|
|
 March |
|
March 25, 2002 Dispatch from Temagami Tim at the Hub of Lake Temagami Now that March Break and the Ling Fling are over, things have begun to quiet down around here. Ironically, travelling conditions are better than they have been all winter. You can go just about anywhere you want. There is a lot of snow out there - in front of here what you can see is about three feet of compacted white stuff. When it starts to melt there will be a lot of water, and there is no where for that water to go but into the Lake. Happily, the Lake level is right on track, so there should be room to catch it. — Tim Gooderham Tim's Fearless Forecast for breakup: April 25. March 20, 2002 Logging for the next 12 months gets approval from MNR The Ministry of Natural Resources has given approval to logging in Temagami for April 1, 2002 to March 31, 2003. This includes logging in blocks 30 and 46 between Sharp Rock and Obabika Lake. Earthroots has opposed logging west of Sharp Rock over the loss of wilderness, old-growth forest and heritage sites, and the expansion of roads in the heart of Temagami. Based on copies of letters sent to its office over the past month, Earthroots estimates MNR received hundreds of letters opposing the logging west of Sharp Rock. "The ministry has shown its true colours by disregarding public opinion," says Richard Brooks of Earthroots. "True wilderness protection takes time," says Brooks, "and the momentum is just beginning." March 19, 2002 Mining staking and exploration banned in parks and conservation reserves Further mineral staking and exploration will not be permitted in Ontario's new parks and conservation reserves created in 1999, according to the Partnership for Public Lands. The new policy also covers conservation reserves announced for Temagami in 1997. Mining lands that existed in these protected areas prior to their creation will remain. Chiniguchi Park, west of the Sturgeon River, and McLaren Forest Conservation Reserve in Marten River both contain mining lands. Staking and exploration had been an ongoing issue between the Partnership and Ontario since the Lands for Life announcement in 1999. The members of the Partnership are Wildlands League, Federation of Ontario Naturalists and World Wildlife Fund. March 18, 2002 Land-claim settlement proposal released Land-claim negotiations between the province of Ontario and the Temagami aboriginal community has established two models for a settlement. One model proposes a 112-square-mile federal reserve be created from the current mainland set-aside lands bordering Lake Temagami. The Skyline Reserve of Lake Temagami would become a provincial park. Some aboriginal development could be permitted at Friday's Point and Austin Bay. The other model proposes a 70-square-mile federal reserve and a 52-square-mile area of private land held by the community, also created in the current set-aside lands. The Skyline Reserve of Lake Temagami would be private land and would be subject to the municipal Official Plan. Canoe-route access across settlement lands would be permitted. Two locations for a mainland community (the community is currently on Bear Island in the centre of Lake Temagami) are also proposed: Shiningwood Bay near the end of the Mine Road, and Finlayson Point, which is currently a provincial park, near Hwy 11.
312K PDF file that requires Acrobat Reader to read Download Adobe Acrobat Reader
|
|
|
Arena roof collapses The roof collapsed at Temagami's arena and community centre yesterday, located in the north townsite at Net Lake. Fortunately, no one was inside at 5:10 p.m. when it came down. The quantity of snow on the roof was smaller than on previous days and was not considered the cause. |
|
|
March 8, 2002 The drop on the outhouse Which is going to come down first: the pants, the snow or the outhouse?
|
|
|
March 6, 2002 Four feet of snow on ground The big stuff is really here, and has changed the routine of travel. Peter Healy has been packing with snowshoes the trail to his cabin on Lake Temagami's Garden Island so he can get his snowmachine in. Photo: Peter Healy |
 |
March 1, 2002 Snow piles up With two feet of snow last week and another foot this week, it is piling up. Here's Lake Temagami (left) yesterday outside the Temagami Lakes Association building with Temagami Island in the background. |
|
March 1, 2002 Letters to Editor: North Bay Nugget Re: Nugget Feb 21 story "Earthroots plans return to Temagami" Feb.
25 — Temagami Mayor Wayne Adair's comments are reflective of a lack of
knowledge of the environmental movement. Mayor Adair seems to believe that
Earthroots' work to protect Temagami wilderness is nothing but a way to
raise "money in southern Well, I work 12-hour days to save remote wild spaces because they have intrinsic ecological value. I work for $21,000 a year after taxes to protect the wilderness, which is the basis of the tourist economy of Temagami. I work on weekends because I am passionate about clean air and water, and soaring old-growth forests. I campaign for protection of wilderness and wildlife because shortsightedness fuels the clear-cutting of Temagami's forests. I work to educate the general public about what is going on in their publicly-owned backyard. I don't do it for the money. I know what goes on in the forests of' Temagami. I have seen first hand the destruction left behind after a clear-cut. I hope other Ontarians will help stop this from spreading to the real heart of Temagami. I know they will, because they care. — Richard Brooks Co-director
Earthroots Feb 23 — I would like to voice my own comments, having a particular stake in the issue. Since 1969, 1 have travelled the backcountry of Temagami extensively as an artist and author, worked eight years as an interior ranger and cartographer/researcher, and since 1984, have operated two separate outfitting and expeditions companies. I've been across Canada and United States over the years as a consultant and public speaker to the eco-tourism industry. This just happens to be
the year dedicated to nature-based, ecological-oriented, self-propelled
tourism, as prescribed by the United Nations as the International Year of
Eco-tourism. The town of Temagami, over the past several years, has
flaunted the term old-growth forest as a marketing ploy, erecting signs
along the main street of the village, enticing travellers to stop and hike
the White Bear Forest trails. It is unfortunate, but predictable, that the
community leaders have such a lack of vision and polarized view of what
may very well be the salvation of their town economy. They have not
accepted the fact that people come to Temagami for a "quality"
experience - one that embraces the philosophical attributes of solitude
and beauty - a purpose of blending nature with adventure. Backcountry
canoeing predates logging in the district by almost half a century.
Aboriginal use of the ancient Nastawgan trail network predates white
arrival in this country by several thousand years. Twenty-five years ago,
when I was employed by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to
compile an inventory of canoe routes as a working template for management,
little did I know that within a quarter century, almost one-third of those
routes would disappear. And they would disappear through insidious means:
an intrusive network. of logging roads, snowmobile trails, ATV trails
(many illegally built to access fish and game areas), clear-cut logging and
poor silvicultural practices, non-conforming use and despoilation, and so
on. Another reason for the loss of this precious natural resource has been
through compromise - allowing logging companies to fracture and fragment
an internationally recognized wilderness. This is not specifically
an issue about what type of tree species is scheduled to be removed. It's
about a continued invasion into yet more pristine Temagami backcountry,
construction of roads through conservation reserves, desecration of
aboriginal homeland in a very sensitive spiritually rich area. No more
compromises. Temagami town leaders have never protected a visionary sense
of place, have allowed themselves to sour under the false hopes of a
revitalized economy based on extractive-based industry alone. This is Ontario land we
are talking about, not the backyard of town leaders who have yet to prove
they can manage anything beyond the local ice rink. This is not an outward
attack by — Hap |
|
Home Rupert Battle Rupert River Temagami Che-Mun Forum Crees Camps Canoes Keewaydin Way Search About Contact Us
Maps and information herein are not intended for navigational use, and are not represented to be correct in every respect. All pages intended for reference use only, and all pages are subject to change with new information and without notice. The author/publisher accepts no responsibility or liability for use of the information on these pages. Wilderness travel and canoeing possess inherent risk. It is the sole responsibility of the paddler and outdoor traveler to determine whether he/she is qualified for these activities. Copyright © 2000-2014 Brian Back. All rights reserved. We do not endorse and are not responsible for the content of any linked document on an external site.
|
FULL PROPOSAL: 
