THE Madoc Meteorite (1854) In 1854 an unknown individual, possibly a farmer ploughing a field, discovered a meteorite known as the Madoc Meteorite (MM). It is known to have landed in the southwest corner of Madoc Township just west of that town. The MM weighed in at 167.8 kilograms (369.9 lbs.) with an approximate diameter […]
A TRAPPING FIRST Carmen Cotnoir of Spanish, Ontario, was the first woman trapper to be voted President of the Ontario Fur Managers Federation. “I was elected August 28, 2016 at the OFMF Rendezvous convention in Thunder Bay,” she told me. Inspired to trap by her brother in Chalk River she would spend a few days […]
POISON IVY – A Dubious Distinction Poison Ivy, a noxious weed the source of many negative anecdotes. Such as my brother-in-law bedridden, covered head to toe. Not funny. Or those who used the leaves while in the bush due to a lack of toilet paper. You get the drift. The native to Ontario plant’s oily […]
ISLE ROYALE In 2018 the last remaining wolves on Isle Royale received an infusion of new blood and new DNA courtesy of a U.S. National Park Service airlift. Perhaps the oldest wolf/moose study in North America, since 1958, the new wave of wolves was being recruited to bolster the last remaining population which consisted of […]
THE 49TH PARALLEL Although the 49th // (Parallel) may well be touted as the longest international border in the world covering 8891.63 km or 5,525 miles of land and water shared by Canada and the United States it is a border not respected, and certainly undefended, against the smoke of 2023 as Canada burned from […]
ONTARIO’S OFFICIAL FLOWER It’s like clockwork. The trilliums blossom and the black flies erupt. Although most are familiar with the white trillium, Ontario’s official flower, there are a total of 50 species native to North America’s temperate regions and Asia. Did you know? The ‘Tri’ is of course from the living Latin meaning ‘three’ […]
STORES OF WOLVES and PEOPLE THE BANCROFT TIMES (B.T.) – July 1904 – “At Portlock, Algoma district, wolves are causing great havoc among cattle and sheep. The farmers are much alarmed. Children are not allowed from their homes.” February 1904 – Alex Morrisey of Turtle River, near Dauphin, had a thrilling experience with a pack […]
ONTARIO WOLVES – An Update First Some Background 2001 – COSSARO, the Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario, deemed the eastern wolf a species of “Special Concern” and the provincial government announced that trapping/killing them in the 39 or 40 (depending upon your source) townships surrounding Algonquin P.P. has come to […]
Evolving Name Changes for the MNR Since the birth of our nation the present Ontario MNRF has undergone some name changes. Following are the timelines as of April 16, 2023. 1867 – 1905 – Commissioner of Crown Lands 1905 -1906 – Ministry of Lands and Mines 1906 – 1919 – Ministry of Lands, Forest and […]
The Stages of Hunting & Fishing Apparently there are 5 stages of hunting. Fishing? We’ll see. For a while “Foodies” became well known as people who wanted to harvest their own wholesome, nutritional game for the table. This movement resulted in many adults taking hunter safety courses so they could harvest and gather their own […]
