Killarney is situated at the north-east corner of Georgian Bay.
It was accessible only by boat until 1962 when Highway 637 was built from Highway
69 to Killarney, about 70 km. Killarney has about 500 permanent residents but
many more in the summer when tourists come to the many lodges and to Killarney
Provincial Park.
Killarney is situated in a very interesting geological region
which spans the border between pink Muskoka granite and white La Cloche quartzite.
The La Cloche Mountains are very old, about 3.5 billlion years old, and were
once higher than the Rockies. The area was very popular with artists, including
the Group of Seven. Franklin Carmichael, Arthur Lismer, A. J. Casson and A.
Y. Jackson painted many pictures here and were instrumental in saving the district
from logging and mining by persuading the Ontario Government to make the region
a provincial park. Killarney Provincial Park, established in 1964, has only
one campground on George Lake as it is primarily for backcountry hiking and
canoeing.
Because of its close connection with the Group of Seven artists,
there is an art programme in the park, run by the Friends of Killlarney Park.
They supply painting material and organize Resident Artists to lead painting
courses,
Killlarney Provincial Park is located far from any large town
or city. Therefore it boasts splendid dark night skies. A 25cm telescope and
dome has been donated by Bruce Waters and family and a GoTo drive by Bill and
Danielle Gardner. Bruce Waters had been giving astronomy lectures in the park
for over 25 years. The park now has an Astronomer in Residence programme to
show campers the night sky, let campers see interesting astronomical objects
through the telescope, and give talks.
|
Killarney harbour with St. Bonaventure church in the background.. |
The Sportsman Inn situated directly on the harbour in Killarney. |
|
|
Herbert Fish & Chips: fresh-caught fish from Georgian Bay. One of
the highlights of a visit to Killarney. Photo by Bill Sherwood. |
Killarney Mountain Lodge. We stayed here on our first
visit to Killarney in 2006 and again in 2011. Photo by
Bill Sherwood. |
|
|
In 2011 we stayed in the Pilot House, directly on the Channel between
George Island and the mainland. We had fabulous views of George Island and
the Channel out to Georgian Bay. |
While sitting in the Pilot House porch one evening
in June 2011, we saw a black bear on the point near the Eastern Lighthouse.
As it was 200 or 300 metres away, we could safely sit and watch it. Photo
by Bill Sherwood. |
|
|
A Canadian tiger swallowtail butterfly on flowers beside the Pilot House.
Photo by Bill Sherwood. |
Nodding Ladies' Tresses orchid blooming among the rocks on the shore
near the Pilot House. I did not realize at the time (end of August 2006)
that this was a wild orchid. It was pure good luck. |
|
|
This lighthouse is at the eastern entrance to the channel between
George Island and Killarney village.. |
| Pink Muskoka granite near the eastern lighthouse. |
|
|
The Tarvat Trail along the shore of Georgian Bay east
of Killarney village. Here fishermen from Killarney dipped their nets in
vats of hot tar and spread them on the rocks to dry. There is still tar
on the rocks after two hundred years. |
A pink lady slipper along the Tarvat Trail (June 2011).
|
|
|
Indian Head rock, west of Killarney village. |
In June 2011 we went on a sunset cruise on the yacht
Stormy Night from Killarney Mountain Lodge. We enjoyed a lovely sail around
the bays west of Killarney and were lucky enough to see a glorious sunset. |
|
Killarney Provincial Park
|
|
Killarney Provincial Park was founded in 1964 as a result of the efforts
of the Group of Seven artist A. Y. Jackson to save from logging the La Cloche
region where he and fellow artists Franklin Carmichael, Arthur Lismer and
A. J. Casson had often painted. This photo is taken from the Granite Ridge
looking to the La Cloche mountains. |
The Killarney Park office and campground is at George
Lake on Highway 637, about 10 km east of Killarney village. All other
camping is interior. |
|
|
The geology of George Lake is spectacular: the south shore is Muskoka
granite and the north shore is La Cloche quartzite. Photo
by Bill Sherwood. |
A beaver dam and Cranberry Bog from the Cranberry
Bog Trail which starts at the eastern end of the George Lake
campground. Photo by Bill Sherwood. |
|
|
The Granite Ridge Trail is located across Highway 637
from the park office. The trail gives splendid views of the La Cloche mountains
to the north and Georgian Bay to the west. |
The Chikanishing River flows out of George Lake at the
western end of the campground. The La Cloche Silhouette Trail
starts here. It is 100 km long and is 7 to 10 days of extreme hiking. |
|
|
Kayakers on the Chikanishing River. The Chikanishing Trail follows
the river from the end of Chikanishing Road 2 km west of the camp office
to the river mouth on Georgian Bay but it is possible to hike all the way
from the west end of the George Lake campground. It follows the shore of
Georgian Bay then loops back to the end of the road. Photo by Bill Sherwood |
The mouth of the Chikanishing River. There is a parking
lot and boat launch for kayak and canoe trips on Georgian Bay. Photo by
Bill Sherwood. |
|
|
Not far from the park office is the observatory. Opened in 2010, it is
the only observatory in an Ontario provincial park. |
The building and 25-cm telescope were donated by the
Waters family. Bruce Waters has given talks on astronomy in the park for
over 25 years. The Gardiner family donated the mount and GoTo drive. |
|
|
In mid-August 2011, Bill made comets at a lecture and the next evening
we helped park rangers show over 130 campers the night sky through the telescope
and Perseid meteors. We returned as Astronomers in Residence in July and
August 2012. Bill gave a talk on comets and I gave one on stoneage observatories. |
The Milky Way from Killarney Park observatory. Because
Killarney is far from any large town or city, the night sky is very dark
with no light pollution. Every clear night we were busy
showing campers planets, the moon, double stars, star clusters and galaxies
through the telescope. While waiting their turn at the telescope, campers
watched for meteors and satellites passing overhead. We saw the International
Space Station on several evenings. Photo by Bill Sherwood. |
|
|
Killarney Park also has an Art in the Park programme led by several different
artists who donate their time. When we were there the artist was Pièrre
Sabourin who inspired us to do the paintings below. The Friends of Killarney
Park supplied the materials. Everyone was given red, yellow, blue, white
and black paint and had to mix their own colours. Photo by Bill Sherwood. |
The original scene from George Lake beach. |
The George Lake scene and a painting by someone in the group. |
My first attempt. Acrylic. |
Bill's first painting. Acylic. |
Bill's 2nd painting of the scene. Acrylic. |
Bill's 3rd painting. A close-up. Acrylic. |
|
It was fascinating to see 20 or 30 people between 8 and 80 painting
the same scene. Each painting was entirely different but still recognizable
as the view in front of us. Even when Bill or I painted the same scene
on different days the paintings were very different.
Bill does sketch occasionally but has always said he could not paint.
I have painted since I was a kid. Bill had a crash course in how to block
the painting, mix colours, and put what he saw in his painting with a
super teacher. Now he is hooked.
The second week, I took my oil paints. The painting on the left is done
with oils. I like them much better than acrylic - they don't dry so fast,
giving me time to think and change my mind. The disadvantage is what to
do with a wet painting when living in a tent. So the car smelled of turpentine
which I like, Bill doesn't.
|
George Lake and Turtle Rock |
Bill's painting. Acryllic. |
My painting. Acryllic. |
Last day. It was raining over La Cloche and heading our way fast. Hurry
and finish! |
Killarney village: western lighthouse from Sunset Rock. |
Bill's painting from memory - he didn't have the photo with him. Acrylic. |
Killarney sunset. |
My painting in oils from the photo on the left. |
|
Killarney Park has a super nature programme with talks about the nature
in the park. We learned about bears, bats, owls, and hawks. We took part
in the summer loon count.
There was a coon family, mother and 5 kids, that often wandered along the
ravine beside our campsite. It was great fun to watch the kids learning
to climb up and down trees. Photo by Bill Sherwood. |
We also had a couple of resident chipmunks. Here is
one of them posing on the grill on the firepit. It was very dry and fires
were prohibited so the chippy was not in danger of burning its toes. Photo
by Bill Sherwood. |
|
|
The red squirrels were very agressive. We did not turn our backs when
there was food on the table. We were continually scolded for not sharing
but we remained firm - it is not fair to the animals to feed them. This
summer a yearling bear began stealing food from campsites. It was caught,
tagged and transported away from the camp. Four days later it was back.
It was recaptured, tagged in the other ear and taken further away. If it
came back again, it would be shot. Bad habits learned from careless campers
could cost it its life. Photo by Bill Sherwood. |
A black squirrel. Not as numerous as the red squirrels
but much bigger. They did not leave many beech nuts for their smaller
relatives. No wonder that the little red squirrels have learned to beg
for food. Photo by Bill Sherwood. |
|
|
While hiking the Granite Ridge Trail in August 2011 we saw this banded
purple butterfly sunning itself beside the trail. |
A broad-leaved helleborine orchid beside the trail to
the showers. This orchid is not indigenous to Canada but is an import
from Europe. Nevertheless it has established itself quite successfully
here. |
|
|
A close-up of the broad-leaved helleborine orchid.
We saw lots fo bats catching insects at twilight while we were opening
up the observatory but it was much too dark to photograph them.
We were not so successful photographing the birds and bigger animals.
We heard lots of woodpeckers, owls and hawks but were not quick enough
to photograph them.
We saw a deer beside the highway just east of the park office but it was
gone before we could pick up our cameras. Bill saw two bears along the
highway but again they had disappeared into the bush before we could stop
the car. Maybe next year we will be nore successful.
|
Not only the plants and animals of Killarney Provincial
Park are fascinating. The geology is spectacular. The silver peaks of
the La Cloche range shine above the forest. Close-up the rocks show contorted
layers of colour. These rocks are billions of years old. Photo by Bill
Sherwood. |
|
|
Pink Muskoka granite in the foreground and behind the white quartzite
hills of La Cloche. The sparkling blue waters of Georgian Bay and the
numerous lakes within the park. This is Killarney.
|
