Killarney Provincial Park
Encyclopedia
Killarney Provincial Park is a provincial park in central Ontario
, Canada
.
Although not as well known as the world famous Algonquin Provincial Park
, Killarney is one of Ontario's most popular wilderness destinations. With its sapphire blue lakes and white quartzite
ridges it is considered one of the crown jewels of the Ontario Park system.
The park contains just one campground at the George Lake entrance as it is primarily a wilderness park, left alone with little facilities to allow visitors a chance to experience the solitude and beauty of its undisturbed natural setting. It boasts spectacular hiking trails and canoe-in back country camping. The canoe routes include well maintained portages between lakes.
Situated on the north shore of Georgian Bay
in the municipality of Killarney
, the park straddles the La Cloche
range, large rounded white quartzite
hills that dominate the landscape. The white peaks and cliffs contrast with the pine and hardwood forests and the boggy lowlands that surround the parks many lakes.
Quartzite is weather-resistant and contains few nutrient-bearing minerals. Soils, where present, tend to be shallow and infertile. Very stony sandy loam is the most common soil texture reported. Podzol profile development is usual in well-drained situations. Mineral-rich rock types such as diabase
and limestone
occur locally and the soils that have developed over them support some of the park's more luxuriant vegetation.
The park lies within the Eastern forest-boreal transition
ecoregion
, so there is a wide variety of plant life. The park is home to moose
, deer
, black bear
s, wolves, bobcat
s, marten
s, and beaver
s along with over 20 species of reptiles and amphibians. Over 100 species of birds breed, nest or rest within park boundaries.
The origin of the park is owed to the conservation efforts of artists. Canadian Group of Seven
artist A. Y. Jackson
was so alarmed by the prospect that Trout Lake (now O.S.A Lake) was about to be logged that he petitioned the Provincial government of the day to have it preserved. His letter was received by Mr. Finlayson, then the Minister of Lands and Forests, and his effort was successful. The lake was taken into trust by the Ontario Society of Artists and its name was changed to O.S.A Lake. Jackson's efforts were rewarded with the naming of a lake after him on his 90th birthday The hills and lakes in the Killarney area became a popular place for painting and sketching and over the years several other members of the Group of Seven
worked there including Franklin Carmichael
, Arthur Lismer
and A. J. Casson
. In 1959 the Killarney Park area was set aside as a wilderness preserve. In 1962 Highway 637
opened, connecting the north shore of Georgian Bay all the way from the town of Killarney to the Trans-Canada Highway
. Finally in 1964, with the help of lobbying efforts by the Group of Seven, 4000 square miles (10,360 km²) of Georgian Bay
shoreline were set aside as a wilderness reserve, and Killarney became a provincial park.
The park has experienced some challenges that threaten the health of its delicate local ecosystems. Owing in large part to its proximity to Sudbury with its nickel mines and smelters, local lakes were damaged by acid rain
. Pollution caused by the smelting activities associated with nickel
mining between the 1940s and the 1970s, caused many of Killarney's lakes to become acidified, resulting in the loss of fish species, algae
and aquatic plant life in many of the lakes. This damage was especially severe in the quartzite areas. Legislation passed in the 1970s forced the industry to improve its emissions standards. Since then, sulphur emissions have been reduced by over 90 percent. To date, water quality has improved in some lakes to pre-pollution levels, while in other lakes the slow process of biological recovery continues. More recently, the lakes have been under threat from non-indigenous invasive species
such as the Bythotrephes longimanus (a.k.a. spiny water flea), which threaten local species.
On July 17, 2010 the park officially opened the Killarney Provincial Park Observatory
- the first public observatory in any Ontario Provincial Park. This observatory is available for both NHE directed programs as well as individual use. As the skies in Killarney Provincial Park are still pristine, this facility is ideal for all those interested in studying the night sky.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Although not as well known as the world famous Algonquin Provincial Park
Algonquin Provincial Park
Algonquin Provincial Park is a provincial park located between Georgian Bay and the Ottawa River in Central Ontario, Canada, mostly within the Unorganized South Part of Nipissing District. Established in 1893, it is the oldest provincial park in Canada. Additions since its creation have increased...
, Killarney is one of Ontario's most popular wilderness destinations. With its sapphire blue lakes and white quartzite
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
ridges it is considered one of the crown jewels of the Ontario Park system.
The park contains just one campground at the George Lake entrance as it is primarily a wilderness park, left alone with little facilities to allow visitors a chance to experience the solitude and beauty of its undisturbed natural setting. It boasts spectacular hiking trails and canoe-in back country camping. The canoe routes include well maintained portages between lakes.
Situated on the north shore of Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...
in the municipality of Killarney
Killarney, Ontario
Killarney is a municipality located on the northern shore of Georgian Bay in the Sudbury District of Ontario. It is also the name of the largest community within the municipality...
, the park straddles the La Cloche
La Cloche Mountains
The La Cloche Mountains, also called the La Cloche Range, are a range of hills in Northern Ontario, along the northern shore of Lake Huron near Manitoulin Island. The hills are located in the Canadian Shield, and are composed primarily of white quartzite.They extend roughly from La Cloche...
range, large rounded white quartzite
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
hills that dominate the landscape. The white peaks and cliffs contrast with the pine and hardwood forests and the boggy lowlands that surround the parks many lakes.
Quartzite is weather-resistant and contains few nutrient-bearing minerals. Soils, where present, tend to be shallow and infertile. Very stony sandy loam is the most common soil texture reported. Podzol profile development is usual in well-drained situations. Mineral-rich rock types such as diabase
Diabase
Diabase or dolerite is a mafic, holocrystalline, subvolcanic rock equivalent to volcanic basalt or plutonic gabbro. In North American usage, the term diabase refers to the fresh rock, whilst elsewhere the term dolerite is used for the fresh rock and diabase refers to altered material...
and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
occur locally and the soils that have developed over them support some of the park's more luxuriant vegetation.
The park lies within the Eastern forest-boreal transition
Eastern forest-boreal transition
The Eastern forest-boreal transition is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion of North America, mostly in eastern Canada.-Setting:...
ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
, so there is a wide variety of plant life. The park is home to moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
, deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
s, wolves, bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
s, marten
Marten
The martens constitute the genus Martes within the subfamily Mustelinae, in family Mustelidae.-Description:Martens are slender, agile animals, adapted to living in taigas, and are found in coniferous and northern deciduous forests across the northern hemisphere. They have bushy tails, and large...
s, and beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
s along with over 20 species of reptiles and amphibians. Over 100 species of birds breed, nest or rest within park boundaries.
Origin
The origin of the park is owed to the conservation efforts of artists. Canadian Group of Seven
Group of Seven (artists)
The Group of Seven, sometimes known as the Algonquin school, were a group of Canadian landscape painters from 1920-1933, originally consisting of Franklin Carmichael , Lawren Harris , A. Y. Jackson , Franz Johnston , Arthur Lismer , J. E. H. MacDonald , and Frederick Varley...
artist A. Y. Jackson
A. Y. Jackson
Alexander Young Jackson, was a Canadian painter and a founding member of the Group of Seven.- Early life and training :...
was so alarmed by the prospect that Trout Lake (now O.S.A Lake) was about to be logged that he petitioned the Provincial government of the day to have it preserved. His letter was received by Mr. Finlayson, then the Minister of Lands and Forests, and his effort was successful. The lake was taken into trust by the Ontario Society of Artists and its name was changed to O.S.A Lake. Jackson's efforts were rewarded with the naming of a lake after him on his 90th birthday The hills and lakes in the Killarney area became a popular place for painting and sketching and over the years several other members of the Group of Seven
Group of Seven (artists)
The Group of Seven, sometimes known as the Algonquin school, were a group of Canadian landscape painters from 1920-1933, originally consisting of Franklin Carmichael , Lawren Harris , A. Y. Jackson , Franz Johnston , Arthur Lismer , J. E. H. MacDonald , and Frederick Varley...
worked there including Franklin Carmichael
Franklin Carmichael
Franklin Carmichael was a Canadian artist. He was the youngest original member of the Group of Seven.-Biography:The youngest of the Group of Seven, Franklin Carmichael was born in 1890. His father was a carriage maker...
, Arthur Lismer
Arthur Lismer
Arthur Lismer, CC was an English-born Canadian painter and member of the Group of Seven.-Early life:At age 13 he apprenticed at a photo-engraving company. He was awarded a scholarship, and used this time to take evening classes at the Sheffield School of Arts from 1898 until 1905...
and A. J. Casson
A. J. Casson
Alfred Joseph Casson, OC was a member of the Canadian group of painters known as the Group of Seven. He joined the group in 1926 at the invitation of Franklin Carmichael...
. In 1959 the Killarney Park area was set aside as a wilderness preserve. In 1962 Highway 637
Highway 637 (Ontario)
Highway 637 is a secondary highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. Located in the Sudbury District, the highway connects Highway 69 to the primary townsite of Killarney, 67 kilometres away, and to Killarney Provincial Park....
opened, connecting the north shore of Georgian Bay all the way from the town of Killarney to the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
. Finally in 1964, with the help of lobbying efforts by the Group of Seven, 4000 square miles (10,360 km²) of Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...
shoreline were set aside as a wilderness reserve, and Killarney became a provincial park.
The park has experienced some challenges that threaten the health of its delicate local ecosystems. Owing in large part to its proximity to Sudbury with its nickel mines and smelters, local lakes were damaged by acid rain
Acid rain
Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions . It can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals, and infrastructure. Acid rain is caused by emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen...
. Pollution caused by the smelting activities associated with nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
mining between the 1940s and the 1970s, caused many of Killarney's lakes to become acidified, resulting in the loss of fish species, algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
and aquatic plant life in many of the lakes. This damage was especially severe in the quartzite areas. Legislation passed in the 1970s forced the industry to improve its emissions standards. Since then, sulphur emissions have been reduced by over 90 percent. To date, water quality has improved in some lakes to pre-pollution levels, while in other lakes the slow process of biological recovery continues. More recently, the lakes have been under threat from non-indigenous invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
such as the Bythotrephes longimanus (a.k.a. spiny water flea), which threaten local species.
Observatory
On July 17, 2010 the park officially opened the Killarney Provincial Park Observatory
Killarney Provincial Park Observatory
The Killarney Provincial Park Observatory is a small observatory located in Killarney Provincial Park near the George Lake Campground...
- the first public observatory in any Ontario Provincial Park. This observatory is available for both NHE directed programs as well as individual use. As the skies in Killarney Provincial Park are still pristine, this facility is ideal for all those interested in studying the night sky.