Week 4 of the Fort Frances Stewardship Youth Ranger-Ogimaa Binesiiyog Partnership Program has the rangers keeping busy around town, and then off to Caliper Lake Provincial Park for more clearing, cleaning, camping and canoeing.
In town, the SYR Team Leads took the Rangers to the Fort Frances Lookout Tower at Point Park and then on to the Sorting Gap Marina for a tour of the historical “Hallett.”
This 60-foot, 57 ton boat was the largest and most powerful boat on Rainy Lake and was used to haul logs to the paper mill up until 1974.
Also around the town, we helped out at the community garden and prepared for our upcoming camping and canoe trip to Caliper Lake.
First, we made sure all our equipment was in good working order. We checked over our canoes, set up our tents, and of course, made lists of things we need from home and the supermarket.
After that, we packed our coolers, put our overnight gear into the trucks, loaded the canoe trailer and went off to Caliper Lake.
Once we got there we set up our campsite and spent the rest of the day having fun canoeing, fishing, swimming and of course cleaning some of the campsites to help out the Provincial Park.
The day ended by roasting marshmallows around the fire and sharing stories with fellow Rangers.
The next morning all the Rangers helped with cooking breakfast over the fire and canoeing to the Log River.
We practised the various strokes taught to us during our ORCKA basic Level II training. We then packed up to leave but not before one last swim at the beach together.
On Friday, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) integrated resource management specialist Laura Edgington, resource operations clerk Sydney Chalifoux, and assistant fish and wildlife technician Jordan Desserre took the Rangers down to Swell Bay on Rainy Lake to demonstrate how a shoreline inspection is performed.
MNRF conducts these surveys on crown land to identify natural features, such as fish spawning habitat or other cultural or heritage values to be protected.
Stay tuned until next week when the Rangers venture into the Kenora District to learn a whole lot more about the Rainy-Lake of the Woods watershed.
