A federal job creation partnership grant, valued at around $98,000, has enabled the Atikokan Sportsmen’s Conservation Club to conduct extensive brushing, road creation and beautification at the former Boy Scouts Niobe Lake camp, Caribus and Big McCauley Lakes, and Bunnel Park.
Road upgrades and clearing along bush roads into Niobe has happened over a mere two weeks, thanks to the hard work of the six brushing crew members (hired through a Human Resources and Skills Development Canada job creation grant). On the Camp Road entrance to the camp – now to be used by the Atikokan Air Cadets Squadron – crews have widened the overgrown road, laid down 16 truck loads of gravel, installed a culvert on a previously flooded portion of the road, made a parking lot, and cleared the thick overgrowth that surrounded the camp. The crew has also cleared undergrowth along the main bush road leading to Camp Road.
“Before we started, you couldn’t even see the lake,” said ASCC’s John Charbonneau, also an Air Cadets board member for 22 years. Now the yard is cleared of thick undergrowth providing a scenic view of a far bay on Niobe, framed by tall spruce and pines. Charbonneau hopes to now bring in a chipper to turn the felled trees and brush into mulch to prevent further undergrowth.
The ASCC has received an HRDSC job creation grant yearly for the past five years, and over that time has conducted many trail and road improvements around town, through the hiring of EI-eligible workers. This year, with the Air Cadets’ decision to use the camp for its special squadron events combined with the contribution of $1,000 for road work, the ASCC decided to focus a portion of its efforts there.
The Town has also been a partner in the project, contributing in-kind support.
Air Cadets’ sponsoring committee member Edgar Morrissette said the camp – complete with a generator, large meeting room, and some kitchen facilities – was built as a Boy Scouts’ camp over 30 years ago thanks to the efforts of Niobe Lake resident Tom Wilkins, and the Kinsmen, who started site work and construction of the building. The Atikokan Kiwanis Club helped with the construction, and the camp was shared with other community organizations like the Girl Guides. Over time however, due to vandalism and changing liability insurance provisions for many groups coordinating activities there, the Scouts decided to hand it over to the Kiwanians. During that time, the Girl Guides used the facility as did the Town’s recreation department. Under Morrisette’s stewardship, the department secured many grants to conduct children and youth outdoor programs there.
During that time, “I used it [for youth programs] every weekend during the summer. There was no road then; they would canoe in [from Tom Wilkins’ place].”
A road off the main bush road was put in by the Kiwanis Club a few years later, but the camp eventually closed because grant money to hire counselors to run recreation programs “dried up” and more restrictive liability insurance policies made it increasingly difficult for local clubs to coordinate activities out there. That meant the road wasn’t maintained. Now, the Kiwanis Club has handed the facility over to the Air Cadets who have plans to hold some local squadron – and possibly regional – events there.
Other work
Other projects being conducted through the HRSDC money are also progressing well, said Charbonneau. The crew is in the process of building about 600 metres of new road, landing, and parking lot at Caribus Lake, to allow for better access off Highway 11. The road is just west of Caribus Creek. “That is one of the lakes we stock with walleye and there’s no road in there,” said Charbonneau. “The heavy equipment should be in there next week.”
Crews have also cleared a road into Big McCauley Lake to assist the MNR in its plans to conduct additional road upgrades, possibly next year.
Earlier this summer, crews made considerable improvements to Bunnell Park including cutting, clearing and laying some gravel for hiking trails, clearing between trails and roadway to afford a view of the Atikokan River, brushing out around the perimeters of the campground and clearing roadways of encroaching vegetation.
“Now people can see the river, and they’re just enjoying it,” said Charbonneau.
They have cleared all but 3-400 metres of a hiking trail from the canoe launching area on the river to Little Falls and hope to get funding next year to finish it. The crew has also cleared out along the road by the golf course and Williams Rd on Highway 622.
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