We continued north under ominous skies.  The week we chose for our trip promised clear weather, but northern weather can be unpredictable at times.

We managed to pass the storm system and found our second boondocking spot near Elliot Lake.  Initially, we tried to go to Fort La Cloche.  The road to that park went through the Sagamok Indian Reserve and we arrived at a roadblock…

Politely, they asked that we turn around and leave as they do not allow anyone from the Greater Toronto Area into their community at this time.

They kindly suggested that we try the nearby Chutes provincial Park.  Well, that park, like many other parks in Ontario was full.  It looks like everyone wants to participate in this covid-friendly activity called camping!

So we drove on.

Luckily, we are now a bit more comfortable with using the Land Use Atlas to try and find new spots and we started exploring along Highway 108.  It didn’t take us long to find a suitable spot and we settled for the night.

Since we were already on Highway 108 that leads to Elliot Lake, we decided to go and check it out.  Elliot Lake is a town in Northern Ontario that started marketing itself as a retirement town.  We’ve seen many ads and it slowly crept into our consciousness as a place to check out.

Well, the opportunity presented itself and here we are.

Elliot lake

We envisioned crowds of semi geriatric-types roaming the streets, rows of retirement homes, and diners.  Instead we found a place of breathtaking beauty, rugged hikes, and what seems to be a diverse community—both ethnically, and age-wise.

There is a fire tower at the edge of town on top of Mount Dufour and the views from there are just phenomenal.

In each direction, the vastness of the landscape, an echo to Canada’s sheer size and potential.  Trees and lakes as far as the eye can see.

There are lots of trails to explore in the area.  Some are relatively short.

Some trails are extensive, like the 89 km long Coureurs de Bois trail that passes through.

We just wandered around Sheriff Creek Sanctuary.

 

In our previous trip we explored communities that grew around silver, cobalt, copper and nickel, but Elliot Lake has uranium in its past.  It was one of the world’s leading uranium producers.  There is a dark cloud in it’s past that perhaps still lingers.  When the uranium depleted and prices fell in the 1990s, Elliot Lake reinvented itself as leaders in mining technology and mine decommissioning.  When that ended,  they reinvented themselves yet again as a promising retirement living.  The town leader always seemed to understand what drives the economy, and baby boomers are clearly the future.

There is more to explore in this town and its surroundings.  We will be back, even if just for a visit (but we wouldn’t rule this out as a place to live!)

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