Environmental Issues in Northern Ontario
Elk Restoration in Ontario
The Burwash Ontario area
In 1914 the Burwash area was chosen as
the site of a medium security prison farm and the Burwash Correctional
Centre was born. It was made for those not considered "hardened
criminals" and no prisoner held there was sentenced for more than two
years. I've read that over the course of its operation more than 30,000
people lived, worked, or were incarcerated in this unique community.
Workers came from as far away as Europe
to take part in this project and the area became a real multi-cultural
community. It was very much a self sustaining community too. With its
own hospital, dairy barn, post office, chapel, power station, pump
house, sewage treatment, farming industry, schools, sawmill, and logging
operations. It's admirable that it established an early forestry plan
that included tree planting.
The area was closed down by the
government in 1974 and today the area is considered a ghost town.
Stories tell us that the residents were heartbroken, some to the point
of committing suicide, when they were told they had to leave. In the
years after it's closure buildings and houses were removed at various
times, and once it was used for goat farming. The only signs of
civilization I've seen is the odd staggered line of rotten fence poles,
bits that might be old foundations, or plants, like lilac, that were
obviously grown in someone's yard in the past. And of course power line
poles are still in place. The farmlands have become wild grasslands. The
area supports a wide range of wildlife, including bear, elk, rare birds,
beaver, and deer. The grasslands created by the early farming in
this area is a rare find in Northern Ontario's Precambrian Shield
landscape and as such is invaluable elk habitat.
This may be the only area in Northern
Ontario that has had a small population of elk (approximately 30
animals) growing wild on it's own. This population was generally larger
and healthier than those found on various reserves or farms.
The Elk Restoration project has used this
area to house and release elk on several occasions. They are radio
collared and monitored.
The data that's collected is providing valuable information into
post-release movements, survival and reproduction rates, habitat use,
adaptability, and related biological information. It was found that the
native heard did not mingle with the released animals during the first
years. It's only been in the last couple of years that the heard are
starting to breed.
The Ontario Elk
Restoration Project has monitored the release of additional elk in other
parts of the province, inlcuding Lake of the Woods, Lake Huron North
Shore and Bancroft/North Hastings.
The Burwash area is now used by the
military for various training exercises, by the Sudbury District Kennel
Club for field trials, and for various wildlife studies.
