ADVENTURES
Give a Hoot!
Give a Hoot – Owl Attraction Owls in Abundance – Banding Evidence Nocturnal Nature and Volunteers by Back Roads Bill What is it about owls that so captivates us? The answer may be a simple one. Owls inhabit the one landscape that we weak-sighted, day-loving primates still haven’t mastered. Night-time. There is the expression “I don’t give a hoot” but on the contrary there are others who do because as volunteers they like and care about owls. They are the real “night owls” because they like working in the...
Seasons Greetings from the Privy
Privies Enduring Symbol Holiday Season Outhouse by Back Roads Bill Full Christmas Card Christmas images pdf The ground is almost frozen but not everywhere, not in an outhouse anyway. And I wanted to match the Back Roads holiday season greeting card with a story. One of the rural ways of life’s most enduring symbols has been the outhouse and you can see them on the back roads. It also goes under the name of back house, john, the wee or little house, the house of parliament , the inconvenience...
Newman Mine – Uranium – Lake Nipissing
Heritage Past – Mine Landmark in the Present and Future by Back Roads Bill Many back roads lead us to stories. We choose our land and water jaunts with an eye for scenery, heritage and nature. The Manitou Islands have all of that. Depending on where you are on the North Bay shoreline or driving down Airport Hill, the islands, on some days, seem to rise up or float on the horizon. The cluster of five islands often looks closer than the eight kilometre distance, from the “government dock.”...
All Star Surveyor – Niven’s Meridian – Cochrane
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...
Wildlife Corridors – Hwy. 11 South – Callander and Highway 69 South – Sudbury
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...
Loring Deer Yard – Habitat Relationship – Highway 522 – Port Loring
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...
Talon Chutes-Mattawa River versus Grindstone Point – Lake Superior
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...
The Piano Man – Glenn Gould – Wawa
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,...
Champlain’ Monuments May Be In the Wrong Locations
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...
Erratic Behaviour – Ice Age Reminders
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...
Painting Detective – Group of Seven – Wawa
Art Detectives – Sleuthing for the Group of Seven by Back Roads Bill The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew are detectives. They are sleuths, motivated to solve crimes. We appreciate Sherlock Holmes, the fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, for the astute logical reasoning used to unravel difficult cases. ‘Following in the Footsteps of the Group of Seven’ is not fiction it celebrates the inspiration of others and why we have favourite panoramic views. This coffee table book traces the work of Jim...
Dreamers Rock – Spirit – Manitoulin – Little Current
Special Spiritual Place – To Dream: Learning about Native Culture by Back Roads Bill Nearly every culture in human history has sought to honour the divine, the mysterious, the supernatural, or the extraordinary in some way. Most often this happens at sacred sites – special places where the physical world seems to meet the spiritual world. For Jonathan Pitt Dreamer’s Rock has spiritual significance. He is of mixed First Nations ancestry and a member of the Canadian Métis Council. He teaches within the Aboriginal Teacher Certification Program and is...