ADVENTURES
Nature is the Best Medicine Go Outside…Responsibly
Mother Nature Knows the Benefits Stir crazy yet? It’s safe to say all of us here feel like a tornado is upon us. With the reality of the pandemic, almost everything is cancelled and some of us have self-imposed “staycations.” Spring is just about here and we are all getting the itch, to go outside to start spring cleaning and play. While science offers little advice other than washing your hands and now social distancing to combat this new virus, there is some interesting notions, naturally, that shows our...
The Only Hebrew Cemetery in Northern Ontario
Not Forgotten on the Back Roads by Back Roads Bill Steer While other things fade, stones and souls endure. It is said that one of the first communal obligations is to provide for the dead. In the case of some Jewish settlers the establishment of their cemetery took on certain urgency. Northern Ontario Jews from other communities are buried here; the only such dedicated Hebrew cemetery in the northeast. There are more than 100 burial plots in the cemetery including a war grave. Krugerdorf was founded as a farming homestead...
Moving Our Animals – Under and Over in NE Ontario
Overpass and Tunnel Benefits to Animals and Humans Animal Bridges – Wildlife Crossings by Back Roads Bill You’re driving north to your next BIG experience in Northeastern Ontario, most likely on Highways 11 or 69. You notice the change in landscape, the flora; consider the fauna though, the animals are part of your experience. Why do animals cross the road? They always seem to run on to the road at the wrong time. It occurs because wildlife and people driving vehicles are on the roads simultaneously cannot predict the behaviour...
Watch for the Animals Crossing – Slate Islands (Terrace Bay)
Watch out for Animals Crossing! by Backroads Bill One minute you’re concentrating on fishing the green and the black, the next you see a caribou approaching your boat. And that’s not tackle tangled in their rack. A trip to the Slate Islands can satisfy the senses of the outdoors enthusiast in a number of ways. For the angler there is the excitement of landing and experiencing some of the finest red-finned lake trout anywhere. There are no caribou crossing road signs, but there should be, they’re everywhere. Keep your...
Two for the Price of One – Nipigon
Two Destinations – Dramatic Ice Relief and a Railway Tunnel Highway 11 – Nipigon – Winter and the Rest of the Year by Back Roads Bill You often hear the expressions “two is better than one,” “the more the merrier” or perhaps “good things come in pairs.” When you are exploring, two finds make for a good day; especially when they are so different but close to one another. We have two Trans Canada Highways in Northern Ontario and they start in North Bay and meet again in Nipigon;...
Rock Hounds – Gowganda and Gogama
Rock Hounds – Abandoned Mines – BIG Rock Discoveries Tourism – Lapidary- Nature Avocation – Rock Hobby- Rock Pirates by Back Roads Bill There is the idiom: “You’ve got rocks in your head.” Something about having poor judgment or a supposed substitute for brains. The loose definition of a rock hound is one who collects rocks. We like rocks, we pick them up. So why did more than 25 people, families for the most part, travel more than 700 km to find and collect rocks? They will tell you...
Fine Wine – Red and White Pines – Wolf Lake and Temagami
Fine Wine – Fine Trees Red or White? Vintage Choices of Location Complement Your Big Experience by Back Roads Bill With all the thousands of wines in hundreds of styles out there, you can’t be expected to remember all the wines and how they pair with food, same with the trees of Northeastern Ontario and your next, not dining, but destination experience. To make it easier for you, here is a short list of red and white, pine trees that is. And we have two species that are classified...
Selling Rocks – Trout Creek and River Valley (Sturgeon Falls)
Why the Rocks? By Back Roads Bill Rocks lend color, texture and a touch of Zen to your garden. This fall many people are preparing for the spring of 2014. Rock or scree (loose rock debris) gardens are becoming more popular. Rocks, gravel and boulders last forever and solve many landscaping dilemmas. Scree gardens are a great way to spruce up your yard, especially if you have areas that are bare or need covering up. Even beginner gardeners can easily design a rock garden, and there is no wrong...
Native Icons – Wawa and Garden River (Sault Ste. Marie)
Medicine Cave –Time and Place –Natural and Cultural Heritage by Back Roads Bill It is sometimes difficult to comprehend timelines with millions of years and then relate to the covenants of religion beyond what you know and practice. Time and religion, you would think these don’t fit together but at this next location, one is the reason for the other. For Native communities the relationship with the land and time is important to their heritage. It is hard to believe the Northern Ontario landscape was once covered by a...
Bridging Time – Mattawa/Sault Ste. Marie
Forgotten Bridges Remain Today Helping to Remember the Romans and the Great Depression By Back Roads Bill The Romans invented concrete (opus caementicium) and were great road and bridge builders. The finest roads the Romans built used deep roadbeds comprised of crushed stones for moisture control followed by a layer of capstones or pavers. It is inevitable this summer; you will wait in line for the road construction flag person to eventually give the stopped traffic the go-ahead with the florescent green SLOW sign. Use the delay to reflect...
Values and An Island – North Bay
The Seasons of an Island Change Affects the Preservation of Values by Back Roads Bill As the seasons of the year change, so are the seasons of life and our values. This comparison comes from many cultures and many sources, the bible is one; Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 states,” To everything there is a season…” The beauty of autumn has arrived, the days are shortening and the shadows are lengthening. It is the time to become responsible and to learn from the rewards the other seasons taught you. Camp Island is...
Oldest Structure In Northern Ontario – Callander/North Bay
Not the Pyramids – Old Just the Same and Our Heritage Not Preserved or Recognized by Back Roads Bill For thousands of years pyramids have been built by civilizations in many parts of the world. Khufu’s Pyramid (2530 B.C.) is built mainly of limestone and granite blocks and is considered an architectural masterpiece, one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.’ These are the remains of a vanished culture. Think about this and the following. Northern Ontario has less than 150 years of continuous, colonial, settlement history. ...