Featured Parks - Restoule / Mikisew

Ontario Parks Insider

Both Restoule and Mikisew Provincial Parks are considered hidden gems to a core group of family campers. At first glance, the parks seem tucked away, off the main travel route. In reality, they are a short drive from major population centres through quaint country side, passing by small communities outfitted with unique antique stores, bakeries, bait shops and coffee houses. The short distance is a bonus, providing a pure retreat for friends and family to enjoy; and once there, the campgrounds have more amenities one could ever ask for.

Restoule hosts three beach fronts, totaling almost a kilometre of sand and shallow swimming areas. Mikisew also hosts three beach sites with a supreme view of Eagle Lake. Boat launching facilities are top notch in both parks and fishing possibilities are rated exceptional. The question is not why you should camp at Restoule or Mikisew, but which park should be experienced first.

Restoule, a little further off the beaten path, gives you more room to roam. With neighbouring lakes to paddle or wet a line, it also offers an extensive hiking trail network that crests scenic lookouts. One of these trails is the Fire Tower Trail. This challenging eight km trail will take you to the top of a 100 metre cliff that reveals a panoramic view to the west towards the French River.

There are still several fire towers standing throughout the province. Many can no longer be climbed, but due to their hilltop locations, like Restoule’s fire tower, they still provide excellent vantage points. For a bit of history and the location of Ontario fire towers visit: http://ontarioftl.bravehost.com/

Mikisew, with its proximity to the towns of South River and Sundridge, has everything nearby and natural for the camper. An ample number of shops and galleries showcase local creations like paintings, sculpture, photography, pottery and glasswork. Plan on camping over the weekend and you can hit the local Farmers Market for some fresh veggies and baking.

Whichever you decide, time spent camping at Mikisew and/or Restoule Provincial Park will definitely end up being a positive experience.

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.

Petroglyphs and Pictographs of Ontario

Ontario Parks Insider

The true meaning behind petroglyphs and pictographs may forever be locked in time. Many regard the locations of these images to be sacred. Some consider them to be a dialogue between generations or communication with the spirits. Their messages carry forward an inseparable connection between spirituality and nature.

While petroglyphs and pictographs are two different forms of images, they share the common distinction of being one of the oldest art forms in Canada. Petroglyphs are symbols that have been carved, etched, or pounded into rock. Pictographs are images, usually painted with red ochre, that have been painted onto rock. The region of Ontario known as the Canadian Shield has over 500 known pictograph sites. The carvings and paintings often use the form and features of the rock to further enhance the pictorial representations. As early as the late 18th century, settlers and explorers began recording the locations of these sites.

Ontario’s provincial parks offer some of the most spectacular opportunities in North America to view and learn more about ‘rock art’. Mazinaw Rock, in Bon Echo Provincial Park, has over 260 pictographs. It is believed that this is the largest observable collection of pictographs in Ontario. The images are majestically located overlooking one of the deepest lakes in Ontario and are best viewed from the vantage point of a canoe or from a shuttle boat that operates during the summer.

Agawa Rock in Lake Superior Provincial Park is another outstanding place to see pictographs. The changing style and themes of the images suggest they span multiple generations. The site has probably been used for many centuries, if not 1,000 years. The images still visible today are believed to be 150 to 400 years old, which itself is remarkable considering that they are exposed to the harsh waves of Lake Superior.

Just west of Lake Superior both petroglyphs and pictographs can be found at Quetico Provincial Park. Quetico has over 600 lakes and waterways that were once used as key transportation routes. These petroglyphs, created some 400 to 500 years ago, are particularly dramatic as they were likely fashioned by people sitting in boats and lie just above the water line.

The largest site for petroglyphs in Canada can be found north of Peterborough at Petroglyphs Provincial Park. The site features over 900 carved images that are believed to be between 600 and 1100 years old. Likely created by the Algonkian people, Curve Lake First Nation is now the caretaker of these images. The petroglyphs have been called “the rocks that teach”, and are now protected and enclosed by a glass-walled building. Visitors to Petroglyphs Provincial Park can visit the Learning Place for interpretation and additional rock carving exhibits.

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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