Our Disappearing Canoe Routes

Like probably many people, I pass time in the winter longing for summer and the thought of a summer canoe trip. I spend many hours scanning the internet and reading trip reports for possible future trips.

Many of these trip reports are getting old. Many seem to be 15 or 20 years old. Even the popular Ontario canoe routes books published my Kevin Callan are over 15 years old. How long before the book was published was the canoe trip for the book done?

Many of these trip reports show that many of Ontario’s canoe routes are disappearing, being absorbed back into nature. This year, I did 2 canoe trips, The West Montreal River near Gawganda and the Nabakwasi River near Gogama. Signing on these routes was none existent and the portaged were in very rough shape, if not completely gone.

For the most part, it used to be the Junior Ranger Program that maintained our canoe routes. These youth would go out and clear portages and campsites and make sure signs were in place. I had the pleasure of working with some Junior Rangers one summer when I working in Red Lake.

With never ending funding cuts to the MNR, the Junior Ranger Program now only runs out of certain provincial parks. Crown land and numerous canoe routes have long been abandoned.

I ran into a conservation officer as we finished our West Montreal River trip. He was ecstatic to see us. He said the route is hardly ever used by canoe trippers anymore. He was quite happy to see someone paddling this route.

Later in the summer, when we arrived in Gogama, we discovered that the large MNR office there had closed completely and had been relocated to Timmins. I don’t think a lot of trail maintenance will be happening in that area any time soon.

As must as I would like to blame the government funding cuts for the disappearing canoe routes, part of the problem has been a cultural shift away from paddling. Fewer and fewer people are canoe tripping and camping. ABS canoes are not even available anymore.

Reservations at provincial parks across the country are down. Many parks are trying to entice visitors with glamour camping options, or “glamping”. Who wants to stay in a tent when you can stay in a fancy yurt?

On the upside, it means the canoe routes won’t be crowded and trippers will be enjoying solitude. On the down side, many routes will be much more challenging to do, especially portages, navigation and campsites.

One day they may be gone forever. For me, I am going to try to do as many as possible before either the canoe routes or I disappear.

Wayne Gignac