Yeah, sure...AFTER I already arranged a trip to Wabakimi next week!

"Woodland Caribou Provincial Park is reopening! At this time recreational paddling will only be permitted on a case by case basis by contacting the park office at 807-727-1329 or emailing woodland.caribou.mnr@ontario.ca. We have additional considerations and requirements for those visiting the park at this time. Check them out here before starting your trip planning: www.ontarioparks.com/parksblog/woodland-caribou-planner"

I wonder what those "additional considerations and requirements" might be?

It seems a little odd that they might be "screening" visitors. I guess nobody has a right to enter the park but the idea of some bureaucrat deciding whether an individual can enter the park...well that rubs me the wrong way. Maybe they have objective criteria, but still.
Joe

Maybe they are just checking to make sure people understand that a lot of the park has burned, and some areas may still be hot and that campsites or portages may be affected. I remember seeing a photo a couple years back of a kevlar canoe that someone set down on some hot ashes.

...the reminders by the WCCP tells of realizing that fires are still smoldering/at the least, the idea that crews will be on the ground/air, not to watch/go search out fires, trees standing could be a hazard for campsites, the need to have communication like a sat phone/inreach...the routes seem to be in areas that have escaped the recent burns...which are limited due to the vast amount area burnt...also the need to have contacts (on your sat phone, etc) with the Park staff/in case of the fire, the need to understand that fires could start up again...by communicating your route you're staying out of the way of the fire crews, gaining geographic information that probably isn't specific on the Ontario fire maps/or whatever websites one views the fires...Fresh in their minds are probably some fires that started again like in 2011/2012? around the Larus Lake area that seemed to have mellowed in late August but grew again...for us they seem reasonable: Birch/Tom/Carol...hope the trip in the Wabakimi goes well that sounds like a great place...

It would be interesting to see where the park will direct someone in terms of routes. It looked like a good portion of the southwestern portion of the park as well as the northwestern areas had burned considerably. I remember that there is a fly-in lodge on Carrol. I wonder if you can still get into that area or if the lodge burned? As suggested above, the park probably wants to make sure that paddlers stay out of harm's way as the fire season isn't quite done up there.

I just sent an email to the park office to see if I would be approved for a trip starting September 21st. I plan on starting from Leano, so it will be interesting to see what routes will be available, assuming I get approval.

Keep us updated on your "application"!

Does anybody know if Harlan's Olive Lake Ecolodge survived? Looks like most of the lake was spared.

Joe

Check out Goldseekers Canoe Outfitting (Albert’s) post on Facebook for details regarding park opening rules and routes.