rev-digital-FINAL-PRESS-2023-PAGES-AHCC-QUARTER-BLEED - Flipbook - Page 46
ALMAGUIN HIGHLANDS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
A
thriving trails network connecting communities and people
The mighty Magnetawan River, a beloved water trail flowing
- a simple vision with a profound message of the power of trails to
through the heart of Almaguin, connects us to a past where
create connections; not only the physical connections between and
the area’s first people moved from their hunting grounds to
within communities but also their ability to deepen our connection
overwinter on the shores of Georgian Bay. As time passed, the
with nature, to our communities and to each other. This is the vision
Magnetawan River became a highway for early industry with first
of Discovery Routes, a small charity working in Almaguin Highlands
loggers hungry for the stately white pines harvested to build ships
dedicated to sharing stories of connection that inspire discovery and
and fuel the expanding cities to the south. Colonial influences
exploration of the region’s vast network of trails deeply rooted in our
continued to change the watercourse with dams and lock
past, present and future.
systems to push steamships laden with settlers’ goods past the
terminus of the rail line at Burk’s Falls. Today, the Magnetawan, or
Since the very beginning, trails have played a significant cultural and
‘swiftly moving water’ in the Algonquin language, lures adventure-
spiritual role for indigenous people, serving as pathways for trade,
seekers who are challenged by the raging waters downstream of
migration, storytelling and maintaining a connection to ancestral
Knoepfli Falls near Ahmic Harbour when the spring freshet swells
lands. Across what today is known as the Almaguin Highlands, spread
the banks of the river each year. Through the dog days of summer
a vast communal hunting and fishing ground for the Huron, Ojibway
and majestic colour explosion of the fall, the Magnetawan calms
and Algonquin people who were connected by their language and
to a quieter flow ideal for the leisurely paddler along the historic
culture. For thousands of years before the area was first visited
steamship route from Burk’s Falls to Magnetawan.
by European settlers, the land and water trails were the lifeline for
the nomadic people who were experts in wilderness travel using
Like the majestic water trails that flow across Almaguin, land trails,
creations like the birchbark canoe and snowshoe.
also full of stories from the past, are places to find solace and
adventure, to connect with nature and to challenge one’s hiking
skills. The Forgotten Trails in the South River area were established
by volunteers who share a philosophy of protecting and caring for
ecologically sustainable trails of natural and historical significance.
A hike along the wilderness Laurier Tower Trail leading up to a
sweeping panoramic view of the Highlands or a snowshoe up Moose
Mountain can create a lasting connection with the land that reaches
deep into the soul.
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Stewardship and support is much needed
for these Forgotten Trails. Find out more how to get involved at
discoveryroutes.ca.
