Northern 101
Adventures to be had, memories to be made...we are committed to exploring and experiencing all that Northern Ontario has to offer us. Our plan is to immerse ourselves in the rugged beauty and vast vistas one step at time.
Cascading 36 feet into a swimming hole, Bridal Veil Falls is a special spot. Located on Manitoulin Island just outside of Kagawong, a small town of less than 1,000 people, the waterfall is fed from the Kagawong River and flows into the North Channel of Lake Huron. We swam in the swimming hole three times during our week on the island, and the last time we had it completely to ourselves, which was exceptional. There is blue clay behind the waterfall that my children and their friends rubbed on their skin to soften it. They looked like the Incredible (Blue) Hulk. The swimming is lovely, with the depth ranging from one foot to six foot and permitting little ones to enjoy along with their parents and grandparents. There is also an easy hike down the river which my older children hiked by wading through the river rather than along the path beside the river. My eldest daughter spotted, captured and returned a baby loon to her mom while wading in the river. The only suggestion is to bring water shoes when you go. Just down the road from the falls is Manitoulin Chocolate Works. We visited twice because their chocolate was so melt-in-your-mouth delicious. From chocolate covered licorice to homemade smore bars to chocolate covered peanut butter bars, the list goes on and on. It is a must-stop when you are at Bridal Veil Falls. Just up from there is a life size chess board along with a tick tack toe and other games. Just down from there is Sailor's Church, 120 years old and sitting on Mudge Bay in Lake Huron. On your way home, Bridal Veil Variety has good ice cream, cute toques, and all manner of cottage-type items. Bridal Veil Falls makes for a lovely afternoon spent in and by the water.
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North Bay was named based on its position vis a vis Lake Nipissing. Boasting a population of just over 50,000 and an OHL hockey club, it has become far more popular as a place to live due to COVID as people were untethered from the need to be proximate to their workplace. It also benefits from the price escalation in Muskoka pushing people further north for affordability. Duchesnay Falls runs red with iron in the water. Given its northern location, North Bay has lots of rock and forests. Duchesnay is just one of those sites. It boasts an easy hiking trail up the falls and back down. You can stand on a rock in the middle of the falls and watch them cascade down around you on either side. It is peaceful and beautiful. You can hike for as little as 18 minutes or as long as an hour and a half. In addition to hiking, the eating was good. Marigold Restaurant offered up excellent Indian and Nepalese food. My business partner and I enjoyed okra, butter chicken, chicken tikka masala and naan bread on the patio overlooking the water. Excellent spices and abundant sauce made the meal delicious and enjoyable. Lake Nipissing is the third largest lake entirely in the province of Ontario. Known as a vast and powerful yet shallow body of water, you cannot take a small boat out on the lake and feel safe. It requires something at least 30 feet long because the waves are significant and an 18 foot aluminum boat will bounce around with the swells going over the craft itself. My friend owns an island about 30 minutes from shore and getting there is a harrowing experience if you don't like the choppiness of the waves. It is a mercurial body of water. Fishing is abundant on the lake with walleye, bass, northern pike and muskie available for the taking. It is 25 kilometres wide by 65 kilometres long but only 20 feet deep on average. It is known as one of the best places for ice fishing in the world. It was a very nice day in North Bay.
I have done my share of driving over the past decade as a mom of hockey players. It wasn’t until we moved to Sudbury in September, though, that I began living the Stompin’ Tom song “I’ve Been Everywhere”. The north is vast and most small communities are a significant drive away. One of my sons plays in the NOJHL, taking him to Sudbury, Espanola, Powassun, Hearst, Cochrane, Timmins, Elliott Lake, Sault Ste. Marie, Noelville, Kirkland Lake and most recently Blind River. I try to see as many of his games as possible and my most recent adventure was to Blind River. Blind River has approximately 3,500 residents. In this town, you can still buy a house for $100,000. The largest industry is uranium refining. Uranium was discovered in 1954 and Cameco has been running a large uranium refinery since 1983 processing uranium from around the world into uranium trioxide. There is a golf course beside Cameco called Huron Pines Country Club on the river, along with Lauzon Aviation offering fly-in fishing and hunting wilderness vacations. There is also a hockey team, the Blind River Beavers. The mascot in the arena is a beaver puppet sported by a super fan. The arena would seat about 300 people maximum and was more than half full the night I went. The team is good, ranked third out of six teams in their conference with a record of winning 2/3 of their games. The players billet with local families and play hockey from September through April, providing a significant source of entertainment for the town residents. The drive from Sudbury is just under two hours along Highway 17. I made plans to arrive around 5 pm so I could do some exploring before puck drop at 7. Situated on the North Channel, a fabled waterway in Lake Huron that many Canadians have on their bucket list, water is everywhere. In summer there are an abundance of beaches to enjoy. There has been a post office in town since 1877. The Canadian Pacific railroad expanded into town in the late 1800s bringing people and causing it to incorporate as a town in 1906. A logging company started and flourished there for many years logging white pine until a big fire in 1948 burned all the trees down. Pier 17 is a local sports bar, known for fresh food and good times. It was fully renovated two years ago from a fancy restaurant and when I was there on a Saturday night, it was doing a brisk business. The pool tables were busy and the tables were almost full. The waitresses were friendly and the food was incredibly good. The special was fried pickerel, which was fresh and delicious, which I finished with a chocolate eruption cake. A large summer patio overlooks the water.
The Espanola Paper Kings lost to the Blind River Beavers 3-1. My son drove us home along Highway 17, noting deer along the highway but no hitchhikers. He played country music the whole way. It was an enjoyable Saturday night, adding to my own version of “I’ve Been (Almost) Everywhere.” Kivi Park is a Sudbury institution. It comprises 480 acres of land run as a non-profit with over 55 km of hiking, skiing and biking trails. You can rent canoes, kayaks and paddle boards at Crowley Lake. There is an ice skating trail called Nina's Way, lit up at night for a skate through the winding woods.
Lily Fielding, a lifelong resident of the Long Lake area of Sudbury, donated 300 acres to the non-profit in 2016, her 100th year, along with $3 million to create the park. KIVI means rock in Finnish and was Fielding's maiden name. Sudbury is part of the Canadian Shield, so the KIVI name is fitting. Fielding died at 103 years old, having spent her life being charitable. We have thus far attended The Great Pumpkin Hunt and Light Up Kivi Park. Both activities were well done. The Great Pumpkin Hunt found 100s of pumpkins hiding in the forests along with scavenger hunts, lots of Halloween themed games and foods. Each child left with a pumpkin. Light Up Kivi Park hosted Santa Claus. The trail was lit with Christmas Lights and everyone played in the playground. There were reindeer and snowmen in abundance. Despite being only six years old, KIVI Park is a treasure for both Sudbury as a town and also for the province as Sudbury is seen as the gateway to the north. We will be back in the Spring for the next festival, if not before to cross country ski. The Lake Laurentian Conservation Area has 13 different and sometimes overlapping hikes throughout the 2,400 acres it comprises. Summer paddling and lake activities are very popular with rentals available throughout the season. Cross country skiing and snow shoeing are available in the winter. Birds are abundant. This Area was set aside in the early 1960s and stretches from Lake Ramsey to the Highway 17 by-pass. My eldest daughter went here for a science outing and learned a lot about the ecosystem. My youngest daughter and I went last weekend to take a short walk and reconnoiter to plan future visits. There were about 20 people in and around the hiking trails although we only came upon one other visitor, a cyclist, on our 30 minute walk. The NASA Trail is the easiest of all hikes in the park. It is only 1/10th of a kilometer each way and takes you to a large rock with a NASA plaque and beautiful views of Lake Laurentian. Once we finished that walk, we headed onto the Link Trail, which is 2 km long. We managed about half of it before turning around and vowing to return. We came upon an interesting bird in our travels. It walked a bit like a turkey and seemed fairly nonplussed at our presence. Not inclined to fly away, it strolled along the path in front of us. It looked like a Ruffed Grouse.
Shivaun and I will be returning to the Lake Laurentian Conservation Area soon to explore a couple more trails and spend more time wandering. The views of the lakes from the hills are true vistas, and the abundance of tree cover makes for a shaded and lovely walk. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Ramsey Lake was world famous for being the largest lake fully contained within a city. When Sudbury amalgamated, Lake Wanapitei edged it out. So Sudbury has the two largest lakes fully contained within a city. That is a neat distinction. The best part about the lake is the Jim Gordon boardwalk that rims the body of water. Jim Gordon was Sudbury's longest serving mayor and made great strides re-greening the city. My girlfriend Marisa and I walked all along it and enjoyed the landmarks that can be seen on the walk. The first building of note is the old hospital, painted in pastels with butterlies all over it. It is a talking point in town. Some people love it; others believe it is an eyesore. It is definitely unique. Science North can be seen from Lake Ramsey, along with Bell Park and Laurentian University. It is truly in the middle of town. Moonlight Beach is a lovely summer spot and Lake Laurentian Conservation Area is also on the lake. In 1972, when the Inco super stack was installed and it dispersed the mine emissions across a wider area, the town of Sudbury spent money to reclaim what was then a "dead" lake. That initiative was successful, and today the lake is safe for swimming and fishing, boasting bass, perch, pike and walleye. Sudbury's most expensive real estate fronts on Ramsey Lake. There are two building lots available for $750,000 a piece, and many of the houses are over $1 million. Sudbury has 330 lakes in town, and Ramsey Lake is one of the three best lakes in town, along with Long Lake and Wanapitei. It was an easy walk around the lake, with two benches at the end of the route to sit and take in the atmosphere and the water, before turning around and heading back. It is a lovely way to spend a couple of hours.
Thanksgiving weekend dawned crisp, cool and sunny and we entered French Provincial Park for no cost and parked. French River Provincial Park boasts Recollet Falls, a historic destination involving a 4 km hike through the beautiful forest hugging the river to the falls. The forest canopy is dense and the rocks along the trail were sometimes intimidating. There were places where a wrong step would send you tumbling down the rocky embankment. Nonetheless, it was well travelled with about 50 people along the 4 km trail at any one time, including two Yorkshire terriers and a couple of younger children. My nine year old daughter came with my girlfriend and I for the adventure. When we were there, the trees were reflecting off the water in perfect symmetry. You can hike right down to the water itself and sit on the rocks while ruminating on the natural splendour. Recollet Falls is in the French River gorge. When you are about a kilometre away from the falls, you can hear a distant roar that becomes louder as they come into view. You can also hear birds along the trail, including the Blackburnian Warbler and the Red-Eyed Vireo. The French River runs 110 km west from Lake Nipissing to Georgian Bay. The Restoule and Little French Rivers also connect. This provides multiple canoe trips for exploring the natural sights and sounds of the park. It was designated in 1986 as Canada's First Heritage River because of its history as a transportation corridor and logging route from 1615 when Samuel de Champlain arrived through to 1821. The Indigenous peoples named it French River because it brought French missionaries to their communities along the river. It was a one day journey for traders bringing European goods and wanting Canadian fur. You can swim in the river but there are no designated beaches and the 120 foot depth makes it cold. Fishing is robust, with pike, walleye, bass and muskellunge. There are 50 lodges and marinas along the river. It is known for its undeveloped natural rugged beauty, bays with bull rushes and rock everywhere. Replete with animals, the river sports moose, bear, wolf, lynx, fisher, mink, beaver, otter, bald eagle, osprey, turtle and rattlesnake. You cannot canoe or kayak over Recollet Falls in the Spring when the water levels rise as much as 4 meters in spots, when flooding is a worry. The hike in French River Provincial Park to Recollet Falls is worth the one to two hours it will take you. The relaxation that you feel while sitting by the falls watching the trees reflect off the water is good for your soul. The bird song you hear along the pine-needle blanketed forest pathway also elevates your mood. There is nothing negative about the commune with nature this hike involves. Embrace it and you will come away calmer and happier. Author Norma RawlingsParry Sound is a small bay within Georgian Bay on Lake Huron. The town of Parry Sound borders that small bay, and is within the Georgian Bay Biosphere reserve, one of only 13 UNESCO sites in Canada. With 14,000 year-round residents in the area and another 80,000 cottagers, it has an interesting dynamic. Parry Sound has 30,000 islands, making it the world’s largest freshwater archipelago. It also has the world’s deepest natural freshwater port, down 750 feet by some accounts. The sound is irregularly shaped with many deep bays and islands. The weather in town is significantly impacted by the lake, causing massive and unpredictable swings in temperature and precipitation including incredibly wet weather from September through January. This town was very popular in the early 20 th century with the Group of Seven artists, particularly Tom Thomson. In a hockey-mad nation, it is also best known as the birthplace of legendary defenseman Bobby Orr and there is a museum in town dedicated to him. Also interestingly, there is a 230 km Park-to-Park trail connecting Killbear Provincial Park in Parry Sound to Algonquin Provincial Park in both Dorset and Kearney. In September my girls, one of my girlfriend's eldest daughter and I headed to Parry Sound to meet family. The most noteworthy location we went was Parry Sound Lookout Tower at Tower Hill Heritage Garden. The tower is 30 meters high, 130 steps, and has an unobstructed 360-degree view of boats, float planes, the famous Canadian Pacific Railway trestle bridge and the town. Although rife with graffiti, the tower is still worth the effort, with protective caging around the stairs…unless you suffer from acrophobia in which case you should keep your feet firmly planted on the ground. Below the tower is the beautifully maintained – by volunteers – Heritage Gardens constructed in the 1920s, with a lovely little house and a pond full of frogs. Also close by is the Parry Sound District Museum. We spent an hour trying to catch frogs without success, and our dog tried to walk on water, also without success. We visited two parks: Mission Park on Emily Street and William Street Park on William Street. The first park, Mission Park was hard to find because it took about seven minutes to realize there was a small path between a bunch of trees that led up a rather steep hill to a very small park. The park had a tall spider web climber, a single 9 step slide and a few swings. While driving from one park to the next we saw something that looked like a large black dog crossing the road from afar. Upon getting closer we realized it was a black bear heading into a residential home’s backyard directly towards their garbage cans. Although terribly cute, we were sure glad that it wasn’t our yard.
Author: Amy Mazur1 of 2 authors on this site. See About The Adventures for more information on the authors. Deerhurst Resort holds a special place in my heart. We have been coming here as a family for the past 32 years. Between us we own a number of timeshare weeks in August. It is by far and away my children's favourite vacation spot each year. What makes it so special? First of all, Peninsula Lake is beautiful. Sandy in spots, deep enough, lots of water sports, pretty sunsets and sunrises...everything you could ask for in a Muskoka Lake. Secondly, the children's grandparents, friends, aunt and cousins always show up. We have mattresses on the floor and the suite is rarely quiet. It is a party. Papa takes them fishing a few mornings during the week. Aunt Wendy takes them out for ice cream. They golf with their friend and cousin. The water is always beckoning, whether the indoor pool, one of the many outdoor pools, or the lake at one of the docks or the beach. There is always something going on. Thirdly, the place is designed for relaxation. There is fishing off the dock. There is lounging on the beach. There are barbecues by the lake. There are novels to be read in lounge chairs. There is golf. There is boating. There are restaurants on the water. There are escape rooms. The resort highlights northern art on its walls. We are already looking forward to next year! Author: Norma Rawlings1 of 2 authors on this site. See About The Adventures for more information on the authors. Onaping Falls. A.Y. Jackson painted a landscape highlighting High Falls on the Onaping River in Sudbury. It was displayed in the local high school for years before it mysteriously disappeared. It is still missing, but Onaping Falls remains fully present in all its glory. Sudbury’s landscape brings to mind the Group of Seven on a regular basis, and Onaping Falls was particularly in keeping with their painting style. It has an abundance of trees reflecting their glorious colours off the water, with an iron bridge spanning the river and permitting views forward and back that take your breath away. It is no wonder that Sudbury and the north inspired so much artwork from the Group of Seven. I swim with a woman named Lynn. She warned me to wear my running shoes because there were a lot of rocks on the Onaping Falls hiking trail. I heeded her advice but did not appreciate the ruggedness of the terrain until my girlfriend and I were at the lookout admiring the falls trying to figure out how the devil to make it over to them. It never occurred to us that we had to billy goat our way straight down what appeared to be a treacherous rockslide to the water. Only the trail markers painted onto the rocks encouraged us to head lower. Low and behold, we made it without injury and began to walk along the water. The fall colours were in full blaze and the reds this year were resplendent. It was postcard worthy. Every photo was sublimely colourful. The falls are spectacular, running into rapids then falling 46 meters to the river below. That portion of the river is called High Falls. The falls sit at the intersection between the Canadian Shield and the crater caused by the meteor crash millions of years ago. The falls are in the northwest quadrant of Sudbury’s municipal area. They were their own town from 1973 to 2000 before being amalgamated into Greater Sudbury. The area boasts an abundance of fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, cross country skiing and downhill skiing. Marisa and I felt very fortunate to spend two hours hiking the Onaping Falls trail. It was Thanksgiving weekend and being immersed in the vibrant beauty of nature around every bend in the path made us feel fully in keeping with the holiday. Onaping Falls is a hike I would strongly recommend doing…with your running shoes on. Author1 of 2 authors on this site. See About The Adventures for more information on the authors. |
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