Things to Know

History

The country of Canada is a beautiful, rugged land, which won its independence from Great Britain in 1867. Many of the current cities (including North Bay) began as trading posts to serve Native Canadians and French trappers in the fur trade that began in the early 1800’s.

North Bay was officially founded in 1875 as a logging town. When the railroad finally reached North Bay, the town grew rapidly as a result of employment opportunities and cheap land. Today it is a city of 50,000. It is the farthest large city on the northern latitude of Ontario and is known as the “Gateway to the North”. North Bay is the hub for railroad companies hauling out logs and minerals and transporting machinery and materials up north.

The area of Temagami, where will be heading on our outfitting trips is a vast, beautiful wilderness steeped in native history. The Ojibway natives were the first inhabitants thousands of years ago. Their ancestors now live on Bear Island, a Native Reservation that we will be boating into. Temagami is also home to the last stand of old growth (300-400 years) pine trees, the oldest in the world. Temagami is known as one of the most challenging canoes areas in the world.

Culture

North Bay is about 30 miles from Quebec (the French-speaking Canadian province). Most people in town speak English but many people are bilingual. If you speak French, there are opportunities to use it. We will be staying on the campus of Nipissing University/Canadore College, two separate institutions which share the same campus. This is one of the larger university systems in northern Canada.

Fishing is huge in Canada. Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike and Lake Trout are among the favorites. Outside the city are dense pine forests, bogs and swamps that are home to Black bear and moose. Boating, canoeing and Soccer are popular activities. In the winter, snowmobiling and of course hockey are favorite leisure activities. North Bay is a very family-friendly town with many parks and things to do for kids. There is a large Native population as Nipissing First Nation Indian reserve is just northwest of the city. Check out www.city.north.bay.on.ca for more info.

Canadians are polite people and go out of their way to avoid offending others. Most likely, if you tell them you are a Christian they will smile knowingly, as many come from a French-Catholic spiritual background. However, they are not as accustomed as Americans are to speaking about spiritual things. Many Canadians think of religion as more of a private matter. However, our experience is that once a level of trust is built, they are eager to connect with others about personal things, just as we all are.

Weather

The weather in North Bay is extremely variable.  In June and mid July the temperature ranges from the high 60’s to the mid 80’s.  It is still early spring in when we arrive so cool, rainy days are common. Night temperatures can drop to the 40’s and 50’s.

Odds and Ends

• You will hear the word “eh?” about 20 times a day (no joke).
• Tim Horton’s is HUGE in Canada -learn to love it!
• The US/Canadian exchange rate changes daily. Currently, the US and Canadian dollars are about equal ($1 USD= $1 CD)
• Your cell phone will probably not work in North Bay. You can buy a calling card to call back to the U.S. from your cabin
• Get ready for bugs –lots & lots & lots of bugs!
• Road signs and speed limits are in kilometers. 1 mile=1.6 kilometers
• Gas is sold by the liter. 1 gallon=3.8 liters
• Do not walk in the woods at night by yourself
• You will NOT have internet access in your cabin. The university library is available for internet use.

Contact Info.

You will have a phone for the summer in which you can make calls by calling cards. You will receive your house number and phone number when you arrive. The following will be your mailing address and info. that you can pass on to your parents and friends:

Northwoods Project (Your Name)
C/O Canadore College
100 College Dr.
North Bay, ON P1B8L7 CANADA
Phone: TBD

How to get here:

If you are coming from a great distance, you may want to fly into North Bay. You must fly into Toronto to get a connecting flight. North Bay’s airport is Jack Garland Airport (YYB). Email Ben if you plan to fly with your arrival time so we can pick you up.

100 College Dr. North Bay, ON is your final destination. Here are some general directions below:

• Travel North on Gormanville Rd. off of Provincial Route 17
• Turn left onto College Dr.
• You will see dorms for Canadore College ahead of you and the Ontario Provincial Police on your right.
• Take College Dr. up the hill and turn left into the Nipissing University/Canadore College entrance. Follow the road along and turn left towards the student residences. Look for the Northwoods project signs.

We’ll be sending out periodic emails to remind you of upcoming deadlines.
Email/call Ben for financial, support, and arrival questions
Email Scott for any other questions

See you on June 12th!!!!!!!