/ •v.'» wman 
vn. 
Forest and 
Vol. LXXXIII. July 18, 
New Outing Districts in Canada’s Last North 
A Summary of Canoe Trips in August and September, With “ How to Go” Details 
By S. E. Sangster (Canuck). 
1914 No. 3 
W HEN, some seven or eight years ago, the 
construction of Canada’s new National 
Transcontinental Railroad was actually 
commenced, the feature that impressed me most, 
in so far as the immense stretch of territory that 
lies between LaTuque and Ophir, on the Mani¬ 
toba prairie edge is involved, was its immense 
possibilities for the sportsman, the angler, the 
canoe cruiser and the big game hunter. 
Of all this immense area, approximately some 
i,ioo miles in length and running in depth from 
south of the grade over the Height of Land and 
clear to salt water at Hudson’s Bay, almost ioo 
per cent, is gameland virgin, unspoiled and with 
hundreds of lakes and paddleways not as yet 
shown on any map. It is the actual heart of the 
moose country and its streams and lakes home 
mammoth speckled trout in countless numbers. 
Unfortunately, it has not been found possible 
to inaugurate a regular train service over this 
section this year. Between LaTuque and Coch¬ 
rane, some soo miles of grade are practically in 
shape for the running of rolling stock, but no 
means of access are available until 1915, except 
an occasional construction train. Likewise, west 
from Cochrane to Superior Junction, a similar 
condition exists, save where the A. C. & H. B. Ry. 
from the Soo joins the new T. Ry. line at Hearst- 
It is, however, now perfectly feasible to reach 
certain points on the line, from which new waters 
are accessible for cruises of anywhere from a 
week to a month, ranging from a few miles up to 
300 miles. The following deals, therefore, with 
the points to which one may buy a ticket, and 
reach in due time, for trips north by canoe in late 
July in August or Sep¬ 
tember of the present 
year. 
Superior Junction or 
Graham; quickest route 
is to Sarnia, thence on 
the Nor. Nav. Co. steam¬ 
ers through Lakes Hur¬ 
on and Superior to 
Port Arthur, from 
whence railroad runs 
direct to Superior Jet., 
joining here the N. T. 
Ry. steel. 
Hearst: reached via 
Sault Ste. Marie, thence 
A. C. & H. B. Ry. to 
its junction with the N. 
T. steel at this point. 
Cochrane : reached via 
Toronto, thence G. T. Ry. and T. & N. O. Ry. 
to junction with new line at this point. 
From Cochrane one has a choice of three or 
four canoe routes north to James Bay, going up 
over one system of waters and returning over 
another if desired; the Indians frequently criss¬ 
cross from one chain to another. Probably the 
Abitibi route is as good as any, being some 200 
miles to salt water from steel, with a minimum 
of white water. 
The Abitibi, the Missinaibi and the Mattagami 
rivers flow gradually together, forming the 
Moose river and empty into the Bay at 
Moose Factory Hudson’s Bay Post. The Abitibi 
route is best commenced, as above indicated, 
from Cochrane; the Mattagami route starts 
from either Tudhope or Moonbeam stations, 
some 35 and 50 miles respectively west of Coch¬ 
rane, and is about the same length, i. e., 200 
miles; while the Missinaibi cruise puts in at 
Hearst and is slightly shorter, being some 180 
miles. Any of these cruises can be made re¬ 
turn to railway from day of going in, in not 
over 21 days’ going. 
A good cruise puts in at Hudson Station, 20 
miles west of Graham, going north through Lac 
Seul, Root river, Lake St. Joseph and on up the 
Albany river, thence cutting south by way of the 
Kenogami, hitting the grade again at either Wil- 
gar or at Wapiti, some 30 miles west of Hearst. 
This is a splendid three weeks’ trip and contains 
splendid trout fishing en route. 
From Minaki, District which has been named 
“NIBIGAMI” (Oji'bway for Country of Lakes), 
a good route with excellent fishing follows the 
English river and comes out again by way of 
Lake Seul at Hudson station. Time for this 
route approximately 12 days, averaging 15 miles 
per diem. 
The above are practically all the cruising 
waters I would consider feasible to get over 
this year. 
For guides—and these are essential for the 
|longer cruises—one cannot rely on securing local 
Indians, as they are not 
obtainable as a rule, out¬ 
side of one or two points 
and are, as are all these 
wood Indians, poor 
cooks, although splendid 
“strong water” runners. 
At North Bay one can 
probably engage good 
white men for the Abiti¬ 
bi cruise from Cochrane, 
while a few local men 
may, perhaps, be engag¬ 
ed at Cochrane itself. 
At Graham, for the 
waters here entered, 
good men are obtainable 
although they are not 
plentiful. Advance ap¬ 
plication to the Factor of 
Milady Kills a Five-Pound Bass. 
75 
