Wawa in Algoma District, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

Wawa Lake Tales from Above and Below

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 7, 2022

1. Wawa Lake Tales from Above and Below Marker

Inscription.

Wawa Lake Tales from Above and Below. . , Wawa's Forest Fire Rangers , A massive forest fire in 1920 destroyed many of the buildings in Wawa City which were located further from the Lakeshore. In 1930 the Department of Lands and Forests established a Deputy Chief Ranger office on Wawa Lake. Located snugly against the western shore where the Lady Dunn Health Centre is now, the headquarters became a Chief Ranger station in 1940. Small spotter planes and courageous Forest Fire Rangers were responsible for coordinating all fire-fighting efforts in the region including another huge fire which threatened Wawa in 1946. , The Underwater Wagon , When Mormon teamsters operated a steamboat and barge for freighting across Wawa Lake, some loads apparently never made it all the way. One story retells the unfortunate tale of a land-loving horse whose restless nature resulted in his watery demise with a full wagon load. If you know the secret spot, recreational divers see the eerie sight of a nearly complete wagon resting undisturbed in the chilly clear depths of Wawa Lake. , The Underwater House , Rumour has it that the bottom of Wawa Lake is home to a house or two. Families at nearby Parkhill and Darwin gold mines decided to relocate their homes to the growing town site of Wawa when gold mining activity was abandoned in 1939. Some made the trip on frozen water and some were gingerly floated across. And some didn't make it! , The first sign of spring in Wawa is... a car on the ice? , During the 1970's, Wawa-ites knew that spring was in the air when the Wawa Rotary Club dragged a stripped down vehicle out along the frozen shoreline of Wawa Lake as part of a unique fund-raiser. A specially modified clock was attached to the car in order to record the exact date and time that the vehicle sunk to the bottom of Wawa Lake. For a fee, anyone could enter their name and best guess on when the big plunge would happen. Scuba divers and a local towing company carefully retrieved the much celebrated classic car from the water, until the Jalopy Drive season approached again next year.

Wawa's Forest Fire Rangers — A massive forest fire in 1920 destroyed many of the buildings in Wawa City which were located further from the Lakeshore. In 1930 the Department of Lands and Forests established a Deputy Chief Ranger office on Wawa Lake. Located snugly against the western shore where the Lady Dunn Health Centre is now, the headquarters became a Chief Ranger station in 1940. Small spotter planes and courageous Forest Fire Rangers were responsible for coordinating all fire-fighting efforts in the region including another huge fire which threatened Wawa in 1946.

The Underwater Wagon — When Mormon teamsters operated a steamboat and barge for freighting across Wawa Lake, some loads apparently never made it all the way. One story retells the unfortunate tale of a land-loving horse whose restless nature resulted in his watery demise with a full wagon load. If you know the secret spot, recreational divers see the eerie sight of a nearly complete wagon resting undisturbed in the chilly clear depths of Wawa Lake.

The Underwater House — Rumour has it that the bottom of Wawa Lake is home to a house or two. Families at nearby

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Parkhill and Darwin gold mines decided to relocate their homes to the growing town site of Wawa when gold mining activity was abandoned in 1939. Some made the trip on frozen water and some were gingerly floated across. And some didn't make it!

The first sign of spring in Wawa is... a car on the ice? — During the 1970's, Wawa-ites knew that spring was in the air when the Wawa Rotary Club dragged a stripped down vehicle out along the frozen shoreline of Wawa Lake as part of a unique fund-raiser. A specially modified clock was attached to the car in order to record the exact date and time that the vehicle sunk to the bottom of Wawa Lake. For a fee, anyone could enter their name and best guess on when the big plunge would happen. Scuba divers and a local towing company carefully retrieved the much celebrated classic car from the water, until the Jalopy Drive season approached again next year.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Disasters • Horticulture & Forestry • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1920.

Location. 47° 59.952′ N, 84° 46.238′ W.

Marker detail: Lands and Forests Base, Wawa Lake, 1940’s image. Click for full size.

2. Marker detail: Lands and Forests Base, Wawa Lake, 1940’s

Marker is in Wawa, Ontario, in Algoma District. It is on Broadway Avenue just south of Algoma Street, on the right when traveling north. Marker is located near the north end of the Lion's Beachfront Heritage Walk, overlooking Wawa Lake. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Wawa ON P0S 1K0, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma Area

and in Northern Ontario.

It is also in Central Canada.

Globally, it is in North America,

in the Great North Woods,

on Lake Superior’s North Shore,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony,

the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Wawa's Golden Hills & Mountains of Iron (here, next to this marker); Monument to Mining (a few steps from this marker); Place of Clear Wawa Water (within shouting distance of this marker); Artillo Berdusco (about 150 meters away, measured in a direct line);

Marker detail: Jalopy on Wawa Lake, 1970’s image. Click for full size.

3. Marker detail: Jalopy on Wawa Lake, 1970’s

Mickey Clement (about 150 meters away); Thomas Surluga (about 150 meters away); Francis Hector Clergue (about 150 meters away); Rod Morrison (about 150 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wawa.

Marker detail: Moving houses across Wawa Lake, 1940 image. Click for full size.

4. Marker detail: Moving houses across Wawa Lake, 1940

Marker detail: Workhorses on Broadway Avenue, 1922 image. Click for full size.

5. Marker detail: Workhorses on Broadway Avenue, 1922

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 7, 2022

6. Wawa Lake Tales from Above and Below Marker

(looking east • Wawa Lake in background)

Credits. This page was last revised on March 22, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 21, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 362 times since then and 83 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on March 22, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.