August 24, 2001 Brent and Kiosk celebrate their histories

There have been many wonderful heritage events around the area this season, and more are scheduled. I had the pleasure of being involved in the first Brent Heritage Days on August 15 and 16th at Brent, and the Kiosk Reunion in Mattawa on August 18th.

Brent Heritage Days 

The Brent event served several purposes, including a book signing for My Childhood in the Bush and a display of photos and maps, etc. on Brent's fascinating past. It was also a reunion of sorts, as numerous representatives from various former and current Brent families came together. Some had not seen each other for years. In some cases, brothers and sisters came from different locations and had a reunion within the larger reunion.

We were pleased with the attendance of many park visitors, some of whom came from the south side of the park, North Bay, Temagami, etc. Senior Algonquin Park officials attended and gave support to the event.

One of the real discoveries was the old ranger headquarters building, now refurbished for rent as a cabin. It was the ideal location for the event, and was an artefact in its own right, as people studied the building and grounds. The site was established in 1932 as a part of a park supervision program. With extensive logging, canoeing and railway activity in the park at or near Brent, it was an ideal location. The large main building served as a staff quarters and office, with an additional small cabin and warehouse nearby. The buildings were made of pine logs, dovetailed on the corners and built on a fieldstone foundation.

After being used for decades the building was abandoned, and like many park buildings, was to be demolished because of potential liability. Jake Pigeon, the manager of the Brent Algonquin Outfitters store, with his friends and the financial assistance of the remarkable Bill Swift, owner of the Algonquin Outfitters, the initiative was taken to save the building. Mr. Stringer put a significant amount of money into the project, and others-including park people-put many hours into the project. The building now has four bedrooms, propane light, fridge and stove, and new rustic furniture.

One visitor at the Heritage Days was 85-year-old Harold Boyle, whose father Jack Boyle was a deputy Chief Ranger at Brent in the early 1930s, and oversaw the development of the site. Harold provided some excellent history and photos, including a photo of his father on patrol on a dogsled. A photo of Ned Zadon, another well-known park ranger who worked out of Brent, was on display showing Zadon with two young boys on the steps of the Brent cabin, some 60 years ago (see photo). The boys are Tom (left) and Jake (right) Pigeon-the same Jake Pigeon who 60 years later is mentioned above as the driving force behind the cabin restoration and the preservation of Brent's history.