Ralph Bice, "The Women Who Helped Mould Algonquin Park", Along the trail in Algonquin Park with Ralph Bice

The Women Who Helped Mould Algonquin Park

It seems fitting that some mention should be made of the women who were important to Algonquin Park years ago. Important at a time when it was still considered a man’s world. So few have been remembered, yet all I will mention should have a high standing in the Algonquin Park hall of fame, that is if we had one. These women all contributed their share, or maybe more, when Algonquin Park was then considered back in the woods.

Next, Molly Cox (Mrs. Ed. Colson), a nurse who came to Park Headquarters in the early days of this century. She came with a family, and liked it so well she remained as cook at the Ranger’s boarding house. This was just about the time people began discovering the wonderful fishing in Algonquin Park.

Molly later married Ranger Ed Colson, and aware of the needs of summer guests, they had a tent camp set up. Then the Grand Trunk Railway built the Park’s first hotel, and the Colsons were asked to take charge.

Molly was known as a careful manager, and took good care of her staff, and many times went out of her way to help people. It soon became known that she was a nurse, and since doctors were scarce, took over many times at sick beds. Just before the First World War the Colsons left, but returned in 1917 when they purchased Algonquin Hotel.

There are many stories still being told about the way Molly had helped people. Early in the spring of 1918, just after the ice was gone, there came a terrible storm. Two guides who worked from the hotel, Larry Dixon and George Rowe, had been visiting Canoe Lake, a paddle of over a mile. Coming back in the rain and wind, a twister caught them, and their canoe was overturned. Worst of all, the force threw Larry Dixon against an upturned root, causing serious damage. Rowe managed to keep both of them above water, with the aid of old roots and logs, and called for help which he did not expect.

The Colsons were in bed, but heard the calls. They got dressed, got into a canoe, and found the two men, pretty far gone, but they got them back to the hotel. George Rowe was cold and wet, but the next day none the worse for his ducking. But Larry Dixon had internal injuries, and Mrs. Colson knew he had to get medical aid. So he went off to Toronto on the early train. My mother happened to be going to Toronto on the same train, and helped Mrs. Colson, who had been up all the previous night. Unfortunately, Dixon did not survive the operation. […]

Another name that comes to mind is Mrs. Shannon Fraser. During the First World War, they had set up the old Huntsville Lumber Company boarding house as a small tourist camp. The main reason for its success was a daughter Mildred (later Mrs. Art Briggs), and sometimes other help, but the cooking was her special gift. […]

Then there was Winnifred Traynor. Her father had been a camp foreman for the Huntsville Lumber Company, and lived at Canoe Lake. She was the lady, so much in the news, whenever stories were written about the artist Tom Thomson, who was drowned in Canoe Lake in 1917. In spite of the report of the undertaker, she always maintained that there had been foul play. When she died, she willed the cottage to her favourite nephew, who still summers there.