1910-11 DEPAETMENT OF LANDS. FOEESTS AND MINES- ix 



and burn it as occasion warrants. The Town of Porcupine was completely des- 

 troyed and many extensive mining plants were wiped out, and there was a great 

 loss of life. A similar tragedy overtook the Town of Cochrane, where the loss 

 of life was not so serious, but the town was almost destroyed. These fires were 

 practically the only forest fires of any moment occurring last year. Naturally a 

 great deal of sympathy for these unfortunate people was aroused and large sums 

 of money were subscribed to relieve the necessities of those who lost their all, 

 and were left bare to the wind. Every effort to give them a start again was 

 made. Humanly speaking, ever)rthing was done promptly and generously by a 

 sympathetic public. These two towns have risen from their ashes and are again 

 becoming active business centres, but the loss of life was irremediable and deplorable. 

 The timber damaged consisted of Jack pine and Spruce, there being no 

 Eed or White pine of any moment in that locality. 



Forest Eeserves. 



In all the forest reserves adequate numbers of fire rangers were put on duty, 

 and the utmost care exercised to prevent the occurrence or spread of forest fires. 



The Temagami Forest Eeserve has an area of about 6,000 miles; the Miss- 

 issaga of about 3,000; the Nepigon, 7,300; the Quetico, 1,560; the Eastern, 100, 

 and the Siblley 70, making a total of about 18,030 miles set apart as forest 

 reserves for the conservation and protection of the timber therein. 



There is also the National Park known as Algonquin Park, with an area 

 of 2,060 miles, and Eondeau Park with 8 square miles. It is gratifying to be 

 able to state that no fires occurred in these reserves or parks, which is in a 

 large measure attributable to the close supervision that is kept during the sum- 

 mer months. 



Eailways. 



Along the lines of railways penetrating the forest careful supervision by 

 forest rangers was exercised. The Transcontinental extending from one end of 

 the Province to the other, through a dense Spruce forest, was largely in the build- 

 ing stage. Here a large staff of fire rangers under the supervision of careful 

 chiefs was placed, and as a consequence no forest fires of any moment took place. 

 On the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario, the Canadian Pacific, the Canadian 

 Northern, the Algoma Central and the Thunder Bay Branch of the Grand Trunk 

 Pacific, staffs of fire rangers were on duty under capable superintendents, and 

 no fires occurred on any of these lines or adjacent to them, which is an evidence 

 that care was exercised by the rangers, and this, together with the active sympathy 

 and support of the managements and the employees of the railways, brought about 

 the good results which obtained- 



Geisteral. 



The number of rangers on duty in forest reserves was 190; on railways, 171; 

 on Crown Lands, 91, or a total of 453 fire rangers employed by the Crown. 



The cost of this service was $190,700.80. There was on licensed lands a 

 staff of 431 rangers, who were paid by the licensees. In addition there were 

 about 15 supervising rangers, or a total ranging staff of 898. 



The Canadian Northern Eailway is now entering upon the building of its 

 Transcontinental line through the Province of Ontario. This ^ne runs about 

 midway between the National Transcontinental Eailway and the Canadian Pacific. 



