GONE FISHING!

By nature, I believe we are all hunters and gatherers. I've always thought of myself as more of a gatherer, until I got my Outdoor card which I needed for my little evening of fishing. Thanks journalist May Delory who asked for the fishing experience. And thanks to Doug Adams of Northland Paradise Lodge for guiding us on his secret lake, and his Pike filleting instruction. I live on James lake and my land produces enough Canadian potatoes to feast Temagami. Now I know I will never starve.

BREWING BEER

Yep, it's almost ready for drinking. This summer we have two beers for tasting. Raspberry (from Ray's Berry farm) and Sweet Fern picked at Franco's (Wolf Within Adventures). Here I am syphoning before bottling. And there I am with Rosa Shoel, wwoofer extraordinaire. I believe these beers are my best versions yet! Come for a complimentary tasting.

RABBIT LAKE ROAD RE-OPENS

A spring washout on Rabbit Lake Road is repaired sufficiently to allow road vehicles. The washout, just west of Glasford Lake, disrupted access to the Ottawa-Temiskaming Highland and Grand Campment hiking trails. It did not hinder Rabbit Lake access. MNR cautions that the short-term repair is not suitable for transports and other heavy vehicles.

WILL AND KATE IN TEMAGAMI PHOTO OP

Will and Kate are canoe tripping in Temagami. Kate definitely has a bad hair day as she emerges from her tent. Glad the two can have a real Canadian experience in Temagami. Algonquin is just too crowded. Imagine the entourage. And the secrecy about who is outfitting the trip, the route, and indeed, Park or Crown land! Which is politically correct? Whose Muskoka mansion will they visit after the trip for a BBQ? Um, did I say Royalty? Can't a person have a little fun? Temagami could use the publicity. Happy Birthday Canada!

TEMAGAMI GROCERY STORE IS BACK!

After closing and going bankrupt in October 2010, Temagami has a new grocery store. The the pleasure of the community, and independant of any chain, are Joanne and Dick, new owners of our community grocery store. In other words, an honest to goodness, family run grocery store. Local produce and meats will be the focus, along with the usual staples. So for campers and cottagers coming through, Temagami will appreciate your buying support. If on the other hand, if you are short on time, Smoothwater will buy locally and outfit your canoe trip or cottage life with catering.

SPRING WASHOUT RABBIT LAKE ROAD

The Rabbit Lake Road is washed out just past the 27 km sign. About 20 metres is missing to a depth of 1 – 2 metres. The culvert is still in place under the road bed with the creek flowing through it and everything appears normal except for the flotsam stranded in the bush about 2 metres above the creek. So if you’re looking to get to Grand Campment Bay, Lakeland can fly 5 hikers with normal backpacks in the Beaver. The ice is gone. To be sure, more roads will be in this spring condition.

A NEW VIDEO OF TEMAGAMI

Here's a new (commercial) video about Temagami. It covers some nice stuff. But some utterly silly stuff too. (Maybe I shouldn't say that). But I think for a commercial enterprise, needing to give their sponsors time, it goes pretty well. I'd still want to visit Temagami. And if you want to dig and find other businesses in Temagami, you can just click through to the town's website. Have a donut. Or poutine.