Gwynn T.

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

Other

Algonquin Provincial Park

My project highlights the historical and scientific significance of Algonquin Provincial Park, in relation to its ecosystems, art inspiration, and First Nations peoples. I’ll explain how the Algonquin were able to harness the park’s resources to provide themselves with necessities, and I will also show an example of beneficial research done of the park’s wolves, as well as how the park’s scenery was a main factor in Canadian artist Tom Thomson's career.

 

What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?

The most interesting thing that I’ve learned about my topic would be how the Algonquin First Nations peoples, and other First Nations groups, are able to use everything around them to their advantage. They were able to use the pre-parks nature-y interior to provide themselves with food, medicine, shelter, clothing, weapons and more, and I thought that this was very cool, the fact that they were also able to do this sustainably.

What important lessons have you learned that you want to share with other Canadians?

The most important lesson that I’d like to share would be to never underestimate something. I say this because what now comes to mind for me would be scientific research. Most people are aware that research is always being done, but before I did this project, I never really stopped to think about the impact research can have, and all the effort that scientists put into things that can be extremely beneficial. Many Canadians do not realize that scientific research is being done constantly, and the scientific findings continue to impact their daily lives.

How would you compare your life today to the lives of those studied in your project?

Well, the artists in the Group of 7 had to take a train to reach the park, since the majority of people did not have cars, and there weren’t many major highways connecting place to place. Nowadays, we could hop right into a car from inside our garages and drive or be driven to a place farther away, like Algonquin, in a mere matter of hours. The Group’s members would have had to journey to a train station, either by walking, horse and buggy, or taxi, and then get on a train, wait for it to finish boarding, and then go to Algonquin Park, with other stops along the way. I guess that the biggest comparison I would have would be the difference in the majority of transportation between 2022 and the early 1900’s.