And so another Spring that feels kind of empty without the maddening load of organizing a northern canoe expedition. And it’s doubly strange as I have three Old Town Trippers sitting in my backyard - killing the grass.

At least I’m in good company, as Jim Abel reminded me–his letter on ending a 25-year tripping run appears on the page opposite.

Seems the whole world is topsy turvey with war and disease including SARS (highly overblown, is the view from here in Toronto) and the upcoming West Nile plague. It’s someone’s idea of apocalyptic.

The West Nile Virus story of this mosquito-borne threat seems to be changing weekly. The latest info appears to say that northern travellers should have little worry. It appears the Culex varieties of mosquitoes, which have a limited range and are urban-based, are the real threat. Still I suspect the disease, which can spell paralysis for healthy forty-somethings, may have more surprises ahead. If nothing else, our cities will look like it’s full of northern canoeists as Woods bug jackets and fly dope will abound.

But in-between the gardening and garage-arranging (how is it always full?) - I will dust off some of our HACC inventory. My major expedition will be heading up to Restoule Provincial Park near North Bay with my son Tom, 7. We camped and canoed there last year and will do so again this July. There’s also a chance we will rent a cottage on Georgian Bay in August – a recreation area that has the true taste of the wild– and a great place to do some paddling with a real feel of wilderness.

We hope you enjoy some of the superb photos from the National Archives of Canada featured in our spread. George Douglas’ 1911-12 photographs, both in content and quality are remarkable. And how about J. W. Tyrrell? His trip down the Thelon River and back up in 1900 is little-known, yet documented with some wonderful photos. The end of an historic age dovetailed with the rise of technology that allowed us to capture it forever.

And wherever your travels take you - please do them safely and enjoyably. And keep the bug juice flowing!

                                     Michael Peake