Written By Alan Good
TRAVEL - The second part of our northern Ontario journey took us to Kiosk Campground in Algonquin Park’s northernmost region. Little did we know we had landed at one of Ontario’s ghost town sites.
Like any other Ontario Parks venue, the campground was well cared for, but this one although small is rich in not-so-distant history. We camped along Kioshkokwi Lake where we could fish and canoe from our site. The water is clear and one can see the multitude of deadhead logs that meant we had to keep a close eye on our moving around shorelines. The logs, we soon learned from helpful Ontario Parks staff, are remnants of one of Ontario’s lost villages.
In the late 1800’s the area was promising for growth due to the river systems that aided transportation of large trees which were shipped to Europe. A mill was founded by Sidney J. Staniforth in 1936 on the shores of Kioshkokwi Lake and a community sprouted up around it, adding a train station and rails. In 1927, a ranger’s cabin was constructed for $85 and rented by train crews.
A veneer plant was added in the 40’s for use on planes in WWII. By the 1960s, the community peaked at around 600 residents. A church, two schools, a general store, post office and about 80 buildings had been built by that time. At first, most of these residents were Polish immigrants or seasoned lumbermen from Quebec, but the workforce later diversified. Almost half the community were children.
Where we camped, remains of the mill could be seen and the paths we walked were said to have been roads once used by former residents. Train tracks, now torn up, carried lumber out of the park across several trestles that were viewed from our canoe and are part of a hiking trail, though not sanctioned or kept up by Ontario Parks. I did find a relic; The last spike? A train spike was found on a beach near Kiosk, the last remnant of a ghost town’s history
Two things led to Kiosk’s demise. Up until then, the village had survived two strikes, much change and the death of its founder. First, a fire destroyed the mill on Friday July 13, 1973. Next, the Ontario government decided that an industrial mill town inside a protected park conflicted with conservation goals and would not renew the sawmill’s license. Instead, they planned to dismantle the village and gave notice to residents to vacate.
Slowly, families left, and by 1979, 150 residents remined. By 1986, the population was down to 97 and the schools closed. By 1992 no one remained and Kiosk become a ghost town leaving only the ranger’s cabin as a witness to a once thriving settlement.
Walking around the park with knowledge of its history on our minds, one is reminded that nothing is permanent. Other than that melancholy thought, a peaceful time was had and awaits any willing to travel to the north.
