Risen from the Ashes
by S. Bernard
Shaw
The Ottawa Valley
was traversed by Native people for at least 5,000 years,
a link in their highway from Lake Superior to what is now
New England. The first European excursions were by French
explorers and missionaries, and on their heels came the
fur traders. All were on their way somewhere else: no-one
settled permanently in the vast watershed.
Napoleon's closure
of the Baltic Sea to British ships, coupled with the insatiable
timber demands of Britain's fleet and the United States'
expansion rang the death knell of the Ottawa Valley forests.
The supply of timber was naively thought to be unlimited
and it was harvested hungrily in the belief that the cleared
land would soon be transformed into bountiful farms. Conveniently
close to waterways leading to the St. Lawrence River, 85
million white and red pine "sticks" were shipped
between 1826 and 1894; many 60 feet long, trimmed to 24
inches square. The residue remained in the forest for kindling.
Eager farmers carried out their own scorched earth policy
to clear the land and make potash.
Logging changed the
whole character of the valley within a few decades. It justified
permanent settlements like Bytown, Arnprior and Renfrew.
In 1857, an enthusiastic president of the Executive Council,
Hon. P.M. Vankoughnet, who was also Minister of Agriculture
and Statistics, predicted a population of eight million
for the "Huron Tract," traversed by a colonisation
road built from the Ottawa River west towards Lake Opeongo
and intended to penetrate to Lake Huron. There was talk
of railways, even a canal, once those pesky trees could
be removed and the land cultivated.
Of course, the reality
was very different. The Upper Valley lies within the Canadian
Shield, characterised by rugged, rocky highlands with infrequent
patches of gravelly soils and a chaotic drainage system.
Ideal for pine, but totally unsuitable for root crops and
grains. Erosion from the cleared, burnt lands completed
the disaster for the settlers. Once the forest had gone,
the men could no longer even obtain local winter employment
in the bush. A few found enough soil to subsist on; others
had to move on.
Nevertheless, the
attraction of the upper Ottawa Valley remained. It is still
ruggedly beautiful and offers the tranquil way of life and
escape from city pressures that so many desire.
A new breed of immigrants
followed the lodestone in recent years. While none are destined
to become millionaires in financial terms, these entrepreneurs
have succeeded in establishing businesses that support them
and permit living in "The Valley." There are many
new pioneers. The following are offered as a sample.
Heidi and Rolf Buehler's
search for escape from crowded Europe led them from Switzerland
via South Africa to their log home and workshop on the historic
Opeongo Road, between Brudenell and Hopefield. Following
them came a container load of 200 crates, most devoted to
numerically-controlled machinery that the pair use to manufacture
an astonishing range of 216 different wooden toys and puzzles.
Designed by Rolf, they are sold under the name derived from
his name - Robu Wooden Toys. He utilises waste wood, otherwise
destined for the dump, from local mills. Typical of the
new settlers, Rolf brought unique skills to The Valley.
A skilled machinist and computer programmer, he can support
the life style he and Heidi craved. With sales from their
home and outlets at the Wilno Craft Gallery, the Arnprior
Gallery Gift Shop and the Burleigh Island Gift Shop, the
major problem the Buehlers have is satisfying the demand.
Reluctant to take on the "paper work" responsibility
of hiring workers, Rolf would like to establish a workshop
for the disabled where he could pass on his ideas and have
more time to invent in his workshop and to enjoy his 134-acre
farm. They may be reached at 613-757-3682.
While in the Brudenell
area, visitors may like to visit Windy Ridge Studios on
the Letterkenny Road to Rockingham, where Ed Roman blows
glass goblets, bowls and many other items in his own unique
style. At the same location, Jude Crossland displays her
fashionable Judy Blue denim clothes and accessories. They
may be reached at 613-757-2545.
Tucked in the hills
north-east of Ladysmith, Quebec, Cushing Nature Retreat
is a semi-wilderness environment dedicated to relaxation,
recreation, conservation and education. Highly-qualified
owners Geoffrey and Jo Ellen Cushing, from Montreal and
Alberta, respectively, purchased a rugged 408-acre property
surrounding Indian Lake in 1990. They lived in an old log
cabin while their home, including a large dining room and
lounge, was completed. Within a year, a lodge was added
with six self-contained units and a communal hot tub on
the lake shore. All the buildings are smoke free. Only paddles
disturb the lake and no snowmobiles whine. An additional
100 acres was soon purchased and 30 kilometres of walking,
cycling, snowshoe and ski trails now tempt the visitor with
strategic photograph and observation points. Bears, deer,
wolves, beavers, muskrat, otters and racoons share the property.
Golden eagles soar, and ravens reside all year long. Cushing
Mews is Jo Ellen's particular pride. In the aviary she rehabilitates
injured birds of prey, and breeds and releases endangered
or threatened raptors. Their website is: www.cushing-nature.com
and their phone 819-647-3226.
Realising the dreams
of many young city couples, Tino and Luciana Costa moved
with their two young children from Toronto to the Wingle
Inn in the summer of 2001. Friends in the area recommended
the B&B that Barbara Creaghan had operated for about
15 years; the Costas did not have to look twice. At Palmer
Rapids they found exactly what they sought - an unspoiled
landscape offering canoeing, white-water kayaking, swimming
and hiking, free from the commercialism they hated. Adding
a D for Dinner to their B&B, their fine Italian cuisine,
featuring herbs from their own garden and locally-grown
vegetables, soon attracted customers from as far afield
as Pembroke. A reservation is essential. Four rooms, one
en suite, are offered at the heritage home built in 1863
and the subject of a painting by A.J. Casson, one of the
Group of Seven. No smoking is the rule, and no TV or phone
in the rooms. No liquor licence either, but guests are welcome
to cool their bottles in the Costa fridge. To wake up, view
the mist rising over the Madawaska valley and delight in
the aroma of fresh baking is an experience to be remembered.
Winter has its own special attractions at the Wingle Inn,
with skating on the pond and ski and snowshoe trails on
the 177-acre property. Visit their website at www.wingleinn.com
or phone 613-758-2072.
Christa
and Hermann Kerckhoff were drawn from Germany by the lure
of the open, northern wilderness in the late 1960s. Pioneers
in white-water kayaking, they soon established the Madawaska
Kanu Centre south of Barry's Bay, teaching the fine art
of paddling safely in rough water. In 1974, Hermann took
his young daughter Claudia on one of the first kayak trips
through the infamous Rocher Fendu, 12 kilometre-long rapids
on the Ottawa River south of Pembroke. Many men died here
during the logging era; pioneers of that period could never
have imagined that six companies would be established to
serve thousands of tourists eager to pay for the privilege
of voyaging through the white water in rubber rafts, canoes
and kayaks. One of the companies is Owl Rafting at Foresters
Falls, run by Dirk Van Wijk, an international white-water
champion, born in Holland, and husband of Claudia, who now
manages the Kanu Centre. A staff of about 100 is hired each
season, half white-water experts from all over the world
and the remainder local people. For more information, visit
www.owl-mkc.ca.
Representative of
the families that did not leave The Valley is Dub Juby,
whose great-grandfather delivered mail along the Ottawa
River from Fitzroy Harbour. Now, Dub sits at his work overlooking
pastoral farmland where his ancestor carried two revolvers
for protection along the bush trails. Always a whittler,
Dub translated his hobby into a business in 1973 and hung
up his shingle, The Valley Carver, by a home and showroom
he built at 56 Loch Winnock, just off River Road, west of
Braeside. Dub does the whole thing—fells white pine
on his own wood lot, saws them into carving blanks, and
dries them, either in the sun or on his wood stove. With
no need now to advertise at craft fairs, Dub can devote
his time to carving, mostly on commission. He does express
his preference to carve horses, at which he is particularly
good after many years of study, steering the plough on the
family farm. He may be reached at 613-623-6421.
Once a riotous logging
centre, Burnstown, located on a particularly scenic stretch
of the Madawaska River at Hwy 508, has attracted a unique
community of artists and devotees of The Valley life style.
Richard Gill, born in England and much-travelled over North
America, collected his degree in architecture at Penn State
University, but had a driving urge to express himself artistically
in clay. He decided that Burnstown was the ideal place to
raise a family and founded Fog Run Studio in one of the
original farms. He soon established an international reputation
with his unique, one-of-a-kind, sculpted wall plaques, murals,
bookends, candle sticks and lamps. They can be viewed at
Cheryl Babineau's Bittersweet Gallery, along with the works
of 35 other local artists and artisans. General Store Publishing
House, publisher of an eclectic mix of local history, military,
sports, self-help and cookery books, is next to Heather
Miller-Wolff 's Somethin' Special gift shop. Farther up
the hill is Images, the studio of Stephen Haigh who creates
stunning marquetry images with wood veneers. Bonnie Aspin
has transformed the old school house at the crossroads into
her home and Florella's Antiques and Treasures. To round
off your tour of this revitalised community, check in with
Gordon Jennings at the old general store, now a restaurant,
The Four and Twenty Blackbirds.
Three-year-old Gus
Zylstra came to Canada from Holland with his parents in
1953. They arrived with $90 in their pockets and the dream
of a better way of life than was possible on the tiny island
of Texel in the North Sea. Gus achieved the family ambition
to own land in 1975 when he bought 110 acres along the York
River, near Boulter, which he now shares with his wife Nancy
and daughter Awna. On it he built a log cabin, now the headquarters
of Pinecone Publishing, a comprehensive design, printing,
photographic and publishing company; one of the major products
being The Country Connection Magazine. The Pinecone
Gallery displays Gus’ photographs of the Madawaska
Valley and beyond, depicting heritage, architecture, majestic
scenery and nature. The Zylstras have nurtured their pine
forest and developed it into a nature sanctuary to which
visitors are welcomed. A cabin on the property and tent
sites are available for visitors who want to take a little
time to experience the sanctuary or explore Conroys Marsh,
but, in accord with the principles of their veganic nature
sanctuary, visitors are asked to bring only plant-source
food when they come to visit. Gus reflects the views of
all the people consulted for this article in saying, “My
vision is of restoring and preserving the natural beauty
of the land, while seeking to make a living from it, all
the while respecting its natural boundaries and willing
to share it with others in a non-exploitive way.”
