Claude Garten- "'Lineaus of THIS North" _ by M.E. BARRETT 'Many people in North- p sven Ontario know fhat name. Many more people, all over Canada know the man, and what he does. Would you believe there are people in Finland, and Sweden, and The Netherlands, and Italy, and Australia not to mention the U.S.A., who know and respect Claude Garton? People who communi- cate with him regularly, ask for his advise, his opinion, or want to ex- change information with him? He has had two public institutions named after him - For two different reasons. And he has so many awards and citations and orders be- stowed upon him that he has difficulty remember- ing them all. He lives in Thunder Bay - When he's there. Right now he's at Lake Nipigon Provincial Park. He'll be there for most of this summer - collect- © ing plants. Claude Garton is bo- tanist. He is, in fact, a famous botanist. That's not all of his career, but it's the one to which he has devoted the past quarter century, at least. Claude Garton was born at Almer, Ontario, on the family farm. He grew up learning about vegetables and flowers, and wild plants, mainly from his grandparents (grandparents always seem to have more time!). He went to high school, and to Teacher's College, at St. Thomas, and started his teaching career in that area. He taught in small schools around St. Tho- mas for some years, in the days when teachers were expected to do more and more and more for less and less and less. Rather differ- ent from today! He found his classes (all grades) growing from 30 to 40 to 60 pupils. When the _ pupil- teacher ratio got to 65 he figured that was too much. So he quit. He applied for a teaching position in Port Arthur in 1928, and was accept- ed. That was the beginn- ing of a new life for Claude Garton -Teacher. He taught at St. James School for the next eight years. During that time he also became Relieving Principal for ten schools in the Port Arthur sys- tem in which position he spent half a day in each school. In 1936 he be- came the Principal of the Current. River School, where he remained until he enlisted in the Armed Forces in World War Il. Claude served over- seas in the Army Per- sonnel Services Branch. returning to Canada in 1946, where he worked on final discharge and reallociation of army personnel out of Win- nipeg. Then it was back to Port Arthur and the Current River School. He married, raised a family and remained as Principal of Current River School for a total of 30 years, until retire- ment from teaching in 1966. The School was re- named the Claude Gar- ton School in honour of his great contribution to that school and to educa- tion in the entire area. During all those years, however, Claude Garton was doing more than teaching and in- spiring students and running and educational system. He was also playing an increasingly important role in the study of plant life in Northern Ontario. Friends at the Depart- ment of Agriculture in Ottawa told him that research into the flora of this part of Canada was almost non-exist- ent, and asked him to undertake the task. Ar- rangements were made with the Bio-Systematics Research Institute in Ot- tawa, and Claude Gar- ton was launched into his career as a botanist. "Since then he _ has tramped and camped all over Northern Ontario, researching, studying, collecting and catalogu- ing the plants, flowers, ferns, mosses, lichens and every other green thing that grows in this vast part of the pro- vince. ' In 1957, when Queen Elizabeth ascended the Throne, Claude Garton was awarded the Coro- nation Medal. Since then he has been given the Federation of Ontar- io Naturalists Conserva- tion Award, and has been honoured by many other organizations both . at home and abroad. In 1966, Claude was asked to take charge of the Herbarium at Lake- head University. He did. And he has made it a showpiece and a centre for the study of plant life from all over the world. The Lakehead Univers- ity Herbarium is now named the Claude Gar- ton Herbarium, and is known to botanists and government agencies and University special- ists from Helsinki to London to Sydney, Aus- tralia. There is a display of plants from Claude Gar- tons collection at the famous Kew Gardens in London, England. Whole collections of special. types of plants ferns, mosses, rushes, have been 'borrowed' by Universities and Her- bariums in Europe, Aus- tralia, and as far away as Japan. Claude is particularly interested in certain species of plants, that are found in Northern Ontario, mosses. and ferns and "Artic Al- pine' plants which are adapted to the harsh climate and short grow- ing season. He will talk at length on the adapta- tion made by these deli- cate looking but herdy northerners. They have -- found their own means of survival and repro- duction. Claude tells us they are perrennials, which make thick roots to store food. They make shoots very fast, and produce astonishing quantities of seeds.The cell structure is different as well, so that the seed containers do not burst (like a frozen water pipe) when the frosts come. Also the flowering season is very © short, so that often you have a bud one day, a full flower the next, and «then, very quickly seeds. It's a survival mechanism, and _ it works. We have a rich plant life here in our northern wilderness. This summer the Min- istry of Natural Resour- ces has asked Claude Garton to do a study of the aquatic flora of the Lake Nipigon area. He has 'set up shop' in the Lake Nipigon Provincial Park (Blacksands) and he and his three young assistants are busily col- lecting and cataloguing everything in sight. He has with him Bob Keen, of Thunder Bay, a biologist, out of Guelph University, Holmes of Kakabeka Falls, a Forestry stu- Bruce. dent, and Edward Fong, of Montreal, who is also studying Forestry at L.U. These young men are obviously enjoying the hard pace set for them by their mentor. Stacks of flat cardboard 'sheets' of specimens are piled in the work- shop - office - lab they have at the park. And, of course, they love the spectacular scenery that surrounds them. We asked Claude if he was looking for any spe- cial type of plants. He said "No. That's not the name of this game. Our job is to find out what's here - now. So that a hundred years from now we'll be able to see if, and how, things have changed, in the plant life of this area'. Asked about the im- pact of man's activities Terrace Bay-Schreiber News, Wednesday, June 29, 1983, page 15 on. the land, Claude Garton grew thoughtful. "Our philosophy about the land is faulty. We still have the idea that we 'own' it, and can do as we please with it. That's a dangerous atti- tude. We have to learn to be stewards of the land. To care for it. If we don't, we'll be in real trouble'. We asked him what he was finding on Lake Nipigon. He spoke lov- ingly of certain types of oak ferns, and lichens. And of 'cryptograms', a lower type of plant life, which reproduce by spores. He told us of finding a rare orchid, a pure white Ladies Slipper-in the Beardmore area. And he has located the site a bed of Hepaticas - the most northerly site so far found in Ontario. 'There are . always surprises. Nature doesn't like to have us take anything for grant- ed We can make a statment today, and think it is final for all time, and tomorrow nature will make a liar out of you, it's fun". We had fun talking to Claude Garton and his assistants. We hope to go back to visit them again later this summer. We'll keep you inform- ed. : Nutrients Don't discard useable liquids or leftover bits of vegetables-- they're rich in nutrients. Put them in salads, dips or sandwich fill- ings; make a vegetable souffle or omelet; use themin stock, soup or stew. Jobs Done RANDY'S CONTRACTING Randy Mercure EQUIPMENT RENTALS Loaders, Backhoes, etc., Generators, Pumps, Air Compressor 170 CFM, Rock (Concrete) Drills, 80 Ib. (Concrete) Paving Breaker, Some Small Concrete Sandblasting done on Saturdays or Sundays At C & D Enterprises. (weather permitting) Rims, Bumpers, Car Parts - Body Parts Etc. . PHONE: C & D ENTERPRISE AT 825-9582 or 825-9245 or 825-3594 |_| ab 1 | | | We are pleased to announce a fantastic AUDIO and VIDEO INVENTORY CLEARANCE SALE which will be held from June 29 to July 6, 1983 in our Newly Renovated Showroom on the second floor. We have: 14', 20' and 26" Console TV's from HITACHI and N.E.C. As well as AUDIO from SANSUI, HITACHI, N.E.C. ALL PRICED TO CLEAR!! 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