Edible Plants along the French River

Norm Dokis has a real connection to his past and his land.  He is a member of the Dokis First Nations and he is an expert in nature interpretation for the French River area.  One of his specialties is native plants, both edible and medicinal.  Norm takes us for a walk along the French River and introduces us to a number of plants and talks about how they were used in ancient times and how they are still being used today by the Dokis.

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The Ghost Town of French River Village 

For forty years, the lower French River was the location of a lucrative lumber operation. The industry was so large that a town was built to house the thousands of people involved. Nearly a hundred years ago, when the town was abandoned, some fascinating remnants were left behind;  a steam tank from an curiously built Alligator boat, a crumbling lighthouse and an enormous old stone chimney from a sawdust furnace. The fascinating story of this ghost town is the same as many in northern Ontario. Bustling timber industry to busted town.

Heritage French River Cottage Restoration 

Along the banks of the French River are some of Northern Ontario’s early cottages. One of the oldest, Shangri-La, is now owned by Alex Strahan who is renovating his rambling cottage back to its original 1920’s form.  Alex has a deep appreciation for the river and a keen understanding of how cottages came to be in Northern Ontario.