Today’s blog was written by Jessica Stillman, school outreach coordinator at Bronte Creek Provincial Park.
Contained within these brick walls are stories of family, hard work, urbanization, and an era gone, but not forgotten.
This building is Spruce Lane Farmhouse at Bronte Creek Provincial Park. Today, it is a living history museum designed to share stories of the Victorian era through objects that fill the home.
Today’s post comes from Lisa Roach, chief park naturalist at Bon Echo Provincial Park.
Did you know some of your favourite provincial parks like Bon Echo, Sandbanks, Presqu’ile, and Algonquin have hosted the summer vacations of nature-lovers since the turn of the century?
By the end of the 1800s, pioneer society was changing. Increased prosperity led to a growing interest in summer resorts and leisure activities. People in Ontario were using their own wilderness for recreation, just like we do today.
Resorts became the popular hangout for the well-to-do, like Lakeshore Lodge (Sandbanks) or Bartlett Lodge (Algonquin).
Over 100 years ago Bon Echo Provincial Park became home to the ultimate summer recreation destination: the Bon Echo Inn.
Today’s blog was written by Callum Barnes, a Discovery guide at Rondeau Provincial Park.
Established in 1894, Rondeau Provincial Park has been host to many activities and adventures over the years.
One quintessential family activity keeps our visitors coming back for seconds: picnicking.
Picnicking has been a popular activity at the park for generations, all the way back to the early 1900s.
So, how did Rondeau’s picnic boom begin?
Today’s post comes from Laura McClintock, senior park naturalist at Sibbald Point Provincial Park.
Moving to an unfamiliar area can be a daunting process.
Think of the last time you moved. What family treasures did you take with you? What made the move easy or challenging?
In this blog, we’re going back almost 200 years to the move that gave Sibbald Point Provincial Park its name. Continue reading The family treasures of Sibbald Point
Today’s post comes from Will Oades, Natural Heritage Educator at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. Header photo: Jeff Robinson.
Have you ever applied for a job, shown up on the first day of work, and realized it was nothing like you thought it would be? That was the case among many of the men coming to work at the Silver Islet Mine.
Known as the world’s richest silver mine, Silver Islet’s mine shaft was beneath the icy waters of Lake Superior; a small yet significant piece of information that was missed by some of the miners before arriving. Though the majority of the miners stayed to do the job that they were hired for, some of them decided that travelling into the belly of the earth, underneath billions of litres of water was just a little too dangerous for their liking.
Continue reading The surprising, shocking, startling, astonishing story of Silver Islet
Boo! The scariest night of the year is almost upon us.
As we celebrate Halloween with costumes, trick-or-treating, and plenty of scares, let’s take a look at the history behind this spooky day. Continue reading The spooky celestial history of Halloween
Today’s post comes from Assistant Discovery Leader Mat St-Jules of Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park.
As your paddle meets the water, look up to the towering cliffs. Pass marshes teeming with activity. Touch trees that set roots hundreds of years ago.
With such incomparable beauty, it’s hard to imagine that Mattawa River Provincial Park is located within a few hours of our province’s largest cities.
Continue reading Mattawa River Provincial Park: a heritage river
Protection has always been, and continues to be an integral piece in maintaining our unique natural spaces and biodiversity throughout the province.
Whether protected for scientific or cultural reasons, the designation of Ontario’s nearly 300 conservation reserves plays an important role in preserving these lands.
In this month’s featured constellations, we will discuss two Anishinaabek constellations that are prominent at this time of the year: Madoodiswan (the Sweat Lodge) and Noondeshin Bemaadizid (the Exhausted Bather).
Continue reading Featured constellations: Madoodiswan, Noondeshin Bemaadizid, and Madoodoowasiniig
Today’s post comes from Katherine Muzyliwsky, a Natural Heritage Education Student at Neys Provincial Park.
Before Neys became a provincial park, it was known as Neys Camp 100. Instead of happy campers on vacation, the park held German prisoners of war during World War II.
After operating as a prisoner of war camp from 1941-1946, the buildings were dismantled in 1953. Since then, artifacts have showed up from discoveries in the park and from generous donations.
