1921-22 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS 127 



Forest Fires. 



Although the past summer was very dry and numerous small fires broke 

 out within the park, we should consider ourselves fortunate in escaping with 

 only one serious fire, viz., that of Rock Lake, which burned over an area four 

 miles in length along the G. T. Ry. by an irregular width of three and a half 

 miles. 



In the early part of the season, when the section men are engaged in dead- 

 grass burning along their right-of-way, many small fires were started. How- 

 ever, the railway employees, who are usually near at hand, together with the 

 park rangers, joined forces and extinguished these fires before they made much 

 headway or assumed dangerous proportions. The railway sectionmen need some 

 stern education in regard to bush fires. They are in the habit of applying the 

 torch, touching off the dead grass close to the tracks and allowing the fire to 

 burn backward towards the woods. 



This is a dangerous practice and a man caught in the act should be expelled 

 from the park. 



The erection of two steel observation towers, one at White Trout Lake 

 and one at Cache Lake, connected up by telephone with headquarters, will 

 prove of inestimable value in detecting fire. I must also mention the erection 

 of two wooden observation towers at Little Nipissing and on the Bonnechere 

 River, respectively. It is expected that all towers will be manned and equipped 

 this coming season and splendid results are anticipated. Constant vigilance 

 with regard to bush fires is absolutely necessary. 



Owing to the prompt action of park and fire rangers, equipped with the 

 small gas engine, the majority of fires were quickly extinguished and the dam- 

 ages were confined to a few acres. 



Trails and Roads. 



Guides to the number of sixty-five were employed in the park during the 

 season of 1922 and the majority of them report that the trails and portages are 

 in fairly good condition. The trails leading from headquarters are in excellent 

 condition and in some instances are clean enough to permit the passage of horse 

 and buggy. As every wind storm causes trouble, many of the trails in constant 

 use must be cleaned out several times during a season and outlying trails made 

 passable. 



This season, all guides were required to keep a diary, giving the names of 

 parties guided, duration of trip, route travelled, number of fish taken and the 

 serial number of fishing license in possession of each tourist. Guides must 

 return the diaries, properly filled out to the Superintendent at the end of each 

 week or on completion of a trip. No province in the Dominion of Canada 

 equips a guide with a license to c^o a lucrative business as cheaply as our Pro- 

 vincial Parks. Not only does Algonquin furnish a license for one dollar, but 

 extends the privilege of travelling over portages and trails, cut out and kept 

 clean by the rangers. The fee should be $2.00, which seems inadequate. 



It may be of interest to note that the extension of a trail or the cutting of 

 a new road to a lake heretofore unfrequented, has an important bearing upon 

 the question of game protection. 



As soon as a road or trail is constructed in a new district, the wild animals 

 make use of it to come and go. 



