Just found this Forum and the ABR Forum after returning from a trip to The Park last week.

I've been a long time visitor to Algonquin - a little over 30 years now ...it's no wonder those portages are starting to hurt a little more.

Last week I thought I would revisit an area of The Park near and dear to my heart so I planned a small return trip from Wendigo down to Radiant. I first visited Radiant Lake back in 1977 on my initial trip to Algonquin and over the years have always made sure to return for a visit every once and a while. I always made sure to try and get to the southern most camp on Radiant as it held so many stories and memories for me. My favourite highlight being sharing scotch and stories with a very elderly retired Park Ranger, Cecile, in his small little cabin one year.

Anyway, I digress.

This years trip started out by staying on North Depot Lake the first night and discovering that our campsite had been inhabited by people with absolutely no regard at all for any campers who followed them. English muffins, maybe 15 - 20 had been strewn all over the campsite, at first I thought they might be some sort of mushroom or fungus, as the eyes aren't quite what they used to be. But no, they were English Muffins, along with other bits and pieces of garbage strewn here and there. Don't even get me going about all the little impromptu tables that had been constructed, green trees that had been chopped or sawn down, or the plethora of nails in the trees. I felt like I was visiting a fishing camp instead of an interior camp site.

We cleaned up the site as best we could and moved on the next day to Clamshell. I've always liked this camp site and remember spending two days there about six years ago giving it a good clean-up. This year it was in pretty good shape, but more nails, more wilderness construction, more over-zealous wood collecting and a broken fishing rod and unburned garbage in the fire pit.

The next day was on to Radiant and a visit to the good old south side of the lake.

Luckily I knew where the campsite was because the sign had been removed from it's place on the tree, perhaps by the folks "camped" out further down the beach. I was shocked to not only see a vehicle parked on the beach, but find a trailer there as well, complete with a boat trailer, boat and fire bin. Ummm, where was I ? Surely I wasn't expected to share my interior backcountry campsite with a trailer park !

With no sign of the inhabitants and not knowing who we were dealing with we decided to forgo the history and move on to another site.

The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful, well other than the extremely low-level flight of an Armed Forces transport plane. Does anyone know if they are testing over Algonquin ?

Anyway if anyone knows what's going on with Radiant Lake I'd love to know.

Thanks for letting me rant.

Dave

I've been buzzed by the Air Force in several places. They gotta fly somewhere.

I'd submit those photos to the authorities. Could be illegal action and you have a licence plate. Could be a FN Status issue?

As Preacher stated, it could be an Indian status issue as I know they can
drive in the interior to any lake where there is a road and I would guess
then that trailers are permitted too, but that's just a guess.


Bo

CFB Petawawa is just to the east of the park. they fly a lot of planes out of there as it was the home of the Airborne regiment until it was disbanded. I'm assuming they still run what ever replaced the AR out of Pet.

Hi Dave, I guess they moved in for the summer because when we paddled the Petawawa in mid July they were there too. We too tried for that site and had to cross Radiant to find another campsite ,as a huge windstorm came up.Nearly swamped the canoes crossing.

It was good of Dave to post this on the ABR forum also.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/612132/

As a member of the ABR Executive Committee, I sent an email on to John Winters, Jim Murphy and a couple more of the top dogs at Algonquin Park. I've referred them to the posting and am optimistic we'll get some feedback. If its a legitimate use, like a university wildlife study operation or a First Nations use, that's fine. But if it's not .. then the park needs to know about it!

Your "in the field observations and photos" are just what the ABR is trying to encourage.

Its the park's equivalent to "Neighbourhood Watch". Thanks Dave!

Barry Bridgeford
Algonquin Backcountry Recreationalists
http://www.ABRweb.ca

When I clicked on the photos it brought up this picture which you hadn't posted.

[img][/img]

Hope you don't mind I posted it but I think it provides the answer. The acronym as best I can decipher it is

AGGLFN = Ardoch Algonquin Golden Lake First Nation.

Some history here..

http://www.aafna.ca/history.html

That's my guess but I would love to know what the rules are from the Ministry.

Sal

Sal,

I am sure you are absolutely right and I now feel a little bit stupid for not researching further before posting. It would appear that the vehicles in question have every right in the world to be there. I think my disappointment in not being able to relive some youthful memories at that campsite just made me a bit upset and when combined with the previous days observations of disrespect for The Park I got up on a soapbox to cry foul.

It's a facinating, and sad, history lesson and an even more interesting land claim.

http://www.greatergoldenlake.com/220.html

http://www.nativeaffairs.jus.gov.on.ca/english/negotiate/algonquin/algonquin.htm

http://www.trentu.ca/admin/library/archives/05-1011.htm

Thanks for picking up on that.

Cheers,

Dave

Sal,

I'm sure you're absolutely right and I now feel a bit foolish about not not researching this properly before posting. I suspect the disappointment of not being able to relive some youthful memories, combined with previous days of evidence of disrespect for The Park got the better of me.

A great, albeit sad, lesson in Canadian history though and an even more interesting land claim.

http://www.greatergoldenlake.com/220.html

http://www.nativeaffairs.jus.gov.on.ca/english/negotiate/algonquin/algonquin.htm

http://www.trentu.ca/admin/library/archives/05-1011.htm

Thanks for pointing that out.

Dave