Pogamasing: The Story of a Northern Lake

Some black and white photos of canoe tripping: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Vq4nV7RN3p1bZzLAA

During the 1970s I ran canoe trips in the Lake Pogamasing/Spanish River area for four years. It led to my interest in the area's history and later the publishing of a book on the history of the area. My trips were made of teenagers and adults who all chipped in to make those trips memorable. Recently, I digitized my slides of those canoe trips and created an album. For those wanting to see more see: https://andythomsonbooks.ca/canoe-tripping-in-the-70s/

Remembrance Day, 2020 https://andythomsonbooks.ca/two-uncles-two-heroes/

National Aboriginal Veterans Day, Nov. 8 John Spaniel (a variation on the Espagnol/Espaniel spelling of their name) listed his place of birth and address as Pogma, Ontario, and his occupation as trapper. He was the son of Louis Espagnol and his second wife Sarah. The family had lived on Lake Pogamasing since the late 1860’s when Louis was appointed as the manager of the Hudson Bay Company post.

National Aboriginal Veterans Day, Nov. 8 John Spaniel (a variation on the Espagnol/Espaniel spelling of their name) listed his place of birth and address as Pogma, Ontario, and his occupation as trapper. He was the son of Louis Espagnol and his second wife Sarah. The family had lived on Lake Pogamasing since the late 1860’s when Louis was appointed as the manager of the Hudson Bay Company post.

How Camp Quality turned a potential disaster into a rewarding experience by re-inventing camping for kids fighting cancer. Congrats to the volunteers, staff, and board for making it happen.

Another human caused threat to wildlife

On Friday our family lost this wonderful man. He loved his family, being at Pog and travelling the continent with mom in his RV. You could always count on his ...advice or help when you needed it, and he could fix just about anything with ease, no matter the tools or supplies. Some of the best advice and memories came from our drives to and from the rink where we would have our own ‘Coach’s Corner’ before and after games. He could fix pretty much anything and shared that knowledge with his kids, whether he was there to show us or just taking a phone call to guide us through it. There is so much I will miss about him but know he is now at peace and reunited with his mother and father and his precious Millie. Love and miss you Dad.