Black Fly Song

The Blackfly song 1949

Summer of 2006 will soon be over. But this was a rough one for black flies in James Bay Frontier. Enjoy the video. (push the audio slider bar to the right >>> )

Happy (belated) Birthday... almost forgot.

I forgot to mention a birthday. I was indeed busy this week, but did manage to drop by the Shania Twain Centre on Sunday for a quick visit. I was a day early for the yearly celebration of Eilleen Twain's birthday. Shania turned 41 on August 28th.
The smiling people in the photo are a group of media people from England and Scotland, currently touring James Bay Frontier to find out what this region has to offer in the way of tourism. They dropped in at the Shania Centre on Sunday, before experiencing a visit to Tim's for coffee, and then a stroll by Gillies Lake. They are, from left, Brian, Fidelma, Rey, Becky, Katy and Minnie. Roger is the tall fellow in the back. They look amazingly cheerful for a group of people who had left London some 14 hours previously that day.

Interesting People

I had the pleasure of meeting some interesting people this week. Gerry MIller is the man behind the success of the Heritage Village at Cochrane's Polar Bear Habitat attraction. Gerry is a retired train conductor and farmer, whose passion is collecting and restoring old cars, farm equipment and antiques. This man is a treasure of knowledge. I consider myself lucky to have met him and learned a little about the importance of days gone by.


Later in the day I met Rolly & Melissa Lessard who run the Abitibi River Houseboats Expeditions north of Cochrane. Their hospitality was fantastic. We had a fun time cruising the river, enjoying lunch and seeing wildlife. It was all part of a trip involving a group of travel writers from England and Scotland who are visiting James Bay Frontier this week. More about that soon.

Young Loons

There are at least two young loons left on Gillies Lake in Timmins. I have been watching them for weeks. I finally got close enough today to get a half decent photo. They will not get their full traditional plumage for at least two years. Loons are migratory birds and the parents have already left the nest and the lake. That’s so the younger birds will have more food. It was fun to watch them dive and swim. This little guy was about ten feet offshore as I watched him and I almost had to run to keep up with him as he swam underwater. But the picture was worth it. (click the pic for full size)

JBF Sledding. Best ... on the planet!

Woohoo! Yeehaw! And all those other good words... good news today from Snow Tech Magazine, one of the most popular snowmobile publications in print. The first issue of the new season is hot off the press. I got my copy this morning. On page 6 there is a review of the Snowmobile Paradise Ontario ride held in March. Snow Tech managing editor Kevin Beilke rode the trails northeast of Kirkland Lake in the heart of James Bay Frontier, for three days. He complimented the Temiskaming Abitibi Trail Association for providing "some of the best snowmobiling on the planet". Here's a photo of the riders taking a break. Kevin is the tall fellow on the right. I shot this photo on March 28th. Yeppers... at the end of March! Look at all the sunshine! Look at all the snow! Are ya jealous or what?

Kids & Polar Bears

The Polar Bear Habitat in Cochrane, ON continues to be a popular attraction for tourists. I dropped by today to see youngsters playing in the pool beside the "bear pool". It's fun to watch. But there was no way I was gonna jump in the water and let that bear get any ideas for dinner. The habitat is open year round and is certainly worth a visit at any time. > This note added on August 30th. THERE IS INDEED A SHEET OF SPECIAL GLASS BETWEEN THE BEAR AND THE PEOPLE.

Snowmobiling Northern Ontario

No kidding! It's only a matter of a few months before the snow flies and the sledders arrive. We are just wrapping up work on publishing our newest James Bay Frontier winter adventure vacation guide. It's the book we bring to all the big snowmobile shows and distribute across Ontario and the northeastern United States. The book will include info on where to ride, where to stay, where to get everything you need for a great winter vacation. You can get your copy by emailing us here or calling our toll free number at 1-800-461-3766. The books go to press in September. Call us then. By the way, we're already getting great reviews on riding in this region. Check out the Supertrax website. By the way, the guy behind the goggles is veteran adventure journalist John Arkwright doing what he loves best ... riding the trails.

Wildflowers

Even on those gray overcast days, flowers stand out in the forest. Wildflowers are everywhere in James Bay Frontier. Come and Visit.

Shania Twain Fan Club

Fans are indeed loyal. The annual Shania Twain Fan Club convention is on again in Timmins, ON. There are scores on fans in Timmins and more will be arriving today. Last night I met one from Holland. Several had gathered at the Shania Twain Centre. For the next three days they will be touring the centre, meeting each other, and touring several parts of Timmins where Shania worked and lived. They will even be visiting Mattagami First Nation, which was the home reserve for Shania and her dad, Jerry Twain.

Summer Adventure

Ivanhoe Lake, Foleyet, ON. Fly-In Adventure is popular throughout James Bay Frontier.

I saw a wolf.

I think it was a wolf. He was all black. This is only the second time I have seen one in the wild. This was on Highway 101 east of Chapleau, Ontario, this afternoon. This fella wasn’t huge but was big enough. As I slowed down the truck, he turned and headed for the bush. I was able to stick the camera out the window and snap this picture. He crossed the road, went to the bush, then turned back to look at me. When I stopped the truck to get out, he scooted away. I have never seen an all black wolf before. Seeing wildlife is one of the benefits of travel in James Bay Frontier.

Rare Documents on Display

Visitors to the Timmins Public Library are getting to see some rare documents this week. National Archives Canada has allowed public viewing of the The James Bay Treaty, also known as Treaty No. 9. This is in honour of the 100th anniversary of the treaty. It is the agreement between the Crown and the Nishnabwe Aski Nation. The treaty was signed over a one year period between August of 1905 and 1906 in the various Aboriginal communities across our region. It these days of computers and electronic data storage, it was a pleasure to see such an important handwritten document. It was also interesting to note that several of the signatures included the well known Cree syllabic symbols, still being used in Cree communities.

No Smog Here

The Ontario Medical Association reports more and more citizens will be visiting emergency rooms for smog related illnesses in the next 20 years. That's unfortunate. What is good is that there is no smog in James Bay Frontier. This is based on Ontario government monitoring stations, which produce the Air Quality Index. There is nothing more refreshing that inhaling clean fresh northern air.