June 27, 2003 North Bay Heritage Map Now Available

A new large fold-out, 2-sided multicolored map with information for visitors and residents of North Bay is hot off the press. There is a strong heritage emphasis in the map but it covers a wide variety of other topics such as "Must See & Do" items, and an "Information - Emergency" list of key locations. The map is published by The Friends of the Mattawa River Heritage Park, who produced the excellent Mattawa River Heritage Map in 1999. I have used this map on many occasions, as I am sure I will the new one. Profits from these maps go toward a third pending publication "365 Things to do in the Blue Sky Region". 

These maps were produced by Wilston Steer, local historian and Director of Education at the Canadian Ecology Centre. He is well known for his books North Words, Boosting the Bay and Along the Moccasin Line and other maps. His history notes on the new map on the native people, our pioneers and settlers and the early history of North Bay read like a book. Some time with the map will answer many of the main questions one would have on North Bay history.

Cover of new North Bay Heritage & Tourism Map

Eighty-one key locations are pinpointed by number and a legend shows key locations of stores, police, hospital, golf, etc. There is a fascinating large photo showing hundreds of North Bay residents gathered for the 1925 presentation of the Charter of North Bay as a city.

GPS Treasure Hunting

The map provides information on an exciting new eco-tourism activity (www.geocaching.com) where you use a hand held Global Positioning System (GPS) unit to find caches of interesting items in the forest. In the Blue Sky Region/Northern Ontario rendition of the initiative, the Canadian Ecology Centre started the project to bring more awareness to our forests, forestry, and to provide an exciting adventure for technology conscious people. Caches, usually in plastic pails, have a history of the local area and a prize in them. You have to give a prize in return as a part of the game so the next person wins too. A code number in the cache provides the adventurer with a chance to win some very nice prizes listed on the project website. Go to www.canadianecology.ca and look for Blue Sky Region/Northern Ontario GPS Treasure Hunting. You report your code to cache@canadianecology.ca and you may win a prize. GPS units can be rented at Lefebvre's Outdoor Sports 474-5920 on Main Street downtown or go to www.losgear.com or of course you can buy or borrow one.

GPS with its orbiting satellites, time clocks and receivers are becoming a part of your car's equipment or a part of your watch or cell phone. Digital maps will tell you locations and they will be easy to find. Eighteen North Bay sites have been identified on the map for GPS owners so GPS extends well beyond the treasure hunting sport.

The new map and the Mattawa Heritage River Map are available now at Gullivers, Lefebvre's, Bigwood's and the Regional Information Centre at Seymour and the bypass. The Friends of the Mattawa Heritage River Park is a non-profit volunteer organization with charitable status. For further information contact Bill Steer at 705-744-1715 ext.570

No matter what your interest this is a map everyone should have. Thanks to the Friends of the Mattawa River Heritage Park for producing it.