Art inspired wilderness adventures

Ontario Parks Insider

“When you go there you sit around and you feel you’re there with them - they’re still there; they’ve left their mark in the way they painted that scene, and one gets to feel good about that.” - Jim Waddington

Simple curiosity. That’s all it took to launch a 30-year art history wilderness adventure. A journey of discovery that would unearth 160 Group of Seven sketching sites along with the stories and shared passions that brought the artists to these remote locations.

After choosing A.Y. Jackson’s painting, Hills, Killarney, Ontario (Nellie Lake), as inspiration for a rug hooking craft, Sue Waddington, and her husband Jim, decided to see if A.Y Jackson’s Nellie Lake was indeed the same one that is found in Killarney Provincial Park. With low expectations, but a great excuse for a family vacation, they packed up the kids and headed off to Killarney. After hefty portages and a lengthy hike up a blueberry filled ridge, to their amazement, laid out in front of them was the exact view that is in A.Y. Jackson’s painting.





Driven by the same curiosity and sense of adventure that many people said A.Y. Jackson had, the Waddington family pushed on even deeper into Killarney to another isolated lake. A few years later they discovered that a number of their photos from this trip looked strikingly familiar. After a visit to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg, Ontario, they returned to Killarney with copies of Group of Seven art and a rejuvenated hunger for discovery; a hunger that would reveal 160 Group of Seven sketch sites over a 30 year period.

Inspired by the enthusiasm of Jim and Sue, the McMichael launched a project celebrating the adventures of the Waddingtons that includes an interactive website and a gallery exhibition. Titled FootPrints: Legacy of the Group of Seven, the website takes visitors on six different adventures - through audio, video, text and images - that explore the Waddingtons’ extraordinary quest. You can read the story of the Group of Seven, get involved by checking out the teaching resources, learning about new ideas in education, or research the McMichael’s extensive collection database. The FootPrints project also encourages you to make your own history by sharing your stories about art and creativity using their community message board.

Following in the Footsteps of the Group of Seven is a gallery exhibit showcasing photographs of the sketching and painting locations tracked down by the Waddingtons and the corresponding Group of Seven artworks by Franklin Carmichael, A.Y. Jackson, A.J. Casson, Arthur Lismer, and J.E.H. MacDonald. The exhibit runs at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg, Ontario from May 22 to September 6, 2010.

Let a little inspiration spark your adventurous spirit. You might find your eureka moment waiting for you in the landscape of Ontario Parks.

Featured Park - Chapleau-Nemegosenda Waterway Park

Ontario Parks Insider

Riding the railway to paddle a wilderness river was once the ultimate Canadian experience. That experience is still alive and well along the Chapleau-Nemegosenda Waterway Park. These two rivers flow parallel to each other north from the town of Chapleau to the Elsas rail stop on the CN line.

The train can be used to either exit a week long trip at Elsas after a rapid-filled paddle down the Chapleau River, or to start a five-day jaunt at Elsas and paddle up the calmer waters of the Nemegosenda River. You can even forget the train ride all together. It’s possible to paddle the entire 236-kilometre, 12 day circuit of the Chapleau-Nemegosenda Waterway Park beginning and ending in the town of Chapleau. The choice is yours, which is why this park serves as a fantastic wilderness excursion.

And whatever route you happen to choose, you will get the privilege of visiting one of the oldest rail towns in the north - Elsas. This remote village was first established with the arrival of the Canadian National Railway in 1912 and being at the confluence of two major rivers, it quickly became one of the largest communities in the north. The boom quickly went to bust by the 1930s, however, and for the last few years it only housed one full-time remaining occupant – Bill Walsh. According to Bill, canoeists were the first to reoccupy the area. Bill claims that as far back as 1937, recreational paddlers were using Elsas as a gateway to backcountry trips, even to the extent that the government had to establish a campground for canoeists on the beach adjacent to the town and railway bridge.

Beyond the history, the biggest draw to this region is the wildlife viewing opportunities. The Chapleau River forms the eastern boundary of the Chapleau Crown Game Preserve. Encompassing 700,000 hectares, it is the largest Crown game preserve in the world. This provides a world-class opportunity to view wildlife in their natural habitat. Animals that are commonly seen are moose, black bears, wolves, lynx, red fox, martens, fishers, as well as aquatic animals such as beavers and river otters.

Help Celebrate National Canoe Day June 26th

Ontario Parks Insider

The canoe won over 1 million votes during the CBC Radio’s Seven Wonders of Canada contest in 2007. To mark the victory, the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, Ontario immediately created a crusade like zeal to mark a single day in the calendar - June 26th – as Canada’s National Canoe Day. Their aim was to increase awareness of the canoe in Canadian culture and to generally increase participation in paddlesports across the country, especially among new Canadians who might not be aware of this great national heritage.

The inaugural event was a major success; and National Canoe Day is now celebrated countrywide – with groups in the United States and the United Kingdom even taking part.

Of course, early Aboriginal peoples in Canada used the canoe as a major form of travel. Canoeists also owe a great deal to Scottish philanthropist, John MacGregor, who popularized canoeing as a recreational sport back in 1865 across Europe and the United States. Few today would argue that the Canadian identity itself lies with the canoe. After all, if Canadian film producers ever wanted to depict the opening of Canada’s wilderness the way Hollywood characterized winning the Wild West, the hero wouldn’t be straddling a horse, but rather crouched down in a canoe, paddling off into the sunset. The packsack, paddle and portage are as much pioneer icons as the chuckwagon, boot spur and ten-gallon hat. Maybe the closest this aspect of Canadian culture has come to be represented in film (the work of Bill Mason excluded) is with the Frantic’s Mr. Canoehead, a superhero who had his head inadvertently welded to his aluminum canoe by a stray lightning bolt.

This year the Canadian Canoe Museum is asking Canadians to once again rejoice in our canoe heritage. Participants can take part by simply gathering friends and family and paddling down a local river or portaging their canoe down the main street of town. Even strapping it on the roof of your car and driving around town honking the horn is acceptable. Outdoor retail businesses can have canoe-rental discounts and canoe clubs can organize a canoe-a-thon, canoe race or canoe party.

Whatever you do, make sure to document it on the National Canoe Day web site and share your pictures, videos, emails and blogs.

Nature in the City

Ontario Parks Insider

Evergreen Brick Works is a new community environmental centre and natural oasis in the heart of Toronto. It is a year-round destination where everyone can reconnect with nature and be inspired to live, work and play more sustainably.

Beginning May 7, there will be activities and events all summer long, leading up to our grand opening in September 2010.

There’s lots to do! Visitors can explore restored heritage buildings, take part in a wide-range of fun, planet-friendly activities, shop for local fruits and vegetables at our Saturday Farmers’ Market, and purchase native and organic plants at Evergreen Gardens. The 16-acre Don Valley Brick Works Park, immediately adjacent, is a wonderful haven for wildlife and city-dwellers alike.

We encourage all visitors to bus, bike or walk to Evergreen Brick Works, at 550 Bayview Avenue, south of Pottery Road. There is limited paid parking available on-site, but our free shuttle bus is an easy and eco-friendly alternative. Visit our website for trail maps and TTC and shuttle schedules and calendar of events: ebw.evergreen.ca

Evergreen, a national charity that has been making Canadian cities more livable since 1991. Visit evergreen.ca to learn more.

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