98 REPORT OF THE No. 3 



Appendix No. J^Jt- 

 ALGONQUIN NATIONAL PARK. 



Algonquin Park P. 0. December 24, 1911. 

 The Honourable The Minister of Lands, Forests and Mines, Toronto, Out. 



Honourable Sir^ — I beg to hand you my annual report for the fiscal year 

 ending October 31st, 1911, on the Algonquin National Park of Ontario, of which 

 I have the honour of being in charge. 



The Park, as no doubt you are aware, is situated about two hundred miles 

 north of the City of Toronto, in the District of Nipissing. It comprises some thirty- 

 one townships, wholly or in part, containing an area of about one million three 

 hundred and twenty thousand acres, and is timbered with birch, maple, beecli, 

 hemlock, cedar, spruce, white birch, tamarac and balsam. There are still large 

 blocks of choice red and white pine, while in some sections black cherry is found 

 reaching a diameter of sixteen inches. There are some 2,000 lakes, large and small. 

 Some of these rank among the larger of the inland lakes of Ontario, such as Cedar, 

 Great Opeongo, Tea Lake and others. 



One of the most notable features of the Park is the fact that six important 

 rivers take their rise here, namely, South River, Madawaska, Amable Du Fond, 

 Petewawa, Little Nipissing and the north branch of the Muskoka. The value to 

 the Province of the conservation of these water supplies can scarcely be estimated. 

 The depth of the Park north and south is 56 miles, while its breadth east and 

 west is 48 miles. The average elevation is 1,500 feet above sea level, making it 

 an ideal health resort, and thousands of people from all over Canada and the 

 United States avail themselves of it yearly. 



There are two large well-equipped hotels, one built and operated by the Grand 

 Trunk Railway, the other by Mr. L. E. Merrell; the former is situated at Cache 

 Lake, the latter seven miles west. The Park headquarters are also at Cache Lake, 

 Algonquin Park P. 0. 



' The object of the Park, besides conservation of the water supply and the pre- 

 servation of the timber, is to provide a breeding place and protection to all kinds 

 of game, and a health resort for the people of the Province. That these objects 

 have been attained is evident on all sides. The Park is annually becoming more 

 popular, not only for the excellent speckled salmon trout and bass fishing, but foi 

 purposes of rest and health. 



Game of all kinds has very much increased. Deer are so abundant that they 

 can be seen from the hotel verandahs in numbers. Beaver, too, are very numerous, 

 and their annual increase must be several thousand. Otter, mink, marten, musk- 

 rat and fisher are also here in great numbers; in some sections the fox is very 

 plentiful. Of birds we have the ruffled grouse, the spruce partridge and several 

 smaller game birds. The capercailzie introduced some years ago are also in evidence, 

 several coveys of young birds having been seen during the past year. This being the 

 largest of the grouse family will be an important addition to our game birds. 

 Ducks are becoming much more numerous, and thousands of them could be seen 

 in our large marshes last fall. 



A considerable revenue has been derived from fishing licenses, etc., and this 

 will very much increase each year as the Park becomes better known. 



