• 1897 TRIP ON THE ATIK-OKAN RIVER : Part 3 of 3

                  After another hour’s progress we camped for the night at the eastern end of the lake[17], and at six o’clock next morning proceeded on our way along Bruly [sic] River. A little way up this stream our “bow” Indian[18] ejaculated “Chemung, chemung” (Chippewa for canoe), and sure enough approaching us from the east we…

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  • 1897 TRIP ON THE ATIK-OKAN RIVER : Part 2 of 3

    The next interesting point we came to was Sabawe Rapids. Sabawe [8] in Chippewa [9] means “drowned”, and here, nobody knows how long ago, an Indian princess lost her life, since when no Red man [10] has been known to run these swift waters. On Indian Grounds               Portaging around this this part of the…

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  • 1897 TRIP ON THE ATIK-OKAN RIVER [1] : Part 1 of 3

    AMONG THE ALGOMA MINES [2] The World’s [3] Young Man on His Tour of Inspection MOOSE IN CLOSE QUARTERS This New Ontario [4] District  Seems to be a Veritable Hunter’s Paradise **** Animal Life to be Seen Everywhere ̶ Indian Camping Grounds ̶The Eastern Con- tinuation of the Atik-okan Iron Range ̶The Lakes and Rivers…

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  • 1943 CROSS-CANADA HIGHWAY

    from The Fort William Daily Times-Journal, December 18, 1943 Geraldton-Hearst Highway Scenic Drive    You can cross Canada by automobile today. For the first time in the country’s history, a motorist can start in Vancouver and drive to Halifax on all-Canadian soil. That’s what completion of a stretch of 150 miles of road between Hearst…

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  • TIME TRAVEL TO ATIKOKAN – Part 2 of 2

    For lunch we met Linda and Cheech, life-long friends, to whom we last spoke twenty-five years ago. We ate Chinese at the Nite Club. Nobody wore evening dress. The fog was lifting, and before we left the sun was shining  ̶  as per the forecast. Hey, Environment Canada is entitled to be right once in…

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  • TIME TRAVEL TO ATIKOKAN – Part 1 of 2

    On Thursday, September 12, Environment Canada promised sunshine and warmth. At 7:00 a.m. in Thunder Bay, it was dark and foggy. The fog persisted for 200 kilometres, all the way to Atikokan.   My sister Sue and I picked up our coffee mochas at Timmys. Any trip longer than 5 klicks demands a coffee mocha.…

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  • Thunder Bay Harbour Cruise – Part 2 of 2

    August 9, 2024 As we sailed toward the waterfront, I noted the prow swinging several degrees left and right, maybe due to the angle we were meeting the waves. Our guides, Joshua, captain, and Nikko, captain-in-training, were aiming to meet the breakwater at a steep angle. And, the lone freighter anchored in the bay came…

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  • Thunder Bay Harbour Cruise – Part 1 of 2

    August 9, 2024 We picked a fine day to book with Sail Superior. At 11:00 a.m., we gathered at Pier 3 in the Marina, all seven of us. The first step was our group photo. Nikko and Joshua herded us onto the dock in front of the Frodo, a single-masted monohull, and a cameraman was…

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  • COURT STREET WALKING TOUR – Part 3 of 3

    Thursday, August 8, 2024 On Algoma Street North, we walked south, crossing the bridge over McVicar Creek. We came to the HMCS Griffon property. I made a quick trip to the crest of the hill to snap the historic mansion. To learn more about this building, Google Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship Griffon. The site gives…

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  • COURT STREET WALKING TOUR – Part 2 of 3

    Thursday, August 8, 2024 Court Street North runs north and south, paralleling the shoreline of an ancient beach. I confess that I missed a lot of Kim’s, our guide’s, monologue, but I trust I am not forgetting the most important stuff. Gesturing westward, up the hill, Kim pointed out the old Court House, fronted by…

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