1917-18 DEPAKT-MEXT OF LANDS, FOEESTS AND MINES. 165 



Appendix No. 33. 



^Y00D-CUTTING IN ALGONQUIN PaRK. 



In the early part of the year 1918 the outlook was for a severe shortage of 

 fuel. The war was at its height. There was no prospect of an early peace. The 

 supply of coal from the mines in the United States was with difficulty being main- 

 tained, and owing to the movement of very large numbers of troops and an immense 

 volume of war material, transportation conditions became extremely severe. 



The Dominion Government had already taken the importation and distribution 

 of coal under its control, and restrictions were placed upon the quantity, especially 

 of anthracite, that individuals were allowed to buy and store, no one being permitted 

 to obtain more than 70 per cent, of his normal supply for the winter of 1918-19. 

 In short, the universal expectation was that fuel, especially for domestic con- 

 sumption, would l)e extremely scarce, and that considerable inconvenience and 

 even hardship would be the result. 



Under these circumstances the Ontario Government deemed it wise to supple- 

 ment the supplies of fuel, and to substitute wood for anthracite in the public 

 institutions so far as this could be done, thus releasing an equivalent quantity of 

 anthracite coal, and making it available for domestic consumption. Accordingly, 

 it was decided to undertake wood-cutting operations on a large scale in Algonquin 

 Provincial Park, where extensive tracts covered with birch, maple and beech existed, 

 the property of the Grown, within easy hauling distance of the Canada Atlantic 

 railway. An appropriation of $100,000 was made by the Legislature to cover the 

 cost of these operations and of other investigations into the fuel question. After 

 ])ublic advertisement, contracts were let to the Randolph Macdonald Company, 

 Limited, for the cutting of 10,000 cords of wood, and to B. Ivol for 6,000 cords. 

 These were afterwards increased to 25,000 cords and 10,000 cords respectively. 

 A wood-cutting gang was organized among the Park rangers under the direction 

 of the Park Superintendent, G. W. Bartlett. Later in the year, in November, 

 C. M. McConkey was also given a contract to cut in the month of December. Two 

 railway sidings to facilitate shipment of wood were constructed at the Government's 

 oxpease at Mile Posts 306 and 314 respectively, and a third siding at x\lgonquin 

 Park lieadquarters was repaired and extended. 



The privilege of cutting wood in the Park without charge was extended to the 

 municipalities of Ontario. Several of them took advantage of the offer, and the 

 cities of Hamilton, Kitchener, Barrie and Guelph and the town of Mimico let 

 contracts for the cutting of considerable quantities of wood, aggregating some 

 10,000 or 11,000 cords. These operations were entirely distinct from those of 

 the Government. 



Owing to the unusually mild weather in the early part of the winter of 1918-19, 

 continuing throughout January and even into February, and also to the cessation 

 of the war by the signing of the armistice on the 11th of November, the fuel 

 situation was materially modified. As compared with a winter of ordinary severity 

 there has been a general saving of coal. Importations have been coming forward, 

 and the coal dealers are now in a position to supply their customers with all their 

 requirements without difficulty. 



There was no longer the same necessity for cutting wood in Algonquin Park. 

 The prices of labour, provisions and supplies generally were very high, and conse- 

 quently the wood cutting operations have been expensive, the contract price being 



