The White Bear Forest is an

old growth forest An old-growth forestalso termed primary forest, virgin forest, late seral forest, primeval forest, or first-growth forestis a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance, and thereby exhibits unique ecological featur ...

, located in

Temagami, Ontario Temagami, formerly spelled as Timagami, is a municipality in northeastern Ontario, Canada, in the Nipissing District with Lake Temagami at its heart. The Temagami region is known as ''n'Daki Menan'', the homeland of the area's First Nations commu ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. The

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

is named after Chief White Bear,White Bear Old Growth Forest Trail Guide
Retrieved on 2007-06-27 who was the last

chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...

of the

Teme-Augama Anishnabai The Teme-Augama Anishnabai (from the Anishinaabe ''Dimii'aagamaa Anishinaabe'', "the deep water people") is the Indigenous Anishinaabe community of the Temagami First Nation. The Teme-Augama Anishnabai have trapped and hunted animals in the Temag ...

before

European European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...

s appeared in the region. In some parts of the White Bear Forest trees commonly reach 200 to 300 years in age, while the oldest tree accurately aged in White Bear Forest was a red pine that was 400 years old in 1999. The White Bear Forest contains one of Canada's oldest

portage Portage or portaging (Canada: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a ...

s, dating back some 3,000 years. Today, more than of trails access the White Bear Forest. A trail guide is available online at http://ancientforest.org/whitebear.html. The Caribou Mountain contains a renovated

fire lookout tower A fire lookout tower, fire tower or lookout tower, provides housing and protection for a person known as a "fire lookout" whose duty it is to search for wildfires in the wilderness. It is a small building, usually on the summit of a mountain or ...

that visitors can climb for a small fee.

History

In 1928, the Gillies Bros. logging company logged about of the White Bear Forest surrounding

Cassels Lake Cassels Lake (originally known as White Bear Lake) is a lake located within the Municipality of Temagami, in the Nipissing District, Ontario, Canada. It contains numerous portages, campsites and is one of three lakes on the eastern edge of the Wh ...

and Rabbit Lake. A

log Log most often refers to: * Trunk (botany), the stem and main wooden axis of a tree, called logs when cut ** Logging, cutting down trees for logs ** Firewood, logs used for fuel ** Lumber or timber, converted from wood logs * Logarithm, in mathe ...

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...

was constructed at the narrows connecting Cassels Lake and Rabbit Lake to float logs from the surrounding area out to the

Ottawa River The Ottawa River (french: Rivière des Outaouais, Algonquin: ''Kichi-Sìbì/Kitchissippi'') is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is named after the Algonquin word 'to trade', as it was the major trade route of Eastern ...

. The water level in numerous lakes in the Temagami area was increased numerous feet. The Gillies' Bros.

logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...

company then cut the trees from the flooded forest area leaving behind the snags and

stump Stump may refer to: * Stump (band), a band from Cork, Ireland and London, England * Stump (cricket), one of three small wooden posts which the fielding team attempt to hit with the ball *Stump (dog): Clussexx Three D Grinchy Glee (born 1998), 200 ...

s seen in the water. The area which we now call the White Bear Forest escaped the first wave of logging partly because the mill owner enjoyed the view of this forest, which was situated directly across the lake from the mill site. In 1992, the White Bear Forest was once again spared from logging because of local opposition, and is now promoted by the town of Temagami as a tourist attraction. In June 1996, the White Bear Forest was declared a Conservation Area by the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Trails

The trails of the White Bear Forest offer hikers, canoeists and adventurers the opportunity to travel through a portion of Ontario's forest that has changed little over time. The majority of the trails are located in an area that has never been logged or mined. The trails vary, from a leisurely one-hour hike, to all day or weekend trips. Many species of birds and wildlife can be observed in their natural surroundings. There is at least seven named trails in the White Bear Forest. Old Ranger Trail was formerly used by fire rangers to get from Caribou Lake Portage to the fire tower on top of Caribou Mountain. They would haul their canoes through the trail and pull themselves up Caribou Mountain using an old water hose. Remnants of this hose can still be found around Caribou Mountain. The trail is about long. Another trail adjacent to the fire tower is the White Bear Trail. It is long, coming out on the Ontario Hydro line in the east and adjoining the Old Ranger Trail in the west. Red Fox Trail is about long, crossing the Ontario Hydro line at two locations. At Pleasant Lake, the Red Fox Trail immediately goes into the old growth forest. The Red Fox Trail comes out at two locations; one at the Beaver Pond and the other at the end of the Caribou Trail at Pinque Lake. To the west and southwest is the long Caribou Trail. It has at least three entrances; the Trans Canada Pipeline on O'Connor Drive, the Red Fox Trail and across from Finlayson Point on Highway 11. The trail extends along the shores of both Caribou Lake and Pingue Lake. Peregrine Trail extends along the shores of Cassels Lake and through the heart of the White Bear Forest. It is about long and comes out at three locations; Cassels Lake, Pecours Bay of

Snake Island Lake Snake Island Lake is a lake in the Ottawa River drainage basin in Strathy Township, Municipality of Temagami, Nipissing District of Northeastern Ontario, Canada. The primary outflow is a navigable channel to Cassels Lake, which flows via Rabbit L ...

and the Red Fox Trail. Otter Trail is in length, extending largely along Cassels Lake and Pecours Bay of Snake Island Lake. Beaver Trail loops through the heart of the White Bear Forest. In contrast to most other White Bear Forest trails, the Beaver Trail contains rocky terrain and steep cliffs. Its two southern ends come out on the Peregrine Trail whereas its northern end comes out on the Otter Trail.

References

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External links

Town of TemagamiFriends of Temagami
Old-growth forests Geography of Temagami Protected areas of Nipissing District

History

Trails

See also

References

External links