The Legacy of the Nastawgan Trail
Since 1995 a volunteer‑driven non‑profit has been safeguarding a network of canoe routes across the Temagami region of northeastern Ontario. The group, known as Friends of Temagami, is dedicated to preserving the original Nastawgan—a term from the Anishinaabe language that denotes a historic web of travel ways. This corridor is widely regarded as the most extensive intact system of traditional Indigenous trails in North America. “It’s a very complex land management area in that it’s a combination of seven provincial parks, 14 conservation reserves and the remaining area being Crown land,” notes Mike McIntosh, president of Friends of Temagami. The volunteers focus their efforts on the Crown‑land sections of the network, ensuring that the routes remain usable for future generations.
A Day in the Life of Trail Keepers
During an eight‑day expedition, a team of six people and their Belgian Malinois companion, Chase, covered roughly 38 kilometres, including about six kilometres of portage. The journey linked a series of lakes—Latchford Shallow, Anima Nipissing, Eagle, Little Eagle, Shuttle McLean, Camp Wanapitei and Red Squirrel—before concluding at Red Squirrel Lake, a 5 km segment of the broader Temagami system. The crew paddled across McLean Lake, then transitioned to land, where they carried canoes and gear weighing up to 25 kilograms. One particularly challenging portage, just over a kilometre long, featured deep mud that threatened to pull off shoes and a boulder field that required careful navigation. Volunteers typically split their load across multiple trips, leaving equipment at the portage’s end before returning for the next consignment. Along the way they clear brush, trim overgrown foliage and widen pathways, making the routes more accessible for later visitors.
Building Community and Infrastructure in the Backcountry
Trail maintenance also involves installing signage for campsites and thunder boxes—open‑air backcountry toilets. Mike McIntosh assembles pre‑made thunder boxes while Ben Chamberlain and William Maki dig the necessary pits near Eagle Lake. The group constructs roughly 20 of these facilities each year and plans a “build party” at McIntosh’s canoe shop in the spring to increase capacity for the upcoming season. Even after long days of labour, the volunteers carve out time for coffee, breakfast and evening gatherings around a campfire, where they share meals and stories. At a recent campsite, Sarah Pihel could be seen relaxing with a book, while Ben, Mike and Chase enjoyed a quiet moment together. The social fabric of the project is reinforced by families such as the Patenaudes, with Jamie and his father Stephen—both active participants—adding a multigenerational dimension to the work.
Why It Matters
The preservation of the Nastawgan trail network does more than protect a historic pathway; it safeguards a living cultural landscape that embodies Anishinaabe heritage and traditional land stewardship. By maintaining these routes, Friends of Temagami ensures that Indigenous knowledge and practices remain visible and functional in contemporary Canada, fostering respect for native histories and encouraging responsible outdoor recreation. The volunteer‑run model also demonstrates how community collaboration can complement governmental conservation efforts, providing a template for grassroots heritage protection across the nation.
