94 KEPOllT OF THE No. 3 



Appendix No. 33. 

 Algonquin Pbovincial Park Report, Nov. 1916. 



Honourable Sir, — 1 beg to hand you my report for the fiscal year ending 

 October 33 st, 1916. 



Our staff has been composed of thirty-two rangers and superintendent, three 

 of wliom have been absent all year, having enlisted for overseas service. Ranger 

 Stringer went over early, and is employed with the Forestry Battalion; Major 

 Robinson has been occupied in various ways in recruiting, and is now overseas; 

 Lieut. Callighan is still in Barrie; this leaves a staff of twenty-nine rangers engaged 

 in park work. One of these, Robert Balfour, I regret very much to say, was five 

 months ago stricken with paralysis, and I fear will never be fit for work again. He 

 served faithfully as a ranger for over twenty years. 



This has been a most fortunate year so far as forest fires are concerned; we 

 have had several start, but all were put under control quickly, and no damage 

 whatever was done. The fire tank stationed here by the Grand Trunk railway is 

 a great safeguard, as it is always ready and can be taken out by the engine of the 

 nearest train to any point along the line where fire starts. The phone line too has 

 been of great assistance in enabling us to get word quickly and summon help, 

 where needed. Perhaps the greatest help has been the cleaning up of the right-of- 

 way, and a distance into the woods on each side. This work, in accordance with 

 your instructions, has been continued, but, I am sorry to say, not so much 

 accomplished as I had hoped, owing to the difficulty in procuring men. Notwith- 

 standing we offered much larger pay than formerly, men could not be had at any 

 wage. We have cleaned about forty miles, on each side of the track, greatly 

 improving the appearance, and being of incalculable value as a fire preventative. 

 This is through the section where the woods are of most value. There are parts 

 that have been completely burned over. It will take another year to complete 

 this work. The task has been greater than at first would appear, as the road 

 allowance or right-of-way was never logged, and brush cut year after year was 

 allowed to remain where it fell, making a slash and fire trap almost up to the 

 rails. It really represents logging, stumping and burning a strip eighty miles 

 long by one hundred and fifty to two hundred feet wide and in places even more. 

 There is no doubt this work has already been the means of saving a great deal 

 of territory from fire. The cleaning up has been done by hired help under the 

 direction of one of our staff, and the Government team has been used right 

 through. The men are under canvas and move along as the work requires. The 

 Grand Trunk Railway pays half of the entire expense. 



The rangers to the north, along the line of the Canadian Northern Railway 

 now completed through the north end of the park, were early in the season supplied 

 with speeders. These have proved of great assistance in enabling them to get 

 quickly to any fire started along the track, and they have been able to give material 

 assistance to the regular fire rangers. I have recently returned from a trip 

 through the north section where I fou.id game of all kinds had very much 

 increased, especially in the new section where previously it had been all trapped 

 out. Beaver were in evidence everyv/here and have already begun to dam up the 

 ditches along the new railway. At Brent, located on Cedar lake, the Canadian 

 Northern have made a large clearing and have put in extensive sidings, built large 

 round houses, a turn table, etc., and purpose making this a divisional point. I 



