DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS FOR 1936 13 



PROVINCIAL PARKS AND TEMAGAMI ISLANDS 



Excellent progress was made during the year in the various services 

 offered to the holiday seeker and the tourist. Increased traffic to and through 

 the three Parks as well as Temagami Lake, reflect an ever growing interest 

 not only to the residents of Ontario, the people of Canada, but American citizens 

 in growing numbers who are visiting these vast reserves each year. 



The distinctive feature in connection with Algonquin Park was the com- 

 pletion of the Highway from Dwight to Park Headquarters, a distance of 

 approximately 22 miles which tapped a number of very attractive lakes, con- 

 necting with one or two popular canoe routes and made the Park accessible 

 by Highway, thereby increasing the popularity of its advantages to the motor 

 travelling public. This roadway is being extended in an easterly direction from 

 Park Headquarters connecting with an old logging road from Lake Opeongo 

 and eventually coming out at Whitney where it will connect with other Pro- 

 vincial Highways. The work of landscaping the grounds at Headquarters 

 has done much to enhance the natural setting on the shore of Cache Lake. 

 A distinctive feature during the year was the commencement of a biological 

 research on fish under the direction of Professor W. J. K. Harkness of Toronto 

 University and Professor J. R. Dymond of the Royal Ontario Museum. During 

 the year 10J/£ miles of new trails were cut and cleared, 100 miles of old roads 

 cleaned out and several long stretches of Park boundaries blazed and opened. 

 With the co-operation of the Department of Game and Fisheries, five lakes 

 were re-stocked and a distinctive added feature was the releasing in the Park 

 of ten Elk taken from the Petewawa Game Preserves. 



As a delightful, centrally situated well equipped picnic, recreation and 

 amusement Park spot in Kent County, Rondeau affords an ever increasing 

 attraction. Its beautiful shaded Park Highways, and its many miles of 

 sand beaches are some of the attractions to an increasing number of Summer 

 cottagers many from Detroit and adjacent American cities. 



The excess number of wild deer which were becoming a menace to the 

 natural reforestation in the Park made it necessary to reduce them by about 

 one-third during the Hunting season and similar procedure may follow annually 

 in order to maintain the young tree growth — one of the original purposes of 

 the establishment of the Park. 



In Quetico Park with its million acres of virgin area, an increase of tourist 

 traffic is manifest, particularly from the neighboring State Park. Its scenic 

 canoe trips with very few and unusually short portages are attractions to 

 canoe parties and fishing groups, and as a rendezvous for inveterate fishermen 

 it has few equals. A few tourists are securing leases for Summer Homes 

 and a generally increasing interest in the Park is being shown. 



Among the Temagami Islands there has been an increasing tourist traffic. 

 Commercial Camps show an increase in business and fishing generally is 

 reported good. Summer residents continue to lease areas on the Islands 

 and several beautiful cottages are being erected. 



In addition to promotion of tourist traffic and the pleasure afforded our 

 Canadian citizens, the Provincial Parks afford facilities for various forms of 

 recreation and sport. 



