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Happy 125th Birthday, Algonquin Park! You rock! (lots, actually)

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Ontario Parks / Parcs Ontario held a special ceremony at the Algonquin Visitor Centre on Wed., August 22, to celebrate Algonquin's birthday. The weather was typically unpredictable Algonquin — from threatening to sunshine, warm to cool. Park lovers came out anyway.

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Algonquin, the grand daddy of the Ontario parks system, is one of the oldest provincial parks in Canada and a National Historic Site. Established in 1893, it was named after the tribes that have hunted and lived here for thousands of years.

Its natural beauty has long been an inspiration for artists, notably Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven painters, who’ve fostered pride in Canadian landscapes, all of which made August 22 a special day.

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On display was a shiny 125th Anniversary Time Capsule which was loaded, locked and lowered into a cavity in the Visitor Centre floor. The capsule is actually a metal box about the size of carry-on luggage filled with 63 items. Next opening will be 125 years from now. See you there!

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Everything in the capsule was carefully chosen to give a snapshot of the parks in 2018. Among the 63 items are sweet grass and tobacco from the Algonquins of Ontario, 5 original songs by singer David Archibald, a doctor’s prescription for outdoor activities, a portable stove chosen by online voting as the most valuable piece of camping equipment, turtle transmitter device plus all sorts of historic and modern photos in paper and digital form to ensure the data can be viewed in the future. 

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L-R  John Swick, Park Superintendent, Algonquin Provincial Park
Bruce Bateman, Director, Ontario Parks

Chief Kirby Whiteduck of the Algonquins of Ontario

Deputy Minister Serge Imbrongo, Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks

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It may be overweight by 75 pounds or so as a carry-on, but Ontario Parks has packed an inspiring bundle of memories for a future look back.

 

Be sure to enter The Friends of Algonquin raffle to win valuable stuff and stays in the woods. It's all for the park.

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Hand painted cookies by Enticing Cakes Inc, Peterborough.


Photos and text 

© Gary Crallé 2018
All Rights Reserved

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