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Background: A land of vast distances and rich natural resources, Canada became a self-governing dominion in 1867 while retaining ties to the British crown. Economically and technologically the nation has developed in parallel with the US, its neighbor to the south across an unfortified border. Canada's paramount political problem is meeting public demands for quality improvements in health care and education services after a decade of budget cuts. The issue of reconciling Quebec's francophone heritage with the majority anglophone Canadian population has moved to the back burner in recent years; support for separatism abated after the Quebec government's referendum on independence failed to pass in October of 1995.

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By ilchicag
August 11th 2007

Leaving Quetico, Taking Memories, Finding My Bed

North America » Canada » Ontario » Atikokan » Quetico Provincial Park

Eagles in the trees

I'm heading back to civilization in an hour! It's about 10:15 and we are heading back to our pickup point at 11:00-11:30 or so. We have a 1:00 pickup scheduled, and as much as I have enjoyed this trip, I can't wait to get back. The only thing I'm not looking forward to is the last portage back up to the parking lot from Pickerel Lake. It's amazing how much I think I've grown in during this trip. I feel like I did often push myself and did things that I may not have done if I were on a regular [View Full Entry]

Hauling the canoe back up the last portage

When the vacation is almost over, rest is needed

By ilchicag
August 10th 2007

The Deux Rivieres: The Original Canadian Wilderness Mud Bath Spa

North America » Canada » Ontario » Atikokan » Quetico Provincial Park

This is a river?

Woke up today in a whirlwind and only had time to down a cold cup of instant coffee before we were on the lake trying to beat the rain (which we didn't) and the wind (which we didn't) as we made our way back to the Quetico Park entrance. Yep, we're on our way back home. In the rain. The rain did eventually ease up right around the time that we were shooting some rapids (which was real thrilling, actually) so all looked good... UNTIL we hit the Deux Rivieres. At first it felt like we were in Egypt, canoeing through [View Full Entry]

By ilchicag
August 9th 2007

Seeing Moose and the Chatterton Falls

North America » Canada » Ontario » Atikokan » Quetico Provincial Park

The end of Chatterton, looking back

We took a day trip to Chatterton Falls today from our campsite at Blueberry Island. I won't lie, the Falls were a little disappointing. I guess I have in it my head that waterfalls or something described as falls are a bit more intense. Chatterton Falls are pretty awesome, just in a less obvious ways. They were rushing and very beautiful, but you had to walk a way in order to see the whole falls. They were almost tiered... when you first got to the Falls, there was a medium sized waterfall. After docking, you walk up alongside the water and [View Full Entry]

Though not large, Chatterton is still quite powerful

By ilchicag
August 8th 2007

Dear Canada, Please institute a "No-Fly Zone" in Quetico.

North America » Canada » Ontario » Atikokan » Quetico Provincial Park

Nice mist in the morning from our campsite

Oh! My! Gosh! There were killer flies today... swarms over every part of everywhere we went and every part of our body. There were so many of these little biting flies I was close to tears several times during the day. It felt like an epidemic, an apocolypse almost. At times, it felt like a sci-fi movie where something so trivial and harmless in the everyday sense as flies could be so life threatening. There weren't that many when I woke up. In fact, the morning was fairly nice. I missed the mist on the water early in the morning, but [View Full Entry]

By ilchicag
August 7th 2007

More Rowing, More Portaging... More Cloudless Nights Please!

North America » Canada » Ontario » Atikokan » Quetico Provincial Park

Our own little canoe harbor

There are some things in life where the harder something is, the better you feel about it in the end. It's the feeling of accomplishment, the rush of trying something new, or knowing that you went outside your comfort zone that does it for you. After finishing a rocky, mile-plus long portage twice over--once with an 80-pound pack and then my own personal pack--I coudn't help but feel very good about myself despite how much I hated it while doing trying to climp up a rock with the food pack on my back. I wouldn't necessarily want to do it again [View Full Entry]

Dad looking out at Lake Olifant before we head into the rough

By ilchicag
August 6th 2007

Row, row, row my boat gently through the lakes...

North America » Canada » Ontario » Atikokan » Quetico Provincial Park

My dad getting ready to string a canoe down some rapids

Wow we covered a lot of ground... err... water today. That of course means... we're in Quetico! It's just about as I expected it would be, minus a few things here and there?the first being the actual distance we travel and the second being the actual length of time it takes to travel said distance. Those minutiae aside, it's not half bad. The worst thing, if anything, was the 5:30 wake-up call and the fact that I was carrying an 80 pound food pack on my back for three quarters of a mile at 8:30 AM... which really happens to be [View Full Entry]

By ilchicag
August 5th 2007

Arrival to Atikokan

North America » Canada » Ontario » Atikokan

Gooseberry Falls
State park in Minnesota

You know, I brought the last four Harry Potter books thinking that out of the minimum 28 hours I'd be on the road I could read them... but this place is too fascinating that it's probably one of the only things that could distract me from getting to the seventh book (really, I've been averaging a book a day in hopes of reading them all through the seventh). We spent most of all day driving on a scenic road right next to Lake Superior. It was great just driving in the woods with the lake right, literally on the right, [View Full Entry]

I felt it necessary to stay afloat, wherever I go

Travel Blog » North America » Canada » Ontario » Atikokan