Bog walk boardwalk finished

FORT FRANCES—Although officially opened to the public back in July by the Rainy River Valley Field Naturalists, the first phase of the Cranberry Peatlands Interpretive Trail’s boardwalk finally was completed last week.
The 1, 032-foot trail, located in Alberton Township, gained an additional 112 feet of boardwalk thanks to funding from the Ministry of Natural Resources’ Community Fisheries and Wildlife Involvement Program (CFWIP).
“It really adds to the trail,” stressed RRVFN member Ahlan Johanson. “You can see some amazing animals from this far out.”
He noted it was important to have the boardwalk extend passed 1,000 feet because of the wildlife and plants that can be viewed. He also explained the trail can get pretty wet out that distance.
“It’s a wet and muddy area at times and without the boardwalk, you’d need rubber boots,” he remarked.
Johanson said the boardwalk does not span the entire length of the trail, but bridges just the wet areas.
“We’re hoping the beaver baffler system we installed will keep these higher areas dry enough,” he added.
The cedar planks of the most recent section of boardwalk were purchased from Colin Neilson’s Timber Ridge Land and Forest Services, and installed by Rick Neilson and Fern Pelletier.
“It’s a great space for the public, tourists, and students to take advantage of,” Johanson remarked, noting a small school group is scheduled to walk the trail this weekend.
“And [the trail] can be used throughout the winter,” he added. “It’s pretty and there is still some wildlife visible.”
He noted chickadees are a prime sighting at this time of the year but also indicated he wouldn’t be surprised if someone spotted a fox.
And while snowshoeing is permitted in the area, Johanson said he hopes snowmobilers respect the nature trail.
He explained plans for phase two of the project are still up in the air, but said there has been talk of building a lookout platform to the point where the boardwalk now extends.
“But we’ll have to see—it would probably be quite expensive,” he conceded.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation provided an initial grant of $48,900 two years ago for work on the trail.
To date, there are seven interpretive stations along the trail as well as a pamphlet to identify various plant and wildlife species along the self-guided tour.
Small Cranberry, Tamarack, Wild Calla Lily, Manitoba Maple, Bog Laurel, and Labrador Tea are just a few of the many species that can be seen. And at certain times, a peregrine falcon, a bald eagle, or a pair of Canada geese can be spotted.
The pamphlet also explains the wetland chosen for the interpretive trail is both historically and ecologically significant, with pools and trenches—still visible from the air—marking the site of a peat mining operation by Arctic Peat Moss Corp. in the 1940s.
The ground level of the site highlights several wetland types—swamp, fen, bog, and marsh.
(Fort Frances Times)