Forestry Recollections

In 1925, a gold rush exploded in this isolated area of northwestern Ontario. A surge of gold seekers hastened to get to Red Lake. With people flooding in, the provincial government decided to establish a presence. In 1926, the Department of Lands and Forests, Ontario Forestry Branch, set up bases throughout the region. This historic book is produced through research mainly via a series of recollections from those who worked for the “Forestry” from 1926 to 1986. The stories are from forest firefighters, pilots, technicians, supervisors, conservation officers, parks workers, junior rangers and a safety officer. Anyone who has visited or lived in this area will gain an appreciation of the history.

In 1925, a gold rush exploded in this isolated area of northwestern Ontario. A surge of gold seekers hastened to get to Red Lake. With people flooding in, the provincial government decided to establish a presence. In 1926, the Department of Lands and Forests, Ontario Forestry Branch, set up bases throughout the region. This historic book is produced through research mainly via a series of recollections from those who worked for the "Forestry" from 1926 to 1986. The stories are from forest firefighters, pilots, technicians, supervisors, conservation officers, parks workers, junior rangers and a safety officer. Anyone who has visited or lived in this area will gain an appreciation of the history....

This collection provides a context for the best and most informative letters written by early foresters. The writers illuminate how they were forced to balance the agency's regulatory impulses with the needs of rural communities that depended upon forests for their livelihood.