Links: Places

The Quetico-Superior Region

The Quetico-Superior Region consists of more than 14,000 square miles along the Ontario-Minnesota border. Sigurd spent most of his life living here, in the city of Ely, Minn., and he played a leading role in protecting the area's major natural areas: the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Quetico Provincial Park, Superior National Forest, Voyageurs National Park, and Grand Portage National Monument.

Boundary Waters: This page by Jim Davis includes personal reflections about canoe trips (submissions encouraged), photos (submissions also encouraged), recommended reading, links, and what to my knowledge is the first-ever, .wav-and-.au format, loon-calling contest!
BoundaryWatersCanoeArea.com: Find information on hiking, canoeing, permits, camping, lodging, weather, wildlife, fishing, Grand Marais, Ely, and more.
Canoe Country: The St. Paul Pioneer Press calls this "arguably the best commercial Web page devoted to northeastern Minnesota's renowned wilderness preserve." In this site you'll find detailed descriptions of several canoe routes, discussion of wilderness rules and safety, and lots of links, including outfitters for Ely, Gunflint and Tofte.
Conservationists With Common Sense: Headquartered in Tower, Minn., this group fights for "reasonable access to and sensible recreational multiple-use of public lands."
Ely, Minnesota Home Page: The official city web site for Olson's home town. Find out about local events, and link to local business, including outfitters.
Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness: The group that put the second "W" in the BWCAW.
Grand Portage National Monument Home Page: A brief description of this historical Northwest Company fur trading outpost on Lake Superior at the eastern end of the Quetico-Superior region. Olson was involved in discussions to get this site under Park Service jurisdiction, and he organized the dedication ceremony that took place on August 9, 1951.
Gunflint Trail Association: This site provides links to outfitters and resorts along the Gunflint Trail, the 63-mile-long highway that winds from Grand Marais to Saganaga Lake of the BWCAW.
Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness: An important group speaking for those who care about the canoe country wilderness and justice for those who live next to it.
Northwoods.com: Formerly known as "Canoe Country Reflections," John Ludwig's beautifully designed site contains photoessays of BWCAW canoe trips, northwoods links, and offers web page/computer consulting services.
The Popkes Family at Home on the Gunflint Trail: A personal photo album of life in the northwoods, along with reflections on the disputes over BWCAW management, recommended reading, and links to other sites.
Portage to Sunday Lake, 375 Rods: This site created by Bruce Barnard is especially noteworthy for its complete text of recent BWCAW legislation, floor remarks, and newspaper commentary.
Quetico Provincial Park: Basic information about and photos of Quetico Provincial Park from Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources.
Quetico Provincial Park: Find information on border crossing, canoeing, permits, camping, and more.
Superior National Forest: This U.S. Forest Service site gives lots of basic information about the forest and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and provides numerous links to informational and tourist web sites.
Voyageurs National Park: Sigurd played an important role in getting this park established, and was the person who came up with its name. This web page maintained by the National Park Service provides information about the park and links.

The Churchill River

In 1955, Sigurd Olson and his canoeing friends known as "the Voyageurs" paddled the fur trade route of the Churchill and Sturgeon Weir rivers. Sigurd wrote about their expedition in his 1961 book, The Lonely Land. In 1961 they returned to canoe the lower part of the Churchill.

Canoe Saskatchewan: This is a great site that includes not just the Churchill River, but other wilderness canoeing sites in Saskatchewan. Besides the expected information about routes and tips, you'll find lots of information about the geological and human history of the area, including sections on Native Americans and the voyageurs of the fur trading era.

Wisconsin Sites

Northland College: Located in Ashland, Wis., this is where Sigurd completed his first two years of college, and he remained deeply attached to it for the rest of his life. Late in life he received an honory doctorate from the college, and joined its board of trustees. It is known today as one of the nation's premier liberal arts/environmental colleges.
Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute: Established in 1972 as the environmental outreach arm of Northland College, the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute has in the 1990s received the nation's highest award in environmental education.
University of Wisconsin-Madison: Sigurd attended UW-Madison his last two years of college, graduating in 1920 with a degree in agriculture. The university also is noteworthy for being the college attended by John Muir (he dropped out) in the 1860s, and for being the place where Aldo Leopold was professor of game management in the 1930s and 1940s (until his death in 1948).