1927 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS 61 



Appendix No. 23 



Report by Ontario Land Surveyors Phillips and Benner, dated 1926, of base 

 and meridian lines in the district of Rainy River. 



"We have to report that in accordance with instructions issued by your 

 department dated March 23rd, 1926, we have surveyed certain base and 

 meridian lines in the district of Rainy River. 



"The iron post planted by O.L.S. Henry DeQ. Sewell in 1888 at a distance 

 of fifteen miles seventy-six chains and seventy-two links west from the district 

 line between Thunder Bay and Rainy River on his base line was located and a 

 base line run west from this point planting our seventeenth mile post at a distance 

 of eighty-three chains and twenty-eight links from the starting point and 

 continuing the numbering of the mile posts up to thirty. The first mile post 

 after the 30th was numbered one and the numbers carried on from there to the 

 end of the line at Lac la Croix where a connection with the international boundary 

 survey was made. 



"From the 30th mile post on the base line, a meridian was run south to 

 Basswood Lake where a connection was made to the international boundary 

 survey. A meridian was also run north from the 30th mile post on the base 

 line to intersect a base line run in 1891 by O.L.S. A. Niven, near Atikokan. 



"The work was carried out according to instructions, iron posts being 

 planted every third mile except where this point came in a lake or river when 

 the iron post was planted on the nearest shore and the chainage marked thereon. 

 The country travelled was in general rough and rocky with no extremely high 

 hills. The soil is mostly sand and gravel, but boulders and rock predominate. 

 The rock formation throughout, except for a short distance south of Atikokan 

 where the Keewatin is present, is granite. As show on the maps, lakes are 

 plentiful. Most of the larger lakes met with are shown on the existing maps 

 which are fairly accurate as far as they were tried. 



"Game was not as plentiful as would be expected in a reserve of this nature. 

 Some moose, deer and bears were seen, beavers appear to be very plentiful, 

 almost every lake having its shores flooded by their work. Trout, pike and 

 pickerel are plentiful in most of the lakes. 



"In the country passed through a considerable proportion of the timber 

 has been destroyed by fire. The following stretches have been burnt in recent 

 years and are growing up with small second growth and underbrush, from the 

 starting point on the base line to the 26th mile, the area adjacent to Conmee 

 Lake on the south side; from the 8th mile to Minn Lake, on the meridian line 

 south from the base line; from the 12th mile south to Basswood Lake, on the 

 meridian line north, from Jesse Lake to the north end of the line; in this latter 

 area timber has been cut at various times so that there is nothing of value at 

 present. The remainder is variously timbered with jack pine, white pine, 

 Norway pine, spruce, balsam, poplar, birch and maple varying in size from four 

 inches up to timber of commercial value. In the burnt areas there are isolated 

 stands of Norway and white pine which have survived the fires but these are not 

 extensive as a rule. 



"This portion of the province appears to be ideal for the purpose for which 

 it was set aside. 



