11 - Camping at Britt

Britt is a tiny little community set on the Still River that flows into Georgian Bay which is a couple of kilometres away. The nearest towns are Parry Sound to the south and Sudbury to the north, 60km and 80km away respectively. Our campsite was about 5km from Britt in a quiet spot on the rocky Magnetawan River. The campsite is open all year round but for the first four days we were the only visitors there. There are many permanent trailers and cottages which are rented later in the season but the campsite is reasonably small. The RV hook-ups for electricity and water were not yet usable so we were given a spot overlooking the river where we hooked up to a nearby cottage. We paid to stay for a whole week which would save a little money and gave Fred a rest from driving. I can drive the RV but after a little test run in the Walmart car park in Huntsville which almost shattered Fred’s nerves I don’t think I will be driving at all. It’s not my driving, it’s Fred’s nerves!

During our first day we found a little track in the woods nearby. We have since renamed it Moose Alley and it is just wide enough to fit a car but feels narrower because it is surrounded by huge rocks and tightly packed together spruce, aspen and silver birch. We walked its whole length which is about 1.5km and ends at the nearest highway. Naturally, I had the feeling we were being stalked by bears and the whole experience was far removed from walking in the woods in Germany. Once we got to the end, I mentioned that I wouldn’t mind climbing one of the rocks off the track. So we did, and then we carried on a little further…and a little further until…we felt pretty lost. We could still hear the highway so there wasn’t too much to worry about. However, in my mind I was

going to startle a bear at any moment and I subsequently found out that, conversely, Fred was worried about the embarrassment of possibly having to call the campsite owners to come and rescue us. At one point, we heard howling in the distance but we can’t be sure whether the howls belonged to wolves, coyotes or dogs at the local Indian reservation. It was not really the time of year for wolves to be howling but I’m not quite sure about coyotes. I suppose we’ll never know. Anyway, we were beginning to panic a little and, as much as we seemed to be heading towards the sound of the highway, the track was still nowhere to be found. Each rock we scaled led to more rocks or impassable waterlogged land and impenetrable trees. The sound of the highway seemed to be coming from all directions and, after about 20 minutes as we began to doubt our senses, Fred suggested we backtrack. This was the last thing I wanted to do as we had no way of knowing which way we had come and I was quite sure we were heading in the right direction. “Just a little further”, I said as we started to squeeze through the dense birch trees. Eventually, we reached the track and breathed a huge sigh of relief! I had survived the bears and Fred had been spared embarrassment! We vowed never to deviate from the beaten track again especially in unfamiliar territory and when we know the woods stretch for 25km towards Georgian Bay.
The rest of the day was spent doing very little, watching the Turkey Vultures soaring in the sky above and the Golden Eyes and Cormorants swimming in the river; a welcome change from driving hundreds of kilometres.
The next day we went to Parry Sound to get some shopping and visit the local vet. Our vet in Germany had assured us that heartworm was only contractible in the southern U.S. but since arriving many people had mentioned that we would need to get some treatment against this nasty parasite. Heartworm larvae is carried by mosquitoes and, as the name suggests, settles in the heart and lungs of dogs where it can make its host very poorly. Since we would be faced with thousands of these bugs while canoeing and Tala has only ever been treated against intestinal worms, heartworm not being common in Europe, we thought it best to be careful.
The drive to Parry Sound was beautiful, 60km of one straight highway lined by spruce, birch and alder filled forests, rocks, lakes and rivers.
Land of the silver birch
Home of the beaver
Where still the mighty moose
Wanders at will
Blue lake and rocky shore
I will return once more…
Anyway, our trusty TomTom led us to the vet, an animal hospital in a traditional wooden building painted light blue. The staff were extremely friendly, just like all the other Canadians to which we had hitherto spoken. They gave us a six-month supply of beef-flavoured heartworm preventative tablets and a free Dog Pack which is like a foldable wash bag containing brush, toy, treats and information on dog health. There was no-one else at the hospital and we spent about an hour just chatting about Canada, the area and the wildlife. They also gave us fantastic advice and suggested we buy some antihistamines to treat against rattlesnake bites. The Massasauga Rattlesnake is found in abundance and dogs are frequently bitten as a result of their curiosity. They can be fatal to small dogs and quite harmful to medium-sized dogs like Tala so we will have to remain extremely vigilant at all times.
We visited the local book store, pharmacy and outdoor store, and left town a little poorer than when we’d arrived. On the journey back to the campsite we saw a female White-tailed Deer at the side of the road, a beautiful big beast! We also stopped at the Moose Lake Trading Post and bought some fresh fudge; maple syrup fudge and chocolate fudge. Mmmmm… Back at the campsite we ate tea, listened to Moose FM (the one radio station available which plays only music from the 60s, 70s and 80s), played cards and then went to bed.