February 16, 2021

New Book Release - The Last Forest Ranger: Algonquin Park Memories

The Friends of Algonquin Park, a non-profit Canadian registered charity for those passionate about Algonquin Park, is pleased to announce its publishing of The Last Forest Ranger: Algonquin Park Memories by Tom Linklater. This 174-page softcover book portrays Tom’s compelling personal story and adventures, while vividly revealing a bygone era in Algonquin Park.

Tom’s long life has featured some amazing experiences. His early years were spent on an isolated island in Northern Ontario’s Lake Temagami during the Great Depression. As a nine-year-old he had to break trail on snowshoes for about 14 kilometres ahead of the family dog team pulling a sleigh bearing his injured father down the lake for transport to hospital by train. Much of Tom’s career was involved with fighting forest fires. He survived a helicopter crash while firefighting where the rotor blade missed shearing off his head by only 10 centimetres. Tom and three other Algonquin Park employees had to spend four days without food in a remote ranger cabin during a massive snowstorm that prevented the park plane from returning to rescue them. These are just a few of the events in this book described by a remarkable man in a very different time.

Dimensions: 15 x 23 cm Size: 174 pages Format: Paperback ISBN: 978-1-894993-83-8

Language: English Author: Tom Linklater Publisher: The Friends of Algonquin Park Released: February 2021

Sample Pages

Selected pages from The Last Forest Ranger: Algonquin Park Memories by Tom Linklater. Click to enlarge the sample pages below.

Additional Pages (click to enlarge)

Accolades

Tom Linklater’s telling of his experience as “the last of the Algonquin Park Forest Rangers” provides detailed – often humorous – stories about a particularly important period of history, during which the role of the Algonquin Park Ranger was gradually changing. His is an interesting tale, well worth reading. - Roderick MacKay, author of Algonquin Park, A Place Like No Other

Tom Linklater’s memoir includes many very interesting insights into Algonquin Park’s past through his experiences as a Park Forest Ranger. But it is also a fascinating adventure story. For example, we follow nine-year-old Tom as he breaks trail on snowshoes for about 14 kilometres (9 miles) ahead of the family dog team pulling a sleigh bearing his injured father on Lake Temagami. We marvel at Tom’s survival in a helicopter crash while firefighting where the rotor blade missed his head by only 10 centimetres (4 inches). And we learn about Tom and three other park employees spending four days without food in a remote ranger cabin during a snowstorm that prevented the park plane from coming to get them. The life of a remarkable man in very different times. - Ron Tozer, retired Algonquin Park naturalist and author of Birds of Algonquin Park

About Tom Linklater

From humble beginnings in the Temagami region, Tom Linklater began a long career of service to the people of Ontario as a Park Ranger in Algonquin Provincial Park. He retired from the Ministry of Natural Resources as Acting Parks and Recreation Coordinator in the Sudbury Region. Tom Linklater is a man of many talents, to which he now can add “author”. He has served the people of Ontario as a civil servant for many years, at times behind a desk but often as not in the bush fighting fire or on game patrol as an Algonquin Park Forest Ranger.

Tom is an avid canoeist, and a good story-teller. He has received awards in recognition of his many contributions, including being the Ontario recipient of an award for meritorious service to Canadian Parks presented at the Federal-Provincial Parks Conference (1986) and the Directors Award of The Friends of Algonquin Park (1999). With his wife Marilyn whom he met in “the Park”, Tom continues to be a good friend to Algonquin Provincial Park.

About The Friends of Algonquin Park

The Friends of Algonquin Park is a Canadian registered charity and non-profit, non-governmental organization established in 1983 for people passionate about Algonquin Park. It operates retail locations, recruits members, and fundraises to support the natural and cultural educational goals of Algonquin Park. In addition, The Friends of Algonquin Park is a book and map publisher and distributor with more than 90 Algonquin Park titles in its collection.

 

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Related Information

• More Publications by The Friends of Algonquin Park