HISTORY OF THE REGION 



standing, and of young growth ; (e) Fire damage ; (/) Repro- 

 duction and rate of growth studies." 



Dr. Howe paid special attention to the study of fire damage and 

 reproduction, and has treated the physiographic side of the inquiry, 

 while Mr. White undertook more particularly the investigation into the 

 economic conditions. 



History of the Region 



The Trent Canal route is the old canoe route which the Indians 

 were already using when Champlain, in 1615, travelled over it. The 

 history of the canal itself and of its gradual development can be traced 

 from the reports of the Department of Public Works* and, later, of 

 the Department of Railways and Canals of the Dominion.f Until 

 1905, the Provincial Government also exercised control over the waters, 

 having built dams and timber slides, to assist logging operations, and, 

 also, a few locks, as at Youngs Point, to assist local navigation. 



The first suggestion to connect lake Ontario and Georgian bay was 

 made in 1827, and, in 1833, an act was passed by the legislature of 

 Upper Canada appointing commissioners to receive plans and to execute 

 the works necessary for the improvement of the inland waters of the 

 Newcastle district. In the same year the first survey was made and 

 the cost of the construction of the works was estimated at $933,789. 

 The survey of the second portion of the route was made in 1835, and the 

 estimated cost of the work was $1,048,271, making the estimate for 

 the total work $1,982,000. 



In 1836, a loan of $64,000 for the Trent River works was authorized 

 by Act of Parliament and in 1837 a further loan of $3 10,030 was author- 

 ized, to be applied to the inland division. On the commencement of 

 the works in that year the Receiver-General set aside the sum of $136,266 

 to be applied to the works on the Trent river. 



Previous to the union of the provinces in 1841 the progress of the 

 work had been slow, and in fact had been often stopped altogether, 

 owing, it appears, to the Hmited advances made by the Receiver-General 

 to the commissioners. The total expenditure prior to this time had 

 amounted to $177,592. 



In the 'forties,' after the union of the provinces, the through route 

 idea was abandoned, but local development of the waters for logging 

 purposes went on, until, in 1855, the cost of maintenance of the slides, 



* Department of Public Works Reports, 1867 (which relates the earUer history), 

 and 1882. 



t Department of Railways and Canals Reports, 1885, 1888, 1890, 1892, 1897, 

 1906, 1909. 



