Canada Sure Has Industrious Workers - In Far North Alberta

[jbg]

Canada sure has industrious workers, in far north Alberta (link). These workers don't spend much time talking on the job. They work only the warm months.

And yet they've built a humongous structure that's been around 35 years, in the middle of the woods (link to picture of structure). Excerpts of article below:

World's biggest beaver dam discovered in northern Canada

by Michel Comte and Jacques Lemieux Michel Comte And Jacques Lemieux

Wed May 5, 7:46 pm ET

.OTTAWA (AFP) – A Canadian ecologist has discovered the world's largest beaver dam in a remote area of northern Alberta, an animal-made structure so large it is visible from space.

Researcher Jean Thie said Wednesday he used satellite imagery and Google Earth software to locate the dam, which is about 850 metres (2,800 feet) long on the southern edge of Wood Buffalo National Park.

*************

Mike Keizer, spokesman for the park, said rangers flew over the heavily forested marshlands last year to try to "have a look." They found significant vegetation growing on the dam itself, suggesting it's very old, he said.

**************

"They're invading their old territories in a remarkable way in Canada," he said. "I found huge dams throughout Canada, and beaver colonies with up to 100 of them in a square kilometer."

"They're re-engineering the landscape," he said.

Hail to Canada's national animal.

[Shakeyhands]

Isn't that something!! What an incredible feat of engineering. When I was younger, I did a fair number af canoe trips in Northern Ontario. Quite often we would have to cross beaver damns and it was always interesting to be on them and feel how sturdy and solid they were. We would blast toward them and launch the canoes as far over as we could, and then hand bomb them down the other side... I always prefered to go down than have to haul the canoes UP to the water over the damns.

[jbg]

Isn't that something!! What an incredible feat of engineering. When I was younger, I did a fair number af canoe trips in Northern Ontario. Quite often we would have to cross beaver damns and it was always interesting to be on them and feel how sturdy and solid they were. We would blast toward them and launch the canoes as far over as we could, and then hand bomb them down the other side... I always prefered to go down than have to haul the canoes UP to the water over the damns.

You mean you didn't have to portage around them when you crossed them?

[Shakeyhands]

You mean you didn't have to portage around them when you crossed them?

Nope, hauled the canoes either up or down them. Big 10 person War canoes. St John's School of Ontario, rather a famous canoe history.

[jbg]

Nope, hauled the canoes either up or down them. Big 10 person War canoes. St John's School of Ontario, rather a famous canoe history.

Tell me more about that since I'm not Canadian but am interested.

[Borg]

Canada sure has industrious workers, in far north Alberta (link). These workers don't spend much time talking on the job. They work only the warm months.

And yet they've built a humongous structure that's been around 35 years, in the middle of the woods (link to picture of structure). Excerpts of article below:

World's biggest beaver dam discovered in northern Canada

by Michel Comte and Jacques Lemieux Michel Comte And Jacques Lemieux

Wed May 5, 7:46 pm ET

.OTTAWA (AFP) – A Canadian ecologist has discovered the world's largest beaver dam in a remote area of northern Alberta, an animal-made structure so large it is visible from space.

Researcher Jean Thie said Wednesday he used satellite imagery and Google Earth software to locate the dam, which is about 850 metres (2,800 feet) long on the southern edge of Wood Buffalo National Park.

*************

Mike Keizer, spokesman for the park, said rangers flew over the heavily forested marshlands last year to try to "have a look." They found significant vegetation growing on the dam itself, suggesting it's very old, he said.

**************

"They're invading their old territories in a remarkable way in Canada," he said. "I found huge dams throughout Canada, and beaver colonies with up to 100 of them in a square kilometer."

"They're re-engineering the landscape," he said.

Hail to Canada's national animal.

Industrious and a pain in the butt.

We cut a hole in the dam and shoot them when they come to repair it.

Great in the wilderness but they tend to flood out our farm land

Borg

[Shwa]

Isn't that something!! What an incredible feat of engineering. When I was younger, I did a fair number af canoe trips in Northern Ontario. Quite often we would have to cross beaver damns and it was always interesting to be on them and feel how sturdy and solid they were. We would blast toward them and launch the canoes as far over as we could, and then hand bomb them down the other side... I always prefered to go down than have to haul the canoes UP to the water over the damns.

It is amazing to realize how sturdy these damns can get and equally amazing to watch these critters go about their work building them. I have walked a few damns up north that appeared to be many years old with turf growing on top.

One would think that you would only find beavers up north, but there was a recent controversy about beaver damns right here near the shores of Lake Ontario in a very urban area:

http://newsdurhamregion.com/article/139675

[jbg]

One would think that you would only find beavers up north, but there was a recent controversy about beaver damns right here near the shores of Lake Ontario in a very urban area:

http://newsdurhamregion.com/article/139675

New England and large chunks of New York, as well as Montana and Wyoming (plus I'm sure many more U.S. states), definitely not "up north" as to you have beavers.

[Shakeyhands]

Tell me more about that since I'm not Canadian but am interested.

I attended for grades 7-10. Interesting school, not without it's controversies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_John's_School_of_Ontario

The name is from the Algonquin Temikami or Temikaming, meaning "deep waters".

The lake and surrounding area are popular for outdoor recreation. In June 11, 1978, 12 children and 1 teacher from St. John's School of Ontario (defunct), Toronto, died of hypothermia, when their canoes capsized on a school canoe trip.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Timiskaming

Info on the Selkirk canoes post Temiskaming tragedy.

http://www.members.shaw.ca/CanoeBC/News/n_archive/temiscamingue/

[fellowtraveller]

So typical of Aberta workers, these beavers wood have a chip on their shoulders.....

[Shwa]

New England and large chunks of New York, as well as Montana and Wyoming (plus I'm sure many more U.S. states), definitely not "up north" as to you have beavers.

LOL, of course they do! When I say "up north" from my perspective in urban southern Ontario, I am referring to rural Ontario that more or less begins 25km from where I am sitting. Go a couple of hours more and you begin to hit the boreal forest which, to most Canadians is 'up north.' I meant to say this in the same way someone in NY City would say, but I can see it doesn't work well literally. Good point!