Not by Chance Lines – Straight Roads and Boundaries by Back Roads Bill Some lines are more important than others and these lines are not online or the dramatic lines of actors. Three of the most significant imaginary lines on the surface of the Earth are the equator, the Prime Meridian and the International Date Line. There is a lot of history in our province and much of it is found on the roadside sometimes literally. You have been wondering where all those dark blue highway plaques come from anyway. The stories are interesting to read and you wonder about the location. There are about 1,200 provincial roadside plaques...
Moving Our Moose – Under the Highway by Back Roads Bill We can’t give animals too many human characteristics, termed anthropomorphism; that is ‘The ‘Wonderful World of Disney’ syndrome. We can reduce our impacts on wildlife habitat. Here is a stateside government, department of highways, definition. “Road kill is an animal or animals that have been struck and killed by motor vehicles. It occurs because wildlife and people driving vehicles are on the roads simultaneously, and cannot predict the behaviour of one another. Wildlife may wander onto roadways for various reasons and become road kill.” The Iconic Moose Driving along, there is not much worse than seeing a dead...
Loring Deeryard – Unique Habitat – Energy Conservation Browsing – Winter Behaviour and Protection by Back Roads Bill What are the deer doing and where are they? There are thousands of deer in the North Bay area and viewing of the white tails is easy enough within three seasons of the year. At present they are not bounding through the fields, they are conserving energy in certain areas. It is all about the relationships defined within ecology. The Loring deer yard is not a legislated or protected area, it comprises about five townships south of Lake Nipissing, it is about 500 square kilometres in size, centered on the Golden...
Not Road Pot Holes – The Natural Ones by Back Roads Bill A street pothole is a type of failure in an asphalt pavement, caused by the presence of water in the underlying soil structure and the presence of traffic passing over the affected area. These are spring time annoyances to our car’s alignment, wheel bearings and suspension. There are potholes in the natural environment as well, these are worth the visit. The landscape around us holds many secrets. You can drive, hike or paddle by and never know there is interesting pothole” just over there.” When you discover an anomaly detective work is required. Our planet is estimated...
Pianist Discovers Back Roads – Wawa Solitude By Back Roads Bill One of the important aspects in the routine of visiting a single place and getting to know one area really well, is taking the time to check in with your feelings and allow yourself to just ”be.” It is why people look for camps and cottages and return to the same vacation spots time and again. At a local level many look for what is called a “sit,” “magic,” or “me” spot. It is a place for solace, inspiration and rejuvenation. We all seem to look for these special places within nature. Recently at the Grammy Awards, Canadian...
Ski Club Road Not the La Vase – Evidence to Be Considered or No Evidence by Back Roads Bill Editor’s Note: This is the final of three stories commemorating the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain’s arrival to the North Bay area. This installment considers a different route for the explorer from Trout Lake to Lake Nipissing other than the La Vase portages. Are the monuments commemorating Champlain’s visit in the wrong location? On July 26th it will be 400 years since Samuel de Champlain appeared somewhere on the shoreline of Lake Nipissing. A number of locals think so including Roy Summers. He is a retired civil technician and...
Glacial Droppings – Movement by Back Roads Bill Humans sometimes exhibit erratic behaviour but even rocks can do so. Boulders of a particular rock type which may be many tonnes in weight may be found sitting on a different type of bedrock; sometimes they are perched prominently in open areas. For the most part they tend to be rounded. The surface is often fine grained indicating grooves and scratches, remnants of the movement of the ice sheets and the constant scoring by neighbouring boulders. After the ice melted the boulders remained distributed in a random way. Most parts of Northern Ontario have been glaciated that is, ice sheets once...
