Hidden Ontario by Terry Boyle Page A

the presence of a water route from Atlantic to Pacific. The Northwest Passage had been discovered. McClure and crew were eligible for the prize of 10,000 pounds that had been promised by the English government for the discovery.
    Regardless of his success, McClure remained to search for Franklin. By September 9, 1852, the crew were down to one meal a day. In October, a delegation pleaded with the captain for an increase in food, but McClure refused. It was reported that Sub-Lieutenant Robert Wynniatt went mad. Each man weighed about 15 kilograms (35 pounds) less than when they had left England, and 20 were ill with scurvy.

    A few years ago, the people of Ivanhoe cleared the grave site of Henry Gauen, erected a fence, and placed a tombstone there in his honour.
    Author’s collection
    During one outing Henry Gauen was attacked by a polar bear. Henry kept the bear at bay until he managed to shoot it with his gun, but carried scars from the bear’s claws on his back for the rest of his life. Notwithstanding a polar bear attack, Henry actually put on his skates and was, quite possibly, the first man to ever skate on Artic ice.
    The winter of 1852–53 dragged on, and the health of the crew declined further; two crew members went insane and howled all night. By the end of January, a clerk, Joseph Paine, and one of the mates, John Boyle, had died of scurvy. A day later Lieutenant Pim of the Resolute found the Investigator. On April 15th the remaining crew of the Investigator set off by sled for two vessels moored off Melville Island. It was a ghastly journey — half the men were lame from scurvy, unable to stand, shrunken, hollow-eyed, and slightly crazed.
    By the September 25, 1854, Gauen and what others remained of the Investigator ’s crew had arrived home in England. They were presented with 10,000 pounds, 80 pounds of which was Gauen’s share. He was also presented with a silver medal embossed with a sailing ship, specially cast for Arctic explorers. He subsequently married an English woman and came to live in the hamlet of Ivanhoe.
    As for Franklin, it was later discovered that he and his two crews had indeed perished over a period of time. Several factors contributed to this loss of life, one being the harsh environment. Another factor leading to the death of some crew members was discovered to be lead poisoning. It has been calculated that each crew member would have been allotted about .25 kilograms (.5 pounds) of tinned food every second day — a regular ingestion of lead from the lead-tin solder used to seal the tins. Furthermore, it was later found that the side seams on some of the tins were incomplete and the food had spoiled, a recipe for botulism. Exact details will remain a secret, lost to history.
    Mr. Henry Gauen died in July 1889 at the age of 77. He was buried just north of Ivanhoe, on the west side of the road, on the land that he had settled. Over the years his gravesite became overgrown and lost from view. However, the people of Ivanhoe have since cleared the grave site, erected a fence, and placed a tombstone in his honour, just one example of their pride in the community.
    The citizens of Ivanhoe have chosen to remember and be grateful to the man who helped establish a cheese company for the community, and I am grateful to them. Henry Gauen was my great-great grandfather.

Kapuskasing
    The majority of folks say Ka’puskasing
    But if we had a chat
    They’d say Kapuss’kasing ’
    And say it, just like that
    And if they went to live and sing
    They’d soon be saying Kap!
    So I guess it doesn’t matter much
    But I like Kapuss’kasing ’
    This Native place by the river’s bend
    Needs a different ring!
    Â 
    â€” Allanah Douglas
    The region that we know as Kapuskasing today was primarily used by fur traders. The Hudson’s Bay Company and the Old Northwest Traders both set up operations in the area. In the early 1900s, the National