162 REPORT OF ONTARIO GAME No. 52 



system of protection all the year round it would appear morally certain 

 that these creatures would increase and multiply very rapidly, to the 

 extent, even, of becoming too numerous. In the natural course of events 

 they would spread over the surrounding country to add grist to the mill 

 of the individual trappers in those localities, and it would seem that the 

 additional profit which would thus accrue to private individuals through 

 the existence of the reserves might well, in part at least, be diverted inta 

 the public treasury which is bearing the burden of the protection of the 

 reserves. The price of fur of almost every description continues to rise, 

 and if competent men were placed in the reserves to supervise the work 

 and determine the numbers of each variety of animal that could be caught 

 and removed without detriment to, if not actually to the advantage of^ 

 the reserves, there can be little question that with so great an area a» 

 20,000 square miles at its disposal, which area, be it noted, may reason- 

 ably be expected to become augmented in the future, the government 

 would experience little difficulty in securing a sufficiency of pelts an- 

 nually to provide through their sale funds sufficient at least to cover a 

 high percentage of the cost of adequately ranging and equipping the 

 reserves, if not actually to produce a surplus income. 



At the present time it would seem to be the case that considerable 

 quantities of fur are secured by Indians and other individuals in some 

 of the reserves, particularly so in the case of the Quetico Forest Reserve 

 where the fur-bearing animals are comparatively abundant in certain 

 localities and no rangers are provided during seven months of the year, 

 while the reserve itself has not been declared a game reserve, and it is 

 apparent that the sums of money now acquired by the individuals who 

 now engage in this occupation not only could be far more profitably and 

 serviceably utilized in perfecting the arrangements for the protection of 

 the reserves, and in the maintenance of adequate staffs in them, but 

 would go a long way in rendering these matters feasible of accomplish- 

 ment without adding to the burden of the public treasury. 



Attention has been called to the fact that there is ample work for 

 the fire rangers in the forests at all times, irrespective of whether there 

 is immediate danger of fire. Particularly so is this the case in the forest 

 reserves, for as these can reasonably be expected to be visited by at least 

 some citizens and visitors from outside, an additional cause is provided 

 for keeping the portages clear, rendering access to them easy, and gen- 

 erally making conditions as pleasant as possible. There can be little 

 doubt but that as the country opens up the reserves will attract increas- 

 ing numbers of visitors to them, for forest scenery is always fascinating 

 to the townsman and a vacation to the wilds an attractive proposition to 

 many. In the Interim Report of this Commission the question of estab- 

 lishing a registration fee for visitors to the reserve was discussed, and it 

 would seem that such a measure would be useful both in providing an 

 increasing revenue and in affording statistics of the extent of the tourist 

 traffic in the reserves, but in any case it is plain that as the reserves are 



