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Written Stories

The Tent Dwellers

Albert Paine

Come, shape your plans where the fire is bright,

     And the shimmering glasses are -

When the woods are white in the winter's night,

     Under the northern star.

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It is a reasonable assumption that over half of all Tobeatic-goers have read or at least heard of Albert Bigelow Paine's The Tent Dwellers. It's a classic tale of two American sports and two local guides, Charles the Strong and Del the Stout, who paddle what we now know as Kejimkujik National Park and Tobeatic Wilderness Area. Their ca. 1906 adventure showcases the guides' in-depth knowledge of the area even before good maps existed, a spectacle-wearing sport who ends up being an important voice for the protection of wildlife and the creation of the Sanctuary, and a gifted writer who humorously chronicles their three-week expedition. 

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Click here to read the book online, or to download the book as a PDF or Kindle document. You can also purchase the latest edition of the book from Nimbus Publishing

Paddling the Tobeatic

Andrew Smith

Blending wit with rugged pragmatism and interspersing fascinating tidbits of local and natural history, paddler and back-country explorer Andy Smith's book is the definitive guide to canoe routes of the Tobeatic. Packed with a wealth of information, including route maps and diagrams of rapids and other difficult river sections, this invaluable guide speaks to both the seasoned canoeist and the casual outdoor enthusiast. Like the best guidebooks, Paddling the Tobeatic inspires its readers to get out and experience Nova Scotia’s natural treasures first-hand. This book is strongly recommended for use in planning trips, with this website's interactive map acting as a companion resource. 

 

You can purchase the book from Nimbus Publishing

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Into the Deep Unknown

Mike Parker

Into The Deep Unknown is both a stand-alone book and a companion to The Tent Dwellers and Guides of the North Woods. It details the different guiding and sporting eras in Nova Scotia and helps to preserve our historical past and heritage. A richly illustrated sporting journal, it interweaves the first-person account of a 1910 canoe “pilgrimage” through the Tobeatic, a.k.a. the Land of the Tent Dwellers, with more than 424 vintage photographs and text.

 

You can purchase the book from Nimbus Publishing

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Guides of the North Woods

Mike Parker

Hunting, fishing and woodsmanship are inscribed in North American culture. Once the survival skills of the Mi’kmaq people, they became recreational pastimes for British officers arriving in Nova Scotia in the nineteenth century. The native people became wilderness guides for these ‘sports’, passing on their guiding skills to others. In this book, using their own words, guides describe the wilderness, traveling miles on foot or by canoe, hunting moose and deer or fishing trout and salmon. The hair-raising incidents of danger, the funny anecdotes, the skills necessary to succeed, and the personality of these men are collected here with respect and admiration. Several accounts take place in and around the Tobeatic. 

 

You can purchase the book from Nimbus Publishing

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With Gun and Rod in Canada

Phil Moore

Perhaps the least known accounts of wilderness travel in the Tobeatic are found in Phil Moore's With Gun and Rod in Canada. Don't be fooled though, these early 1900's stories bring moose hunting, trout fishing, and backwoods adventure to life through a humorous and enthralling writing style. After falling in love with Nova Scotia's back-country, the author decides to build a log cabin on Lake Rossignol, and to start his own guiding business with the help of local Mi'kmaq guides. Little tidbits of information provide a historical context seldom seen elsewhere. 

 

Click here to read the book online, or to download the book as a PDF or Kindle document. If you're lucky, you can find and purchase a copy of this book by searching book stores online. 

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