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July 21, 2000
Algonquin Park Logger's Museum a celebration
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Ontario's oldest and best known provincial park is still a major source
of saw logs and veneer logs for the forest industry. The history of logging
in Ontario, and in the park's 7,725 square km., is celebrated in the park's
outstanding Algonquin Logging Museum. The Museum's fifth annual Logger's
Day is being held on Saturday July 29th, and makes this exciting location
even more entertaining and educational.
The Logger's Museum
The museum was built in 1992 as a co-operative venture of the Friends of
Algonquin Park, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Algonquin Forest
Authority. It is located just inside the east gate of the park on Hwy.
60 (54.5 km. from the West Gate , which is 35 km. from Huntsville). The
1.3 km. tour of the exhibits starts at the Visitor Reception Centre, which
has a bookstore, theatre and logging displays.
You can pick up a 36 page brochure profiling the history of logging
and describing the various pieces of equipment to be found on the walk.
The booklet is a good history of the lumber business, and is well worth
keeping as a reference.
There are 20 stops on the tour, each featuring an item of interest.
The camboose and the squared timbers show the early history of logging.
There is also an authentic bunkhouse, cookhouse, blacksmith shop and stable.
A jammer, patent plough, water tank and a crazy wheel are also featured.
A cadge crib, alligator, pointer boat, and an operating log chute and
dam-all critical to successful logging in the past-are displayed by the
edge of a small lake. Logging railways in many cases were critical to the
success of various operations, and the museum features one of the old "saddleback"
locomotives of the early 1900s.
The Visitor's Reception Centre and bookstore is open from 10 a.m. to
6 p.m. daily, and the visitor trail is always open.
Logger's Day Saturday July 29th 2000 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Logger's Day has several additional activities of interest, including
a logger's lunch and the remarkable Wakami Wailers. The Wailers are a folk
group that sings about the old days. They have made 3 recordings, including
"The Last of the White Pine Loggers." (They will also perform at the parks'
outdoor theatre on Sunday July 30th at 8:45 p.m.) There will also be demonstrations
of log stamping, rope making and timber squaring. Several authors (including
myself) will be on site with their books and videos.
Logging By Rail in Algonquin Park and The Fossmill Story
My son Paul and I have attended several of these Logger's Days, talking
to the visitors and displaying our video and book on the old Fassett Lumber
Company at Fossmill in Chisholm Township. The Video will be shown continuously
at the theatre in the new Visitor's Centre (35 km. from the West Gate)
for the week prior to the Logger's Day. The written version of the Fossmill
Story will be the subject of the park's publication "The Raven" the week
before the Logger's Day. The book is also reviewed in the park's newspaper
provided to Hwy. 60 corridor travelers, and available at the park gates
and 29 access points around the park.
Algonquin Park Information
This column does not allow for details on the numerous other activities
in the park, for example, the art galleries, the Visitor's Centre, the
13 walking trails, the campgrounds, etc. The Visitor's Centre has a large
bookstore, theatre, at gallery, restaurant and various historical displays,
many of which feature logging and lumbering. Information is available at
various Chamber of Commerce and other information outlets.
The park's phone number is (705) 633-5572 and their web site is www.algonquinpark.on.ca.
For campsite information, you can use their new system and call 1-888-ONT-PARK
(1-888-668-7275) between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. EST any day. You can also reserve
on the web site www.ontarioparks.com.
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The Algonquin Park Loggers Museum is in Algonquin Park which
is Ontario's oldest and best known Provincial Park and is still a major
source of saw logs and veneer logs for the forest industry. |
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