Temagami

Eileen Goltz is an associate librarian and chair of the Public Services
Department at Laurentian University.

Temagami has for some time been a subject of controversy among competing
interest groups. Refreshingly, Barnes does not side with any one group;
instead, he treats his readers to a light history lesson on this
wilderness delight.

Located on Highway 11, about an hour’s drive north from North Bay and
five hours from Toronto, Temagami exists among a plethora of lakes and
waterways, of which the largest is Lake Temagami. Barnes guides the
reader among the lakes, and through the history of the area, beginning
with the Natives of the Archaic Period, through the fur traders, to the
railway builders, the tourists, and the loggers. He discusses such area
notables as Grey Owl, Temagami Ned, Big George Friday, Dan O’Connor,
Sylvester Long, and Father George Paradis. He describes how American
tourists discovered the area in 1904, and how in 1903 campers from Upper
Canada College were accommodated at Camp Temagami. He devotes a chapter
to boats and their importance to the area, and another to precious
resources and their plenitude.

Enhancing the book is a profusion of photographs, a selected
bibliography, and the names and addresses of Temagami-related
organizations the reader might contact for further information. The
author’s writing style is light and readable, yet not condescending.

This book would be a welcome addition to any library, be it public,
school, or home.