, 1999, Vol. 40 No. 6 This musical interlude is another wolf track called “In the Den” from Dan Gibson's Solitudes Legend of the Wolf CD and brought to us with the approval of Digital Funding LLC.  Solitudes music can be found where ever you get your music streaming.

Episode 41:Remembering Dan Gibson's Wings in the  Wildeness In the mid 1970s Dan Gibson award winning wildlife film maker, sound recording artist, inventor of the Dan Gibson Sound Parabola recoding device, founder of Dan Gibson's Solitudes music label, Juno award winner and a recipient of the Order of Canada decided to venture into doing a  feature length film. Filmed on Canoe Lake during the summer of 1974, Wings in the Wilderness went on to win a Canadian Film Awards Etrog for Best Sound in a Non-theatrical Film and Certificate of Honour for outstanding contribution to the art of cinematography.  This was because for the first time ever, flying geese were filmed whilst  flying up close and personal in V- formation.  In this episode I interviewed  my brother Bob Clemson, who was a production assistant on the film, with additional commentary from my childhood and Canoe Lake friend Holly Gibson Stewart. This  episode's musical interludes include ‘Whiskey Jack Creek' and ‘White Throat' from Dan Gibson Solitudes Land of the Loon CD and brought to us with the approval of Digital Funding LLC.  Solitudes music can be found where ever you get your music streaming.

Episode 40: Remembering Dan Gibson - Nature Film Maker Extraordinaire In this episode Holly Gibson Stewart, one of my long-time Canoe Lake friends, joins me in sharing stories of her father, Dan Gibson, and her perspectives about his extraordinary film and music career. One of the key founding members of Pimlott's Algonquin Wildlands League in the 1970s, Dan Gibson was a Taylor Statten Camps Camp Ahmek alumni and a long time resident of Canoe Lake since the mid 1940s.   From there, he went on to leverage his keen interest in photography and Algonquin Park's wildlife to become an award winning wildlife film maker, sound recording artist, inventor of the Dan Gibson Sound Parabola recoding device, founder of Dan Gibson's Solitudes music label, Juno award winner and a recipient of the Order of Canada. His ground breaking role in helping all of us see, hear and better appreciate wildlife cannot be underestimated. This  episodes musical interlude is called Stream of Dreams and is from Dan Gibson Solitudes Harmony CD and brought to us with the approval of Digital Funding LLC.  Solitudes music can be found where ever you get your music streaming.

Episode 39: What Good is a Wolf? PT2 More of Pimlott's Myth Busting In this episode, I share more o Douglas Pimlott and his researcher's ground-breaking and myth busting research on the wolves of Algonquin Park.  Topics of interest include details as to how wolves move, what they eat, how they establish territory and of course wolf vocalization and the history of Algonquin's premier public wolf howls. Musical interlude is a track from Dan Gibson's Solitudes Breaking Through the Mist  album and is called Return to the Pack.  It is  brought to your with thanks from Digital Funding LLC. This and other of Dan Gibson's Solitudes work can be found on Apple Music, Spotify or anywhere else where music streaming is found. The majority of the  references for this episode include: Russell Rutter and Douglas Pimlott's 1967 The World of the Wolf Pimlott, Shannon and Koolenosky's 1969 Department of Lands and Forests Report on the Ecology of the Timber Wolf Various articles in a  special Winter 1979 edition of the Ontario Naturalist by Lu. N Carbyn, Bruce LittleJohn's, John Theberge &  Theodor Mosquin

Episode 38: What Good is  a  Wolf! Pimlott's Early  Myth Busting This episode is the first of a series on the Algonquin Park wolf research that began with Douglas Pimlott's early work from 1958-1962. Prior to that time, Algonquin Park wolves had mostly been seen as vermin out to destroy all other Park wildlife.  This episode's musical interlude comes from Dan Gibson's Solitudes Algonquin Suite and is called Reunion of  the Wolves.  It is  brought to your with thanks from Digital Funding LLC. This and other of Dan Gibson's Solitudes work can be found on Apple Music, Spotify or anywhere else where music streaming is found. Here's the list of references that have informed most of these episodes: Russell Rutter and Douglas Pimlott's 1967 The World of the Wolf Pimlott, Shannon and Koolenosky's 1969 Department of Lands and Forests Report on the Ecology of the Timber Wolf John Theberge's 1975 Wolf and the Wilderness John and Mary Theberge's 1998 Wolf Country John and Mary Theberge and the University of Waterloo's 2004 The Wolves of Algonquin Park:  A 12-Year  Ecological Study    Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry's 2018 Algonquin Wolf – Ontario Recovery Series Dan Strickland's Wolf Howling Technical Bulletin #88 Various articles in a  special Winter 1979 edition of the Ontario Naturalist by Lu. N Carbyn, Bruce LittleJohn's, John Theberge &  Theodor Mosquin Wolf Wars: America's campaign to eradicate the Wolf ‘Unprecedented killing': The deadliest season for Yellowstone's wolves Several Raven Newsletter articles including: Kill the Wolves and Kill the Park - Aug 5, 1993 Vo 34, #7 Is Algonquin Big Enough for its Most Famous Animal?- June 26, 1997 Vol 38#2  The Best Wolf is a Wild Wolf - August 14, 1997 Vol 28#9 A Wolfian Trilogy - Part 1: the Bite that shook our Faith July 15, 1999 Vol 40#4 A Wolf Trilogy Part 3: You Red it Here First July 29,1999 Vol. 40 No. 6

Episode 37: Lake Water Rising Part 2: The Gilmour Tramway   In this second of two episodes on the Gilmour great misadventure, I focus on Gilmour's great tramway adventure. where the company tried to haul and float logs from the Algonquin Park Highlands to  Trenton. On a completely different river system and uphill for a fair amount of it, the adventure was an engineering marvel but a practical disaster of both time and money. In addition to my own research for many of my books and other podcasts, most of the content comes from a few key sources including: When Giants Fall – The Gilmour Quest for Algonquin Pine by GARY LONG & RANDY WHITEMAN Algonquin Park's Moat Little Town of Big Dreams by Mary L. Garland Raven Article: Our Eyes are Dim, We cannot See August, 2003 Remaking the Tea-Smoke-Canoe Lake Landscape 14,2003 Vole 44 No 9 Norm Quinn's 2002 Algonquin Wildlife Lessons in Survival The musical interlude in this episode is the Wakami Walers version of the Log Drivers Waltz from their 1993 Waltz With the Woods Album. Don't forget to check out other versions on YouTube, which a great fun to watch. Don't forget to lend your support to the Wildlife Research Station as they embark on another busy season of research activities.

Episode 36: As I noted in the last episode one of the really interesting aspects of Chief Ranger Peter Thomson's first Algonquin Park report, was the almost nonchalant way he described the fact that the newly constructed dam at Tea Lake was expected to raise the water level by nearly four feet.  In this first of two episodes on the Gilmour's great lumbering misadventure, I wanted to give you a sense of what the Oxtongue River-South Tea-Canoe-Joe and Smoke Lakes area looked like in the pre-Gilmour time and share why the Gilmour and Company lumber operations built South Tea Lake dam in the first place. In addition to my own research for many of my books and other podcasts, most of the content comes from a few key sources including: When Giants Fall – The Gilmour Quest for Algonquin Pine by GARY LONG & RANDY WHITEMAN Algonquin Park's Moat Little Town of Big Dreams by Mary L. Garland Raven Article: Our Eyes are Dim, We cannot See August, 2003 Remaking the Tea-Smoke-Canoe Lake Landscape 14,2003 Vol. 44 No 9  Algonquin Wildlife Lessons in Survival by Norm Quinn The musical interlude is called Paddle and Portage. It comes from Dan Gibson's Solitudes CD called Algonquin Suite, which is brought to you courtesy of Digital Funding LLC. All of the Solitudes collection can be found where ever you get your streaming music such as Apple Music or Spottily amongst others.  

Episode 35: Algonquin's Early Beginnings: The first Official Canoe Trips Summer-Fall 1893 In 1893 the Algonquin National Park Act was passed and soon after Peter Thomson was appointed Chief Ranger. In this episode I share his first report of his activities in the summer of 1893. As well is another provided by Mr. James Wilson Superintendent of Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park who was asked to tour ‘the territory' which he did via canoe during the late fall of 1893. His observations, descriptions and recommendations are for the most part just  as insightful today as they were when reported in early 1894.  This episode's musical interlude is called Forest Song from Dan Gibson's Solitudes' CD called Algonquin Suite. Many thanks to Digital Funding LLC, owners of the Dan Gibson's Solitudes copyright, who have granted permission for its use. Search using Dan Gibson's Solitudes' on your favourite music streaming site to listen too the entire CD. Source document is a compilation published by the Legare Street Press iin 2013, who "publish works that have been selected by scholars as being culturally important and are part of the ‘knowledge base of civilization as we know it." It is occasionally available on eBay for those interested in purchasing their own copy. 

Episode 34:  The Amazing World of the Canada Jay Ever since I was a child, I've been enamoured by what my family used to call Whiskey Jacks - now called Canada Jays. I and my brothers would sit on our front deck holding our hands out whilst these little gray darlings would come and, with a little coaxing, take pieces of bread and other goodies from our hands. In this episode, I am joined by Dan Strickland, former Algonquin Park Naturalist and Dr. Ryan Norris an ecologist who is an Associate Professor with the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Guelph, Ontario. Both are experts on the ecology of the Canada Jay and share some of the latest research findings based on nearly 60 years of Algonquin Park-based research out of the Wildlife Research Station. Some key links: Indigenous artist Mark Nadjiwan's drawing of a Canada Jay can be found on his website https://www.threetreesart.com/for-seven-generations.html This episode's musical interlude is called Dawn of the Lake from Dan Gibson's Solitudes' CD called Breaking Through the Mist. Many thanks to Digital Funding LLC, owners of the Dan Gibson's Solitudes' copyright, who have granted  permission for its use. Search using Dan Gibson's Solitudes' as the search term on your favourite music streaming site to listen to the entire CD. For more details on the Canada Jay research check out the Wildlife Research Station website publications page https://www.algonquinwrs.ca   Also check out Dr. Ryan Norris' complete research portfolio at the Ryan Norris Lab, including some really interesting work on migrating monarch butterflies.  https://norrislab.ca      

Episode 33: More Fish Fun Facts and Harkness Fisheries Lab Research Gems In this episode I'll continue my journey through the world of fisheries research in Algonquin  and hope to bring to life some of the really interesting and fun fish facts that I've been able to ascertain. Also of course, introduce you  to a few  more  of the Fisheries researchers and  there work.  This episodes musical interlude is called Easy Stream from Dan Gibson's Solitudes Breaking the Mist CD. His music can be found on Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora and most other places where you get your music on the web.   Fisheries photos can be found on my VIDs and PICs page on www.algonquinparkheritage.com. Enjoy!

Episode 32: Fish-Fish and More Fish: Early Years of the Harkness Fisheries Lab Not being that into angling, except when my twins were young and fishing off of our Canoe Lake dock a regular pass time, it's been seriously enlightening to learn all about the Harkness Laboratory for Fisheries Research on Lake Opeongo. This is the first of two episodes that explores the history of fisheries research in Algonquin Park, which began in 1936.  YOu'll have an opportunity to meet some of the amazing fisheries researchers and their work both then and more recently. I now know more about fish than I ever thought possible. Now you can as well!!! There are too many sources to list here, but you can find the complete list along with some great historical photographs on my website blog www.algonquinparkheritage.com     The music in this episode comes from  composer Sarah Spring whom you can find on any music web site or her website www.sarahspringpiano.can

Episode 31: More Cool Algonquin Wildlife Station Research This concludes a 3-part series on the history and research that is going on at the Wildlife Research Station. My focus in this episode is more recent work on moose, salamanders, Canada Jays, hemlock tree regeneration, sapsuckers and beaver as well as another wonderful collection of Wildlife Research Fun Facts. This episode's musical interlude comes from Sara Spring and is another of her piano compositions called Across Long Lakes and can be found at saraspringpiano.ca For this episode in addition to my own research for my books, most of the content comes from a number of key sources including: Rory MacKay's 2018 Algonquin Park A Place Like No Other Norm Quinn's 2002 Algonquin Wildlife Lessons in Survival George Warecki's recent books on both J. R. Dymond (2019) and Douglas Pimlott (2021). George Garland's 1989 Glimpses of Algonquin Robert Bateman's 2015 autobiography Life Sketches Various articles in The Best of the Raven newsletters Volumes 1 to 3 as well as those from 2010-2021 that are available on-line And of course the Wildlife Research Station official web site AlgonquinWRS.ca and selected of their published research papers and abstracts.  

Episode 30: The Wildlife Research Station In this episode I'm going to focus on a number of really interesting research projects that have been going on – some for many, many decades and along with more stories of the researchers and their experiences. A Big shout-out to Patrick Moldowan, the Station's Communications Director who has been an incredible partner. Not only did he make sure that I was getting all of my explanations right or at least mostly right, but he also was incredibly patient with my at times really dumb questions and scientific term translation requests.  The Algonquin WRS website is www.algonquinwrs.ca to join their Patreon Program or just take a look at the research abstracts.   Other key contributors include: Rory MacKay's 2018 Algonquin Park A Place Like No Other Norm Quinn's 2002 Algonquin Wildlife Lessons in Survival George Warecki's recent books on both J. R. Dymond (2019) & Douglas Pimlott (2021) George Garland's 1989 Glimpses of Algonquin Robert Bateman's 2015 autobiography Life Sketches Various articles in The Best of the Raven newsletters Volumes 1 to 3 as well as those from 2010-2021 that are available on-line And of course the Wildlife Research Station official web site and selected published research papers and abstracts. Musical contribution was called Wild Goose from the Wakami Whalers  2017 Un, Deux, Trois...Four album. They can be found at www.wakamiwailers.com Historical photographs can be found on www.algonquinparkheritage.com  

Episode 29: The Wildlife Research Station - The Early Years Park Superintendent Frank MacDougall was the force behind much of the early efforts to increase public awareness of the importance of ecology and to do so on a scientific basis.  After the success of the Harkness Laboratory for Fisheries, in 1944, he pushed for the establishment of a Wildlife Research Station that would focus on terrestrial i.e. land-based ecosystems. In this episode, I share the history of the early years of Algonquin Park's Wildlife Research Station and provide some insight into the characters of the people who were directly involved. In addition to my own research for my books, most of the content comes from a number of key sources including: Rory MacKay's 2018 Algonquin Park A Place Like No Other Norm Quinn's 2002 Algonquin Wildlife Lessons in Survival George Warecki's recent books on J. R. Dymond (2019) and Douglas Pimlott (2021). George Garland's 1989 Glimpses of Algonquin Various articles in The Best of the Raven newsletters Volumes 1 to 3 as well as those from 2010-2021 that are available on-line And of course the Wildlife Research Station official web site and selected published research papers and abstracts. This episode's musical interlude is another wonderful song from Ian Tamblyn called Woodsmoke and Oranges from his 2007 CD Superior: Spirit and Light.  Check out his webste www.iantamblyn.com to find more of his music. Check out the Station website at www.Algonquinwrs.ca for information on publications and to support their ongoing research efforts.

Episode 28: Don Lloyd, Algonquin's Renaissance Man - an Interview with grandson Mathew  Thivierge   Don Lloyd, who died in 2013, is I think the closest that Algonquin Park has come, to creating a true Algonquin Park Renaissance man.   Don wasn't just an Algonquin Park wildlife and landscape illustrator, he also turns out to have been also been a geography teacher, a receiver of a Bachelors, Masters and PhD in Geography, an author of two important Algonquin books, a board game designer, a children's book creator as well as an avid Algonquin Park canoe tripper, birder, wood carver. He was a long time Canoe Lake leaseholder, Algonquin Park Residents Association activist and Friends of Algonquin Park board member in its early years. In 2011 he received their Director's Award, which honors those who have made significant contributions toward the appreciation of Algonquin Park. In this episode I chat with his grandson Mathew Thivierge to share with you some of his recollections of his grandfather. Musical interlude is called Campfire Light and is by Ian Tamblyn from his Superior: Spirit and  Light CD and can be found at www.iantamblyn.com

Nature interpretation activities have been part of the Algonquin Park experience for a long time. In this episode, I'll take you down memory lane and share with you the origins of what used to be called the Algonquin Park Interpretive Program, now called the Discovery Program, and introduce you to some of the incredible people who made it all possible. Note that the sources for much of this content is my own research compiled for my book Treasuring Algonquin: Settlement Stories from 100 Years of Leaseholding.  as  well as  Roderick MacKay's Algonquin Park: A Place Like No Other, George Warecki's J.R. Dymond Scientific Research, Nature Reserves and the Interpretive Program in Algonquin Provincial Park 1931-1954 and several articles in The Best of The Raven, Algonquin Park's Newsletters that have been published in 3 volumes by the Friends of Algonquin Park.  All of these are available from the Friend of Algonquin Park's online bookstore at www.algonquinpark.on.ca. This episode's musical interlude is provided with thanks from Ian Tamblyn at www. iantamblyn.com called Black Spruce by Ian Tamblyn.  It can be found on his 2007 album Superior Spirit and Light.

Episode 26: Wilderness Adventurers Part III In this episode, I'll be continuing my recollections of some of the wilderness  adventurers who settled  on leaseholds in Algonquin  Park in the early  20th Century. Here I'll be introducing you to a few more interesting characters who became the heart and soul for the leasehold community.  Virtually all of the stories I share, come from two of my books Algonquin Voices; Settlement Stories of Canoe Lake Women, that won in 2002 the Alison Prentice Award for best women's history that year by the Ontario Historical Society and Treasuring Algonquin, my 2006 book on the history of leaseholding in Algonquin Park.   Once again the musical interlude is a composition written by Sarah Spring called  Old Friend. For more information about Sarah or if you'd like to listen to more of her work, learn more  about Sarah or buy her musical scores, check out her web site www.sarahspringpiano.ca

Episode 25: Interview with Wilderness Adventurer Sandy Lewis In the last episode I shared some of the origin stories of a few Algonquin Wilderness Adventurers whose ancestors, some as many as five generations back, were invited by the Ontario Government to lease small plots of land on a specific set of Algonquin Park lakes and build summer cabins.  In this episode I'm thrilled to be chatting with the patriarch of one such five-generation family Sandy Lewis. Sandy is the grandson of both Dr. Alexander Pirie and Thomas Bertram who were Algonquin's first wilderness Adventurers. The two purchased in 1906, Allan and David Gilmour's summer cabins and leased the land on the south-end of an island in the middle of Canoe Lake, just south of what is today's Big Wapomeo Island. The sawmill that the Gilmour brothers owned that existed at the north end of Canoe Lake had gone bankrupt some years earlier and the cottages abandoned. Lewis shares not just his grandparents and parents experiences, but also his own as a young child, hanging out by himself in the woods. Biographical references include my own 2002 book Algonquin Voices, Selected Stories of Canoe Lake Women and Gary Long and Randy Whitman's 1998 book When Giants Fall – The Gilmour Quest for Algonquin Pine.  This episode's musical interlude is called Forever Unknown and comes from fellow Algonquin lover Sarah Spring. Sara is a composer, sound artist, pianist and music educator and her music can be found on www.saraspringpiano.ca

Episode 24: Early 20thC Wilderness Adventurers Part 1: In this episode I bring to share with you some of the stories of another  part of the Algonquin Park community - those whose ancestors – some, as many as five generations back, were invited by the Ontario Government to lease small plots of land on a specific set of lakes and build summer cabins. The belief then was that visitors wouldn't come unless there was a community of some sort to provide an anchor.  Virtually all of these stories come from two of my books Algonquin Voices; Settlement Stories of Canoe Lake Women that won in 2003 the Alison Prentice Award for best women's history that year by the Ontario Historical Society and Treasuring Algonquin, my 2006 book on the history of leaseholding in Algonquin Park. The musical interlude again comes from the Wakami Wailers who can be found on www.wakamiwailers.com. It's called Lonesome River and is from their 2017 Un, deux, Trois… Four Album. For pictures check out www.algonquinparkheritage.com.

Episode  23: Caretaking in the Bush - the Hamilton-Haskin Family Experience In this final episode on the lives of full time Algonquin Park residents, I wanted to share with you stories that I've collected from the Hamilton-Haskin family from Madawaska. The family's original matriarch and patriarch, Wilmot and Victoria Hamilton lived just outside the eastern boundary of Algonquin Park from 1897 to 1954 on the north shore of Victoria  Lake,14 kilometers from anything close to civilization. Not only did they survive, caretaking a hunting lodge owned by Edward Curtis Smith, a former governor of Vermont, but also raised a dozen children to adulthood. Though not technically part of Algonquin Park, and therefore, I suppose, not really a Algonquin Defining Moment, it's close enough and their story is one of the best I've collected with incredible insight into what life was like in the early 20th Century for these hearty Canadians. Also joining me again are the Wakami Wailers with a song called ‘Take This Land”, from their 1993 album Waltz With the Woods. Their music can be found on www.wakamiwailers.com. There  are also a great collection of photographs on my website www.algonquinparkheritage.com  and if you are interested in reading the full story of  Governor Smith  and his Ontario Retreat, you can find it at the Friends of Algonquin Park bookstores or online at www.amazon.ca or www.amazon.com.

Episode 22: Bring on the Fall Colours In this episode I've shifted my focus a bit and have decided to concentrate on the most spectacular of Algonquin Defining Moments, ‘The Fall Colours', which are taking place as they do every year around this time.  First I'll share some interesting facts about what the fall colour process is all about from a scientific perspective, then I talk about some interesting factoids about trees and lastly touch on what other things are going on in the fall that make Algonquin such a unique and interesting place this time of year. Several key  articles from the Friends of Algonquin Park's RAVEN newsletter include:   Heavenly Ecology Sept 1, 1976 Vole 17 No 12 Algonquin in autumn – Behind the Signs Sept. 10, 1981 Vol. 22, No 12 To Sleep the Impossible Sleep Sept 9, 1982 Vol. 23 No. 12 Sex in the Leaves Sept 8, 1988 Vole 29 No 12 The Last Colour is the Best Colour Sept 10, 1992 Vole #33 NO 12 Is It the Nose that Knows? Aug 23, 2001   Vole 42 No 10 Time to Put on the Sunscreen Sept 8 2004, Vole 45 #12 In addition are several paragraphs from The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben and some notes here and therefrom a website called the Harvard Forest.   Musical interludes include the Wakami Whalers' version of Land of the Silver Birch from their 1993 Waltz With the Woods CD and a reprise of Ian Tamblyn's Brush and Paddle from his 2015 CD Walking the Footsteps - Celebrating the Group of Seven.

Episode 21: More Stories of Algonquin Park Full Time Residents In this episode I continue my sharing of stories that I have collected about the lives of Algonquin Park full time residents. First are stories about the The Dufonds and Dennison's who farmed in the area before it became a provincial park. Then are some  amusing anecdotes from Robert Taylor about his grandfather William McCourt who was the station agent for Rock Lake Station from 1897 until well into the 1940s.   The adventures of Billie Baulke who lived as a care taker first for the Fleck's of J. R. Booth's railways fame and later was the anchor for Rock and Whtiefish Lake leaseholder residents are recounted Lastly are a few stories about Stuart Eady and his wife Beulah who resided on Rock Lake in the 40s and 50s. Eady was a park ranger and Beulah a key community member.  Key sources for this episode come from Audrey Saunders The Algonquin Story, my own research for my book Rock Lake Station, S. Bernard Shaw's Lake Opeongo and Rory MacKay's Algonquin Park  - A Place Like No Other. Except for Shaw's Lake Opeongo, all of these titles are available from the Friends of Algonquin Park in-person and online bookstores. www.algonquinpark.on.ca. The  musical contribution  of Tom Thomson  and  the Seasons of Algonquin  is from the Wakami Wailers 2017 album  Un, Deux, Trois ...Four. The Wakami Wailers are a frequent visitor and entertainment at the annual Logger's Day celebrations. To hear more of their songs from the Canadian landscapes check out www.wakamiwailers.com.  

Episode 20: Living Alone in Algonquin - Gertrude Baskerville‘s Experience In the spring of 1941, Gertrude Baskerville set out from the Kitchener area with her ailing husband Ted and 16-year old son Ed to join her brother Charles and his family in establishing a new life on the shores of  South Tea Lake in Algonquin. Within a  year her husband had died from his injuries received in the trenches during WWI. Her son was immediately shipped overseas to fight in WWII and her brother had decided that a better opportunity lay for him and his family to move to British Columbia. Gertie, as she was called by everyone was totally alone.  Alas, Algonquin had captured  her heart and soul, so rather than return to Kitchener, she decided to stay and see if she could carve out a life for herself in the Algonquin wilderness.  This podcast is her story,  as recounted to me by her son Ed and his wife Marge in the late 1990s. It's about the 35 years that Gertie lived alone in Algonquin  Park near the Smoke Creek Bridge making a living by renting out a few cabins and hooking rugs of Tom Thomson paintings that she sold to visitors who stopped by.    Musical contribution is from the Wakami  Wailers a frequent visitor and entertainment at the annual Logger's Day celebrations. To hear more of their songs of the Canadian landscape check out www.wakamiwailers.com