Jan. 17, 2003 Perspectives on Recent Books on Our Natural Heritage

Land, trees, water, animals, the weather -- our natural heritage -- are an important part of our way of life in northern Ontario. This heritage, and one's life in it, has been recorded in many ways, including several excellent recent books, several of which I received for Christmas and read recently. I'll put them in perspective here in case you haven't seen or heard of them and would like a good read on a long winter's evening. All are readily available at your local bookstore or could be ordered there.

My favourite is Jill Frayne's mid-life look at her life on a three-month trip on her own across Canada. The book, Starting Out in the Afternoon: a Mid-life Journey into Wild Land is full of beautiful writing, insights, and personal autobiographical frankness that makes it a pleasure to read. One critic states that her writing is "transcendental, ecstatic, and as crisp and clear as Lake Superior in October." The design of the book is excellent as well, adding to its pleasure.  Jill's book was deservedly nominated for the prestigious 2002 Governor General's Award for non-fiction. The book has a special interest to me because Jill lives a couple of kilometres away in South Himsworth (Powassan), and her daughter Bree and my daughter Allison knew each other in day care in the early 1970s.

Jill has given several local readings from her book, and will again on February 6 at 6:30 at an author's night at the Powassan District Union Public Library, on Clarke St. in Powassan. Authors Richard Gould, whose novel was reviewed here recently, Bill Walton, and I will also read and talk about our work.

Jake MacDonald is another author about the same age as Jill Frayne, who in his book Houseboat Chronicles: Notes from a Life in Field Country tells about his similar struggle to establish relationships, a home and work. MacDonald's book tells the story of his life from age ten to the present day, and is primarily about his life in Minaki, north of Winnipeg, where he built a make-shift houseboat, did a variety of jobs, and eventually took courses in creative writing and became a successful author. His struggles to develop a relationship and the birth of his daughter is similar to Frayne's struggle. After many fascinating adventures he settles in Winnipeg, but builds a beautiful new houseboat at Minaki where he spends a lot of time (see photo on cover of book).

Roy MacGregor, who writes a daily column in the Globe and Mail and has written over thirty books and some award-winning plays, is the best known of the authors mentioned here. His novel Shorelines, based on Tom Thomson's life, sold 100,000 copies last year. His new book, Escape: in Search of the Natural Soul of Canada was selected (as was Jake MacDonald's book) as one of the top ten books of 2002 by the Toronto Star. The book looks at the importance of the landscape, especially Algonquin Park, to him and his family. He profiled his father, an Algonquin Park lumberman, in his 2001 book A Life in the Bush, and his grandfather Tom McCormick, was one of the best known park rangers in Algonquin Park.

MacGregor put an ad in Cottage Life magazine asking subscribers how much their camp, cottage or house close to nature meant to them. These stories along with his personal experiences and insights on things like the white pine tree, mentioned here recently, and the importance of the canoe to him, make for interesting reading. His comments on Stan Darling and Ralph Bice are a local note of interest.

Gary and Joanie McGuffin and their Alaskan Malamute, Kalija, took off on a monumental three month 1,900 km canoe trip through northern Ontario five years ago, and they have produced a beautiful book of photographs along with a narrative on the trip. They took a digital camera, computer and solar generator, and sent out regular reports and photos that were seen in fifty-seven Southam newspapers every week. They also gave weekly reports on CBC radio. They played up the Grey Owl connection when they travelled part of Grey Owl's route. Their book is called In the Footsteps of Grey Owl: Journey into the Ancient Forests. They also use various quotes from Grey Owl's writing as captions for many of the photos.

A good section of the McGuffin trip was through the Nipissing District, in Algonquin Park, and on the Amable du Fond, Mattawa, and Ottawa Rivers. I had an interesting call from Joanie McGuffin a few months ago to clarify some details on the Amable du Fond River when she was editing the book. She recalls in the book how well they were received by outfitters Ian and Lynda Kovacs and their daughters on their trip up the Amable du Fond. The McGuffins are very complementary about the beautiful white pine tree and have several stunning photographs among the hundred photos in the book. They are also very complimentary about the improvements in conservation in the Lands for Life initiative that took place while they were on their trip.

The book also mentions the help of Forestry Professor Peter Quinby of Ancient Forest Explorations and Research. Peter lives in Chisholm Township in the summer, where his home base is located and where he does much of his training for his work. He was very helpful to a committee in Chisholm that was trying to develop a nature preserve near Boulter Township. For photos and diaries of the McGuffin trip online contact www.adventurers.org and look for Journey into the Ancient Forest. Check June 19-22, 1997 for their travels on the Amable du Fond River and their visit with the Kovacs family.

Space does not allow for a full review of these books, but perhaps what I have said will inspire some to look them up, and better appreciate our way of life in the north.