Sleeping Giant Provincial Park

Saturday - 19 July 2004 - Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada: A nice sunny day! We were able to sleep-in a bit and then headed into town for a bike ride (me) and a run (DT) around Boulevard Lake. There were many people out enjoying the beautiful weather. Boulevard Lake is man-made - they put in a little dam to make a nice lake and a park. The park includes a nice swimming beach and play ground for the kiddies. The river itself is very wide and shallow and flows over rock, making for a long, long waterfall. We talked to a local man who said they have had a terrible cold, rainy spring. Maybe that is why the trees are just now flowering and the lilacs are just beginning to bloom - even though it now late July?

Gorgeous! Flowering tree in Boulevard Lake Park

After our exercise we went to Centennial Park and visited a replica of a 1910 logging camp and met a nice couple volunteering at the site. They told us what to do in Thunder Bay (even they admitted there wasn't much), where to eat for a real local experience and what to not miss on our way west. Very nice people. We learned that the population of Thunder Bay is dropping quickly, as there is no work here as the forest industry is dying and the grain-cleaning and shipping industry is moving to the west.

DT, resting after his run, in the bush camp bunk house in Centennial Park

On the way back to Our Intrigue we stopped at the Thunder Bay Visitor Centre. The view from the bluff above the Trans-Canadian Highway to the Sleeping Giant is very nice. Legend says a First Nation Chief was turned into a giant island and was placed in the mouth of the bay. He had angered the gods by giving away the location of a silver mine to the White Man. And, seems it isn't an island at all, but a peninsula - and a Provincial Park! Also at the Visitor Centre is a statue memorializing Terry Fox, the young man who had lost a leg to cancer and attempted to run across Canada to raise money for medical research. He only completed about half his goal before the disease took his life. He ended his run in Thunder Bay.

 
View of the Sleeping Giant, and the Terry Fox Memorial at Thunder Bay Visitor Centre

We decided to spend the rest of the afternoon in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. It was only about a 45 minute drive (Honda) to the park. Even though it was a Saturday and the weather was lovely, there were few people in the park. Let's face it - we are not exactly in the hub of civilization! Lucky for us, because we were looking for wildlife. We were not disappointed either. Even before reaching the park, we found a Barred Owl sitting on a branch, in the middle of the day - second time this trip we have seen an owl during daylight.

Barred Owl

We continued through the park and to the end of the peninsula. The drive was very pretty, through heavily forested lands. We came to the tip of the peninsula and a small village. Nine people live here year around, many more spend the summers here. We met the owner of the "store". She told us the history of the island and sold us yummy cinnamon buns for our breakfast tomorrow. At the end of the peninsula is a silver mine (the above mentioned mine) that kept flooding, because the gods were so angry. It is under the lake now, yet still visible!

Back in the park, we drove completely around Lake Marie Louise. Rounding a curve, we saw the back-side of a Black Bear running down the road. There was so much bear scat the on the roads, we figured there were either 1) many bear 2) many bear on the roads 3) bear use the road as a toilet. We also saw a porcupine! Below is a photo of the Sleeping Giant across Lake Marie Louise, looking west.

The Sleeping Giant

We toured the campground (future research) in the park and then headed back to town. We saw 17 deer today on our drive, many ravens, one grouse and a heron. But that was NOTHING compared to what we saw on the way back to the Trans-Canadian Highway. You would not believe what you can find on the side of the road in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park! 

BEAR! This bear was on the side of the road, eating grass in Sleeping Bear Provincial Park

The bear wasn't too big - around 175 lbs. at the most - and was walking down the side of the road, eating grass! He was devouring the grass, just like a dog will do when his tummy is upset! We watched him for about 10 minutes, without another car coming down the road. Then, a car approached, but sped past. We figured it must be a local who thought "stupid tourist"! After enjoying this bear for a while, we continued around the corner and came across another bear - this time a Mom with two cubs. I did not get a good photo of the babies, but you will have to believe me that they were very teeny - less than 20 lbs. - and ADORABLE! They didn't get too far from Mom, that is for sure!

Bear in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park

Funny thing about Sleeping Giant? It is supposed to be the "Home of the Majestic Moose", yet there haven't been Moose in the park for years. According to the locals, there is now a female in the park and she is pregnant. Now, I'm no Biologist, but I figure if there is a moose in the park and she is pregnant... maybe there are TWO moose in the park??? We had a great afternoon in the park and came home to eat a home-made gourmet dinner and watch the Pre Classic on the satellite. Life is good!

RV Park: Thunder Bay KOA