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Hip history and chocolate potato chips!

So last week as I entered my Grade 12 history class I was greeted by one of my students who presented me with a Pringles potato chip. Hiding the can from me, she told me to “taste it!” I’m usually very leery about requests to taste or smell unknown things for obvious reasons, but I decided to trust her judgement as I’ve never met a potato chip I didn’t like (well, with the exception of dill pickle). Taking the plunge, I was immediately greeted by the strangest combination of flavours I’ve ever experienced. I thought I tasted what seemed like peppermint and chocolate…weird. Turns out that Pringles has released some new flavours for the holidays, including white chocolate and peppermint; not something I’ll be running to the store for!

Anyway, the special edition chips tell us that Christmas is rapidly approaching. The man in the big red suit arrives in exactly one week! It’s hard to believe that it is almost here. It seems like yesterday that it was September and the school year was just starting. Where does the time go? Maybe the saying is true, “time flies when you’re having fun!” I wouldn’t necessarily say it was all fun, but certainly it was memorable.

It has once again been a very busy week on all fronts, especially with work. I am desperately trying to clear up as much marking as I can before we head into the break. My main priority is to finish marking the Gr.12 Independent Studies that I promised would be back by Friday. I also have a bunch of other things that I doubt will be done before Friday and on Thursday all three of my classes are writing tests. So I guess I’ll have a pile of marking to do over the break that I probably won’t get all through.

Speaking of work to do over the holidays, I know I’ll be spending some time going through clips and putting together our annual football highlight video. Come January players from this year’s team will be visiting our feeder school Pope John Paul II to do some recruiting. I guess I’ll have my work cut out for me!

It is also a very busy time for our boys with all the pre-Christmas activities. I spent the afternoon today with my youngest Noah at one of the local farms, Gammondale. They do a real good job making things fun and exciting for these young kids. Too bad they were not able to do the sleigh ride because of the lack of snow. Yes, once again pretty much all of the snow has disappeared due to warm temperatures! Unless we get some snowfall in the next few days (which is not in the forecast), we will have that brown Christmas I spoke of a few weeks ago.

Now with the approach of that much anticipated two weeks off, one of my primary goals (on top of all the other things I just wrote about and then some) is to do some work on my Leeblain article. It seems like eons since I last looked at it (November 4^th according to my computer). I really want to get it done so I can have my contact at the Thunder Bay Historical Society take a look at it and give me some feedback. With Christmas close to the beginning of the break, I should be able to squeeze in some time here and there.

Handcar on the PAD&W, date unknown (Shelley Simon).

Work is continuing to progress on the Silver Mountain Historical Society. The last week has been filled with many little projects associated with the start-up and incorporation of this organization. We are hoping to have an executive meeting early in the New Year to complete and file the incorporation papers.

Ready for the incorporaton meeting, December 2012.

Yesterday I posted the first of what will be many blog entries describing the latest news from the society on our WordPress site. It seems if I am rapidly becoming a social media junky. Between the two blogs, several Facebook groups and pages, as well as four Twitter accounts, I feel as if this is like a fulltime job. However in this electronic age, it is absolutely critical to tap every medium possible. One of our goals is to reach out to our youth, and as a teacher I know that you need to speak their language and utilize all the latest technology. Welcome to a new era, where history can be hip and cool!

Shelley Simon and myself speaking at the SMHS, December 2012.

Shelley Simon and I speaking at the SMHS, December 2012.

On a final note, work is progressing on my personal project to preserve the railway in the North-Gunflint Lake area. Today I received an email from my contact in the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Apparently gears are turning at the government level and hopefully everyone involved will be able to sit down and discuss where to proceed next. This certainly gives me reason for some optimism. I know that things like this take time, but at least we are moving in the right direction.

Anyway, it’s time to go…marking beckons! Next week’s blog will be a day early due to Christmas. Until then…

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Posted by Padwrr on December 18, 2012 in History, Miscellaneous, Research, Writing

Tags: Christmas, Education, Football, History, Leeblain, Port Arthur Duluth & Western Railway, Railway, Snow, social media, Teaching

Visions of what???

11 Dec

According to the poem, I am supposed to have visions of sugar-plums dancing through my head. I know that is from “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” but close enough. And what the hell is a sugar-plum anyway? According to our friends at Google, it is a type of dragée candy. Learn something new every day! Anyway, there are certainly no candy images floating through my head. If there was, maybe I wouldn’t have a headache. No, despite the season, my thoughts are focussed on other things. The sugar-plums have been replaced by marking, meetings and railways…par for the course right? All these things do nothing but exacerbate the sense of burnout that I’m feeling right now. How many more sleeps?

So Christmas is exactly 2 weeks away. The brown blah I wrote about last week has been replaced by a new blanket of snow, at least making it feel right. The house is fully decorated and ready for the season. Most of the shopping has been done and there are only a few things left to do. I guess it is now a waiting game, which is always interesting with a couple little boys in the house. They are certainly chopping at the bit for the big guy to arrive. We’ll see what he has in store this year!

To answer my previous question, there are only 8 more sleeps before the break. Thank God…my brain capacity is dwindling by the minute! I know I write a lot about it, but it seems as if every year the burnout gets more pronounced. Maybe it’s got something to do with the fact that I have way to many things going on (hence the lack of sugar plums). I tend to stress about things, which is not usually a good thing to do. I know that relaxation is important (and healthy), but I’m the type whose brain is always chewing on something. School is definitely one of those things. I had to laugh when I read my post from a year ago and wrote Santa for a marking elf. He never did send one, so maybe I should ask again!

This past week was again a very busy time on the railway front. Sunday was the incorporation meeting for the Silver Mountain Historical Society so there was a million and one things to do. Even though the event has passed, there are still many things swirling in my mind. The meeting itself went really well despite some bad weather.

The weather forecast called for snow on Sunday, so as I prepared to gather my stuff and head out to Silver Mountain I was a bit concerned at how that would affect the turn out. I’m sure we did lose some people due to the slippery roads, but the amount of folks that did show up was very positive. There was close to 30 people in attendance, and coupled with those that came to the previous event, we have over 60 names registered with the society!

Silver Mountain Station, December 2012.

I was the main presenter at the meeting, on top of speaking about the railway and our goal to preserve the North-Gunflint Lake corridor, particularly the ghost town of Leeblain. Other information was presented by my co-host Shelley Simon, who spoke about efforts to erect a historic plaque at Silver Mountain (like the PAD&W plaque in Hymers) and repair the Silver Mountain Cemetery. All this and we haven’t even really started!

PAD&W Historic Plaque, Hymers, May 2012.

To proceed with our incorporation process, a society executive had to be chosen. I was nominated and acclaimed as Vice-President. I certainly appreciate the selection, but I am also very nervous. There are just so many things involved and many of us have never done anything like this. Thankfully we have some members from the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society who will be guiding us through this process.

I guess my biggest fears stem from the fact that I am unsure how this will affect my free time. Between work, family and coaching, my time is fairly limited. I still want to pursue my research of the railway and especially the fieldwork aspect of it. Hopefully I can find a way to tie everything in together. To compound things, I decided to start a blog for the society as well, The Silver Express (not really sold on the title, but I can always change it). Oh by the way, if you haven’t noticed, I changed the title of this bog too. I thought it was a bit more creative than “Padwrr.”

Anyway, I guess I should get rolling as I have marking to do; big shocker! Hopefully by next week I’ll have some pics of the society meeting. Until then…

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Posted by Padwrr on December 11, 2012 in History, Miscellaneous, Writing

Tags: Christmas, Education, Leeblain, Port Arthur Duluth & Western Railway, Railway, Silver Mountain Historical Society, Snow, Teaching

Dreaming of a brown Christmas?

04 Dec

So the $64,000 question is where did all the snow go? Last week I wrote about the big dump of snow we received quite suddenly; fast forward a week and it’s gone just as fast. The abnormally warm temperatures we experienced over the last few days is the obvious culprit…we don’t usually get +8C in December. There’s no global warming right? Anyway, the big downside to all of this is that we’ve returned to that dreary, blah landscape of brown. I’m not the biggest fan of winter, but I must admit that things do look better covered in white. And besides, snow just puts me more in the Christmas mood, especially since the big day is only three weeks away!

So, other the lack of a white blanket in Thunder Bay, what’s new Dave? Well, to quote my usual response, “same ole’ crap!” Not that life is that uninteresting or negative, it’s just that I’m tired. No, not the I need a nap tired, but just that I’m a bit burnt tired. Time for a breather…a break if you will. And coincidentally enough Christmas break is just around the corner (well, 13 days from now to be exact)! As I’ve mentioned on several occasions already, I am definitely looking forward to the vacation. Things are not entirely sane right now and it will be nice to have a few less things on my plate.

What is it keeping my so busy you ask? The most obvious answer to that question is work. Despite my desire for a respite, I still have a job to do. This is usually the time of the semester that my marking tends to pile up and my illness a few weeks back did nothing but exacerbate the situation. I am behind! Marking is like this never-ending battle (well, it technically does end at the close of a semester); just when you seem to have gotten yourself caught up, you’re almost instantaneously swamped again. I guess I have another 15 years of treading water…cheers to me!

Anywho, the craziness with work has made it a bit of a challenge to get through all my railway related projects. My free time has once again, like it has been the last number of weeks, been dominated by preparations for the Silver Mountain Historical Society incorporation. Things are a little more real now since the 9^th is this weekend. There is still so much to do! I think Shelley and I have nailed down the agenda, and now I’ve begun work on the actual presentation. I have part of the slideshow done for the meeting, and I’ve started work on a video for one of our principal priorities, the preservation of the North-Gunflint Lake corridor.

As the date approaches I am becoming increasingly nervous. Preparation is not the concern; as a teacher, I learned a long time ago that preparation is a critical element in the success or failure of anything. I think it’s just who I am. As a bit of a perfectionist, I do put a lot of pressure on myself when it comes to things like this…I just want things to come off as good as possible. I get the same way before football games…I routinely have to trot off to the port-a-potty on the field even though I went before we left the school. I’m sure I’ll be fine, but guaranteed the butterflies will be swirling before I start.

All the preparations for the meeting over the last few weeks has not taken every minute of my time, as I have found a few spare moments to do some other things as well. I did manage to get another vintage video up on YouTube, this time of the area around the Gravel Lakes. The Gravel Lakes are a chain of four lakes stretching for 2.5km from Sun Hill to Gravel Lake Station (mile 52); they are one of the most “interesting” sections of the railway. When I say “interesting” I am obvious being very facetious, as the Gravel Lakes are probably one of the worst pieces of grade on the entire line.

Rail bed, Gravel Lake I, July 2010.

Rail bed, Gravel Lake II, July 2010.

This entire stretch lies just at, or even below the water level of the lakes. It could be that the level of the lakes has risen in the past 120 years, but most likely the grade has settled into the swampy, muskeg topography of the area. If you’re not familiar with muskeg, just give it a Google. In his book “The National Dream,” noted author Pierre Berton wrote of the challenges of building railways through the Canadian Shield. He stated that many times entire sections of seemingly solid line had to be re-laid as they had settled into the muskeg; one had to be done seven times!

Ties, Gravel Lake II, July 2010.

I first walked this section back in 1994, and was completely horrified (maybe that’s a bit strong) by what I found. I even got lost at one point, as I could not believe that it was the railway winding its way submerged through the last lake; it in fact was! I returned in 1997 to grab some video (I could have sworn I was there in ’95) and found that the water levels had receded somewhat. This is the footage I posted to YouTube.

Rail bed with ties, Gravel Lake III, July 2010.

I was back in the area two years ago in the summer of 2010. This section is interesting in the fact that because it is rather swampy, not many people have travelled it since the rails were removed. There are stories floating around of the locomotive engineers setting the engine on a slow speed and walking beside it on a particularly bad area because there was a tendency to derail. There are others of the train men becoming adept at coaxing the train back on the tracks because it would derail so often. I swear these legends speak about the Gravel Lakes!

Rail bed, Gravel Lake IV, July 2010.

Anyway, my journey a few years ago was to gather GPS data for the grade as it is difficult to plot its location due to the settling. I found that the water levels were even lower than in previous years, revealing things such as ties that I had never seen before. Many of the ties still had spikes in them! I would imagine that after sitting in the ground for so long, and the area being so wet, that they just left them in place. I took many pictures, but sadly I did not have my video camera with me. Therefore I will be returning to the Gravel Lakes to do just that, maybe even this summer.

Ties with spikes, Gravel Lake IV, July 2010.

Anyway, time to call it quits. I’ll definitely have a lot to say after Sunday’s meeting. Until then…

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Posted by Padwrr on December 4, 2012 in History, Miscellaneous, Research, Writing

Tags: Christmas, Education, Gravel Lakes, muskeg, outdoors, Port Arthur Duluth & Western Railway, Railway, Silver Mountain Historical Society, Snow, swamp, Teaching, Winter

Well, it was inevitable!

27 Nov

Gee, what is it you’re talking about Dave? Could it be that it’s the end of November and winter has finally arrived? Yup, you got me! However I must say that the onset of winter this year was a bit unexpected. Last Thursday the temperature was +10C and it was beautiful outside. By the next day the temperature has dropped to -6C and we had received 20cm of snow. That’s a bit of a 180 if I do say so myself! Buses were cancelled and so it was a rather quiet Friday at school with only a handful of kids in the building.

I must admit that the snow on the ground does add a little colour to what was becoming a rather blah landscape of browns and greys. Christmas (yes, the c word) is less than a month away so it was expected that some snow would fall-hence this week’s title. The forecast does call for the temps to rise back above 0 for the weekend, so we may lose some of the white stuff. I’m okay with all of it though, since at some point the boys and I can start going back up the mountain.

The end of November means that we are rapidly approaching the holiday season, and there are a scant three weeks left to go before the break. Perfect timing, as it’s starting to get to that “I need a rest” point to recharge the ole’ battery! Lots of things to do between now and then though, and I’m sure it will be very appreciated when we get there. Unfortunately due to my bout with the flu last week, I am very much behind in my marking and the next little while will be filled with the sound of shuffling papers.

This past weekend I tried to play catch up on missed projects from the previous week. My wife’s van received its winter tires, albeit a day and a pile of snow late. This weekend I’ll have to get up the outside lights, but thankfully my wife and the boys looked after the trees and decorations inside. Let’s hope those mild temps show up since it’s always a pain getting the lights hooked up when it’s freezing cold out.

It has once again been a very busy few days on the railway front, with my efforts again focussed on the Silver Mountain Historical Society. On Wednesday I had my planned meeting with Bonnie McNulty who is a regional advisor with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. There were no earth-shattering revelations, as Ms. McNulty is just an advisor who offers support and advice to people like me. However it was reassuring to know that our group is headed in the right direction and talking to the right people. Hopefully this will lead to some sort of historic designation for the railway and eventually the planned hiking trails that we are after.

A lot of my time has been taken up in planning the upcoming incorporation meeting on December 9^th. I’m really glad there are people around me like Shelley Simon and Ellen McInnis who have been instrumental in getting everything organized and promoted. The agenda is nearing completion and I’ve started planning what the presentation will look like. It is still a week and a half away, but I know that time will quickly fly by. I’m pretty good right now, but I’m sure my anxiety level will go through the roof as the date gets closer. Try to stay calm!

On a related note, I happened to take a look at the Gunflint Lodge website today to see if they had anything about my February presentation. In October I was contacted by Sue Kerfoot to see if I was interested in doing a few talks about the railway for their winter programming. Of course I gladly accepted! So the lodge has created a weekend package around the talks, snowshoeing and skiing. Hopefully I can convince my wife to tag along; she can get a massage while I yap! I really enjoyed my last stay there and the accommodations and hospitality were great. You can check everything out on the Gunflint Lodge website (I’ll have to talk to them about the spelling of Leeblain though).

Gunflint Lodge, May 2011.

Gunflint Lodge cabin, May 2011.

Romantic cabin for one, May 2011.

Gunflint Lake, May 2011.

Anyway, time to wrap things up for now. More to say next week as usual. Until then…

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Posted by Padwrr on November 27, 2012 in History, Miscellaneous, Research, Travel, Writing

Tags: Christmas, Education, Gunflint Lake, onset of winter, outdoors, Port Arthur Duluth & Western Railway, Railway, Silver Mountain, Snow, Teaching

I had to open my big mouth didn’t I?

20 Nov

Remember last week how I wrote about being so sick I felt like crap? Yup, I had to say to say it and now karma has bitten me in the ass. I have not been this sick in a long, long time. I was actually starting to feel better as the week progressed, but then I got hammered on Saturday. My back was a bit sore all day (for no apparent reason); by the evening I was lying on the couch completely chilled to the bone. Sunday wasn’t too bad, but I woke up on Monday morning at 4 freezing once again. I went to work for the morning, but went home at lunch. My temperature was a lovely 103F!

Needless to say I am feeling marginally better today, but my head is still plugged up and I cannot breathe properly. Talk about the perfect storm of colds…head, chest and fever. I managed to get through the day at work with only a few shivers and sweats. Hopefully I’m feeling better by tomorrow as I’m out of the classroom for an e-Learning workshop.

So Sunday marked the one year anniversary of this blog; where has the time gone? It’s sort of interesting to look back and see what I had to say a year ago. It’s also amazing where this rant has taken me and the topics I’ve written about every week. I’m very thankful for the 4000+ views in the last year and the 49 people who’ve decided to follow me. We’ll see what the next year brings!

Anyway, the railway front has been very busy, mostly regarding the Silver Mountain Historical Society again. Last week I wrote about the launch of the society website, which went public on Friday. Personally, I feel it could be a bit better, but I guess it’s okay for now. Hopefully it will bring more publicity to our efforts and there’s always room for improvements in the future. Be sure to check it out! silvermountainhs.ca

On Saturday I “stopped by” the Silver Mountain Station to borrow some old photos so I could scan them (I say “stopped by” in jest as it is a 54km drive along twisty-turny Highway 588 to get there). I did grab the photos I was looking for, but I also had a chance to chat with proprietress and fellow society co-chair Shelley Simon. She was kind enough to give me a tour of the old station, especially the upstairs part which one does not normally see. The station has seen a few additions over the years, but it still retains much of its historic style.

After our walkabout, our conversation turned to the old station on North Lake. Shelley had some great photos of the original station from the 1970’s; it really made me wish I could have seen it. It made me think of the replica station that was built on Addie Lake which I did have a chance to visit on many occasions. I kinda miss that building…it made me go digging through my old videos to find some footage that I had of it from 1997. Unfortunately it’s not a lot of footage, but I decided to post it to YouTube anyway.

North Lake Station, 1970’s.

North Lake Station, circa 1970’s.

Tomorrow I have my meeting with the Regional Advisor from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. I think I’m ready for this, but I have no idea where the discussion will take us and what will come of it. I am trying to be positive though, as any little thing will be a step in the right direction. I’ll report all the news next week.

Anyway, time to wrap things up as I’m still not 100%, but you know that already. Hopefully I’ll be back to snuff by next week. Until then…

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Posted by Padwrr on November 20, 2012 in Hiking, Miscellaneous, Research, Writing

Tags: Education, History, North Lake, outdoors, Port Arthur Duluth & Western Railway, Railway, Research, Silver Mountain, Teaching

Here we go again…

13 Nov

Yep, I am officially sick again. I feel like a big pile of poop! Who came up with that analogy by the way? Did someone do a scientific study comparing the feeling you have when you’re sick and fecal matter? Gee, too bad I wasn’t part of that! All kidding aside though, I do feel quite lousy, but I did suck it up and dragged my butt into work. Hopefully I get better soon as I hate this feeling.

Now one of the reasons I’m praying for a quick recovery is that I’m going to have to play a bit of football on Thursday. Since both the junior and senior teams are done for the season, it is time for our annual wrap-up. This means that we’ll be playing a little two-hand touch football and eating some pizza. It’s bad enough that I’m out of shape, but it will kill me when I’m less than one hundred percent. Let’s hope I don’t break anything important!

So this week I did have a bit more time to devote to railway matters, but certainly less than I hoped. I had wanted to at least get in a bit of writing on the Leeblain article, but things just didn’t pan out that way. Maybe this week?

On Saturday I took some time to tidy up my office and file a lot of information that had piled over the summer and fall. While I was at it, I decided to convert the last segments of old video that I had of my railway field work. This particular footage was shot in the summer of 1997, and was taken around Nolalu, Wolfe Siding and Mackies. I put the first video on YouTube on Sunday, and I hope to get the others up in the next few weeks.

The subject of this video is the area between Leeper (mile 31) and Nolalu (mile 34), which is one of the most unique from a historical perspective. It contains many telegraph poles and the remains of four bridges over the Whitefish River. The most amazing of all is the third crossing, as it is the only bridge on the entire railway which has concrete abutments. Why this was done for this and this only bridge remains a mystery. I was last there in 2009 and I’m anxious to get back as soon as I can as I did not shoot any video on that hike; I’m sure much has changed it that time.

Rail bed, Leeper, August 2009.

Telegraph pole, Leeper, August 2009.

Bridge remains, Leeper, August 2009.

Bridge remains, Leeper, July 2012.

Most of my railway time however was once again taken up by the Silver Mountain Historical Society. Our incorporation meeting is coming up in less than a month, and there’s a lot to do in that short period of time. I have a presentation to put together and there’s also the matter of recruiting as many members as possible.

In conversation with my fellow co-chair Shelley Simon (who’s also the proprietress of the Silver Mountain Station), we decided it was time to look into a website. I’ve registered the domain name and started work on the site. Web design unfortunately is not among the many skills in my repertoire, so I had to resort to using the provided web builder. It looks decent, but it could be a bit better (I am somewhat of a perfectionist though, which does colour my opinion). I want to unveil the site by the end of the week, and hopefully this will lead to some increased publicity for the society. Fingers are crossed!

Anyway, I’m kinda out of gas, so it’s time to wrap things up…more to say next week as usual. Until then…

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Posted by Padwrr on November 13, 2012 in Hiking, Miscellaneous, Research, Writing

Tags: Education, Football, History, Leeper, Nolalu, outdoors, Port Arthur Duluth & Western Railway, Railway, Teaching, Whitefish River

On that disappointing note…

06 Nov

Ya, so I’m not my usual happy self, but the last few days have been a bit of a downer. The weather has been very blah, it’s November and oh ya, we lost our semi-final game! I’ll try to keep it cheery, as I now have a bit more time to do things I’ve put on hold for a while. But judging by the ideas floating around in my head right now, this week’s blog is going to be a bit more pensive than usual; I guess it fits in well with the time of year.

So yes, unfortunately, football is done for another year…hence the title for this week. While I appreciate the time to relax and catch my breath, it is never easy to conclude something you’ve invested so much time and effort into. After beating our opponent 30 to 7 in the regular season, we were confident we could once again beat Churchill. It was a bad omen when we lost our starting A back (and kicker/punter) on the second play of the game with an MCL injury.

The boys played hard, but it was clear there was no mojo at all…we just couldn’t string anything consistent together and lost 14 to 7. Despite the loss I’m still proud of the team, as we came a long way in a short period of time. This was especially true since so many of them had never played football before and nearly sixty percent of the team were grade 9’s. That certainly bodes well for next season, and gives us a lot of optimism.

One of the bright spots this week was the continued progress of the Europe trip. As I reported last time, all the available spots were filled in two days. Tomorrow is our first of many group meetings, and I will outline the student responsibilities for our journey. This is not only a trip, but also a pilgrimage (hence the name Canada’s Battlefields), and as such we want them to understand the importance of recognizing and remembering the sacrifice of previous generations.

On that note, this coming Sunday is Remembrance Day here in Canada. It is the day we take time to honour the more than 100,000 Canadians who have given their lives for our country. It is sad however that for many Canadians it is the only time each year that they remember our war dead. It is almost as if the young cadets and aged Legionnaires distributing poppies are a visual cue for our collective reflection. While I do tend to remember more than most, this time of year does make me think of my own efforts, both in the classroom and outside of it.

Stone of Remembrance, Brette-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery.

From an early age I had always wanted to serve my country in the armed forces. The plan was to attend Royal Military College, but my initial dream of becoming a pilot was sadly shattered in Grade 7 when I found out I had terrible vision and needed glasses. I shifted my focus to a career in the army, possibly even entering the ranks of the parachute infantry (which is extremely bizarre given my fear of heights). At age 17 I decided to join the Army Reserve to prepare for my future transition to regular force of the Canadian Army. I thus became a member of the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment (LSSR).

Pre-10 mile march, August 1991. I’m on the left with the C9 machine gun.

Change of Command parade, September 1991. Front row, second from left.

It is rather interesting how one’s life plays out, for at the time I joined the LSSR I never could have imagined that 21 years later I would be in a classroom teaching history to teenagers. While I certainly enjoyed my time in the reserves, I also came to realize that it was not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. The constant relocation and deployment of our soldiers was a big influence on my decision to switch careers, but I am also convinced that I was called into my current profession. Maybe teaching sacrifice to our young people is my particular version of duty to my country.

Mother Canada weeping for her fallen sons, Vimy Memorial.

So this week I will do my part to remember. Yesterday was an important anniversary for my old unit, Zijpe Day. On November 5^th, 1944, mortar and anti-tank units of the Lake Superior Regiment (LSR-predecessor to the LSSR), along with tanks of the British Columbia Regiment, attacked several German ships moored in the port of Zijpe, Netherlands. They would be the only Canadian Army units to score a naval victory during the Second World War. Some of the LSR dead from this theatre of the Northwest Europe Campaign are buried in the Canadian War Cemetery at Bergen-op-Zoom and we will have an opportunity to honour them during our visit next year.

Grave of Rifleman Janson, Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery.

Obviously with all of these things going on it has been a relatively quiet week on the railway front. I did spend a bit of time looking over my article on Leeblain, which I hope to get back to very soon. I also did a little bit of light research, but there were no earth-shattering revelations.

Most of my attention was directed toward the impending incorporation of the Silver Mountain Historical Society. Next week I meet with the Regional Advisor from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport to discuss preservation of some of the railway, so I guess it’s time to get this group rolling. We have our incorporation meeting scheduled for Sunday, December 9^th, and I certainly hope it is well attended. We do have a good little group so far, but we are going to need more support and help from the local community.

Truth be told I am a bit nervous about the whole process, as there are a lot of legal and procedural requirements to this type of endeavour. I really hope more people step up to the plate and volunteer their time. Likewise, it would be nice to see some young blood get onboard too; at 38 I am the youngest person involved with the society. I know there are a lot folks out there that appreciate the history of our area and the history of the railway, but without some hard work and dedication there would be no history to enjoy for anyone. Please support the society!

Well on that note, I should wrap things up for now. As usual, there will be more insights and news next week. Until then…

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Posted by Padwrr on November 6, 2012 in Miscellaneous, Research, Travel, Writing

Tags: Army Reserve, Canadian Forces, Education, EF Tours, Football, History, Lake Superior Scottish Regiment, outdoors, Port Arthur Duluth & Western Railway, Railway, Remembrance Day

Maybe the Mayans were right…

30 Oct

Dave, surely you jest! End of the world? Come on! Besides, didn’t the Mayan calendar end in December 2012? Well, it wouldn’t be the first time someone was off a bit. Do I seriously believe that the world is coming to an end? No, but the events of the past few days certainly make it seem like it. Earthquakes in BC, mega-hurricane on the US east coast…did I miss anything? Let just hope it’s pure coincidence.

As usual, it has been a very busy week. I am certainly looking forward to the return of a small bit of normalcy shortly. However, I am sure I will find more craziness to fill void.

So last Tuesday I had the parent meeting for the Europe 2014 trip. I mentioned in my previous blog that it was well attended and it appeared that there was some solid interest in this excursion. I could not have imagined how much interest there was; all 21 spots available were filled within 48 hours. We actually have a waiting list! I couldn’t be happier with this development and I can’t wait to see the sights of Europe with this group.

Saturday was the grand finale of another great Tyke football season. It is really something to work with these young kids, even as frustrating and exasperating as it can be. The day was unfortunately about as miserable as could be, with chilly temperatures and even a brief, blizzard-like snowfall. It sadly left a few youngsters freezing and crying on the bench. Despite this, the Argos took the championship 25-0. I am quite proud of the team and of my boys in particular for their growth over the season.

Speaking of football, this Saturday is semi-final day for our Fighting Saints junior team. Hard to believe that the last two months is now down to this. It has been a long season and the team has come a long way, especially with the number of kids we have that never played football. We’re taking on the Churchill Trojans, a team that we beat 30-7 in our first meeting. We’re not taking anything lightly though, as the playoffs are for keeps. Wish us luck!

So all of this excitement has left little time for railway related work, but I hope that will change in the next few weeks. Maybe I’ll actually be able to get back to my article on Leeblain and finally finish it; it’s only been two months! It would be nice to see it in the 2013 edition of the Thunder Bay Museum’s Paper and Records as it will be the 120^th anniversary of the founding of the town (that is if they want to publish it). My first published paper would be awesome…then it would be Historian Dave Battistel!

In an interesting development, I did receive an email today from Bonnie McNulty with the Regional Services Office of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. We will be meeting shortly to discuss attempts to preserve portions of the railway and its history. That will in turn lead to some movement regarding the Silver Mountain Historical Society, which will be our vehicle to carry out these preservations.

It has been so many years since the railway stopped operating that many traces of it have long disappeared. Sadly few buildings remain along the line, just a few section houses and the Silver Mountain Station (built in 1907). The identical copy of Silver Mountain, North Lake, which was probably constructed in the same year, was around until the late 1970’s. I wish it was still around as it would have made for a beautiful attraction in such a beautiful location.

North Lake Station, circa 1918.

North Lake Station, 1970’s.

I always wondered about its demise, and after many years of hearing different stories, I finally learned its fate at the founding meeting of the Historical Society. I spent some time in conversation with Gil Erickson, who had some intimate knowledge of the situation. Gil was involved with preservation of the railway when I was still a little kid. In the 1970’s, a group working out of Nolalu called the Localmotive Society attempted to renovate the derelict station to use as the focal point of some planned hiking trails. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) was not very cooperative at the time and would not allow any work on the old station (something about being too close to the border?).

The group then decided to build a replica station 3.5km east of the site on Addie Lake. They removed as much material from the original as possible before the MNR burned it down. Utilizing government grants and student labour, over two summers the group constructed a great copy of the station. I first saw this replica in the fall of 1990 and later visited it on many occasions over the next decade. Unfortunately I did not realize how much authentic material had been built into it or I would have spent more time taking in the history.

Replica North Lake Station, 1994.

Sadly the re-built station, sitting in a very remote and isolated area, was a frequent target of vandals. The lack of accessibility to the site also prevented the planned development of trails in the area. In the fall/winter of 2004, with no one willing to take on the maintenance of the structure, the MNR decided to burn it down. Therefore the few skeletal boards of the original station and coal bunker are all that remain of the once magnificent station. A very sad end to a wonderful piece of history; it things like this that drive my desire to preserve what is left.

North Lake Station, 1994.

North Lake Station, May 2010.

North Lake coal bunker, October 2011.

Anyway, it is probably time to wrap things up for now. As usual, there will be more to say next week (if we make it that far!). Until then…

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Posted by Padwrr on October 30, 2012 in Miscellaneous, Research, Travel, Writing

Tags: Education, EF Tours, Football, History, North Lake, outdoors, Port Arthur Duluth & Western Railway, Railway

My head hurts!

23 Oct

Yup, my brain is sore. Why you ask? Well, I’ve reached the proverbial end of October I’m burnt out from everything point. No matter how much sleep I get I feel like I constantly need a nap. It is the culmination of two months of sheer insanity and stress. Thank God things are beginning to wind down as I don’t think I can keep this up much longer…but then again I say that every year and I keep taking on too many things. Anyway, enjoy the literary feast as I recount the events of the past week.

So today was the parent meeting for the 2014 Europe trip and it was very well attended. We are cleared to start signing up kids! Although we are still 500 days away from departure, I’m getting pretty excited about the journey. It was great even to describe the trip to the students and parents in attendance. Yes I have visited some of these places before, but I really want to see them in more detail and experience all the new sights as well. I guess I’ll just have to be patient!

Thursday was conclusion of our 2012 SSSAA (Superior Secondary Schools Athletic Association) Junior football regular season as we have a bye this week. We went out on a winning note, defeating the Westgate Tigers 34 to 7, our first victory over them in 3 years. The boys played well after a shaky start. So we finished at a respectable 3 and 1, good enough for second place and a spot in the semi-finals on November 3^rd. I am very proud of the team, especially since we had only 8 returners from last year’s squad and more than 50% of the team are Grade 9’s.

Anyway, it was a very hectic week on the railway front again. We are still pushing forward with the Silver Mountain Historical Society; I spent some time looking into the formation of not-for-profit organizations and I thought my head was going to explode. Wow, talk about a lot to digest at one time! It seems very scary on the surface, but I hope that with the collective effort of our group we will work through it.

I did receive a response last week to an email I sent to the regional advisor with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. It was very positive and supportive, and I hope to be able to set up a meeting the near future. This is just a small step, but I am confident it will lead to the preservation of sections of the railway.

On Sunday I had the opportunity to do what will probably be my last hike of the year. I decided that with the leaves down and the bush fairly dry, it would be a good to go back to Mackies on Whitefish Lake. I was last there in June and again in July, but I purposefully avoided the section to the west of where the station had been. I had hiked portions of the railway there back in 1994 and again in 1998, but I really wanted to go over it again.

2-6-0 Engine 108 pulls a mixed train, presumably at Mackies circa 1918.

Mackies Station was located near the northwestern end of Whitefish Lake, approximately 46 miles from Port Arthur (there are two nearby roads named Mile 46 and Mileage 46 respectively). I would start the day’s hike at an unnamed road (sometimes called Tower Mountain Road) which runs north and bi-sects the railway about 100 metres from Highway 588. Immediately west of the road lies the remains of an approximately 250 foot trestle which spanned a small valley, and was burned in a forest fire around 1923.

The fallen leaves made locating and photographing the eastern abutment of the trestle very easy. My biggest concern was going to be crossing the valley and how wet was the ground in that expanse. Thankfully it hasn’t rained a lot in a while (except for the steady rain that has fallen today), so while I to detour a bit, it wasn’t really too bad. As I made my way across, I came across the remains of some of the bridge pilings next to the path of the small creek that flows through the valley. Really neat to see these things, especially after they were driven into the ground 121 years ago.

Eastern abutment, Mackies Trestle, Octiber 2012.

The slope up to the western abutment is quite sheer, making the climb rather interesting. According to my GPS, the grade sits some 18 feet above the valley, but it sure felt a lot higher than that. Following the railway from that point was fairly easy, as it was grown in but the tall trees eliminated a lot of the difficult underbrush. Really interesting to see how the line was cut into the side of a small hill and how in many spots you could still see the indentations from the ties.

Western abutment, Mackies Trestle, October 2012.

Rail bed, west of Mackies, October 2012.

The area was littered with evidence of telegraph poles, but I only found one spot where there might have been the remains of the actual pole. From my experience hiking east of Mackies this summer, I knew exactly how to find them-circular patterns of rock located about 15 feet south of the grade. I recorded 11 locations, but I’m assuming the poles were all cut and destroyed (or salvaged) at some point.

Telegraph Pole base, west of Mackies, October 2012.

About 550 metres from the trestle is where I made my first significant find, albeit one that has little to do with the railway. I vividly remember this location from a 1998 visit, even videotaping what I found and being amazed to see something like this in such an obscure location. The object in question is an old truck belonging to the Northern Wood Preservers Company. It was probably abandoned in its current location back in the 70’s or 80’s, most likely when that company was logging in the area and the grade was more accessible. I wonder how long before it rusts out completely and turns into just a pile of metal.

Abandoned truck, west of Mackies, October 2012.

The grade continues southwesterly, and then westerly for 650 metres before you arrive at a small rock cut nested in one of the few really overgrown sections in the area. The cut is not high, maybe only 3 feet or so, but it gives an indication of things to come. From there the line alternates through some grown in and relatively clear sections for another 900 metres. At this point the grade opens up completely as the trail becomes part of the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs network.

Rail bed, west of Mackies, October 2012.

Ties, west of Mackies, October 2012.

I only followed the railway for another 800 metres in a northwesterly direction as I had to get back home early that day. I was quite a beautiful walk as the grade ascends the slope alongside Sun Hill. With the leaves down and some of the trees harvested, it made for a gorgeous panorama of the surrounding area, especially the mesas of the Canadian Shield. It must have been something to see when the train was puffing through this area.

Cutting, Sun Hill, October 2012.

Embankment, Sun Hill, October 2012.

Cutting my journey short left me about 1.5km shy of my intended end point, which is the beginning of the Gravel Lakes section that I walked back in 2010. I decided that this area is easy to get back to and hike, so I would re-visit it next fall when the leaves were still up and take in the colours as well. Maybe I’ll even venture into the Gravel Lakes again and shoot some HD video of that area (I only recorded it on my still camera and I’m not impressed with the quality).

Anyway, I’ll wrap things up as it has been a long day and wet day. I spent the better part of an hour and a half today soaked and freezing on the football field. I’ve only just finally warmed up. More to say next week-until then…

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Posted by Padwrr on October 23, 2012 in Hiking, Miscellaneous, Research, Travel, Writing

Tags: Education, EF Tours, Football, History, nature, outdoors, Port Arthur Duluth & Western Railway, Railway, Teaching

Now what have I gotten myself into?

16 Oct

Hey Dave, what do you think about doing some more railway related stuff? You’ve got lots of spare time on your hands right? My response of course was “sure, bring it on!” Good Lord, I must be a losing my marbles! If my life wasn’t busy enough, I’ve obviously decided to take on more things to do. I’ll explain it all very shortly, but it leaves me feeling like the schlep that Bugs Bunny eloquently describes as a “maroon!”

As usual, it has been a very hectic, but productive week. The travel meeting for the 2014 Europe trip was very successful, with about 21 students in attendance. This was exactly the number we were looking for; hopefully most of them make it out to the parent meeting happening next week. That will give us a true indication of our numbers. The kids seem pretty excited and I can’t wait to “touch” history with them!

Football of course has been busy, with both teams in action. The boys played their second game of the year on Saturday and came away victorious again. It is really neat to watch these 5, 6 and 7 year olds in action, with all of their passion and energy. Yesterday our team practiced with the “big kids” (12 & 13 year olds) and they had a blast! Great to see the older players working with and mentoring the younger ones…what an awesome way to promote the game.

Last Thursday was the third game for our high school junior team and we made it two wins in a row with a convincing 30 to 7 decision over Churchill. Responding to the previous week’s lackluster performance, the defence put in a great effort. We had two picks, two forced fumbles, a few sacks and limited their offence to a handful of first downs. Hopefully we can maintain that momentum heading into this week’s game against Westgate, whom we haven’t beat in the last five meetings.

So anyway, I guess I should say some stuff about the railway shouldn’t I? Well, there has been a flurry of railway related news this past week. I did manage the post the video of the trip to the Paulson Mine to YouTube; it and several others have been getting some good exposure thanks in part to the folks at boreal.org and their video labs project. They post links to videos about and related to the Cook County area. In recent weeks the Paulson video, as well as the Gunflint Narrows videos have been featured.

Speaking of great exposure, I came across a great plug for the railway and my work today in the writings of Sue Prom. Sue, along with her husband, own Voyageur Canoe Outfitters at the end of the Gunflint Trail. I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting Sue, but she has written about my railway research several times in her blog. I came across her latest mention this morning, describing a visit to the rock ovens of Leeblain (ironically enough the same day I was at the Paulson Mine). I certainly appreciate the free promotion and hopefully I can give her a tour of the railway that she is looking for someday!

The most interesting railway news however came on Sunday, and is the inspiration of the title. For many weeks I have been looking forward to celebrating the birthday of the last remaining significant building on the line. In 1907, Canadian Northern Railway (the then owners of line), decided to replace the 10 x 20 log freight shed at Silver Mountain with a more substantial structure. The project was announced in March of that year, and shortly thereafter a 25 x 50 station was in place. The pattern for this station would later be copied 40 miles to the west at North Lake.

North Lake Station, circa 1918.

So anyway, Sunday was the 105^th birthday of the Silver Mountain Station, which is now a restaurant owned by local entrepreneur and friend Shelley Simon. Since moving here from southern Ontario several years ago, Shelley has worked tirelessly to promote the station and the area. There is a lot of history in that building and this was the second event hosted there in the last few months (remember the August “History Day”). It was supposed to start at 11:00am with brunch, but I almost missed it as I had to hustle from church that morning (Ethan had his first communion induction). Fortunately I was able to partake in the delicious spread Shelley put out and I even had a chance to sit and chat with Whitefish resident Helen Cooper whom I met this summer.

Silver Mountain Station, June 2012.

The ceremony began shortly after my arrival with a cake-cutting, as well as a plaque presentation by local Ontario MPP Bill Mauro. I did get a few minutes to speak to Mr. Mauro regarding the historic preservation on Gunflint Lake since he has been very helpful in our efforts. This brief conversation has led to some subsequent emails and additional assistance by Mr. Mauro. Hopefully this will lead to further understanding of the history of the area and what we are trying to protect.

Shelley Simon and Bill Mauro, October 2012.

Silver Mountain Station plaque presentation, October 2012.

On that note, a group of us stayed behind and agreed to launch what will become the “Silver Mountain Historical Society.” The stated purpose of this merry band is to preserve the history of the station, as well as to try to promote and preserve the railway. One of our first tasks, once we get rolling, is to work with the government to protect the railway in the North-Gunflint Lake corridor, and all the historic sites in that area such as Leeblain. This is going to be a huge task, not including getting the society off the ground. I volunteered to serve as interim co-chair with Shelley; hopefully more people step forward to help as I don’t think I can handle everything on my plate, hence the title of today’s post. It is exciting to be part of something like this, but when I started researching how to start a not for profit organization, it made my head hurt. Way too many legal and procedural hoops to jump through.