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About the Grand
About the Grand |
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The Grand River is the “heart-line” of Southern Ontario. This magnificent watershed extends from Dundalk near the Bruce Peninsula to the shores of Lake Erie. It drains 7000 square kilometers. This designated Canadian Heritage River is about 300km (185 miles) in length of which over 200km (150 miles) can be paddled. The Grand River starts out winding through the upper marshes, meandering as the tributaries join… then stops to rush through the famous Elora Gorge. On it goes with the Conestoga… the Speed…the Nith … a multitude of streams pouring in to its mighty waters. Its shores are the last corridor links for the wildlife of the Carolinian Forest. This area contains more rare, threatened & endangered species than any other eco-system in Canada. What also flows through this land is a timeless history. Lost names of tribes and nations… arrivals of Europeans. The land and river were harnessed… people’s needs were met… and with it came the lack of respect… and the devastating destruction of the Grand. In the 1960’s the Grand was in trouble… native fish were disappearing and only the desperate swam in it… the joke was you could walk across the Grand. But the chapter to this story does not close here. Today the Grand River sparkles… there are trout in its headwaters… small mouth bass populations flourish… steelhead migrate up the river like flashing silver. With them has returned the osprey… the otter… the beaver. Wild turkeys scratch the shore… abundant populations of deer and coyote stand at its edge. Lost history is being recovered and archived. There is a new generation of “Keepers” here… their purpose reflected in the river’s clarity. The Grand has once again become a river to explore. Words like… canoe… tube …swim… fish… are now common vocabulary used on this ancient river. The masterpiece has been restored… nature’s music of joy to the canoeist’s heart… Like poetess E. Pauline Johnson's writes --- For soft is the song my paddle sings. |
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