Episode 20: Living Alone in Algonquin - Gertrude Baskerville‘s Experience

In the spring of 1941, Gertrude Baskerville set out from the Kitchener area with her ailing husband Ted and 16-year old son Ed to join her brother Charles and his family in establishing a new life on the shores of  South Tea Lake in Algonquin. Within a  year her husband had died from his injuries received in the trenches during WWI. Her son was immediately shipped overseas to fight in WWII and her brother had decided that a better opportunity lay for him and his family to move to British Columbia. Gertie, as she was called by everyone was totally alone.  Alas, Algonquin had captured  her heart and soul, so rather than return to Kitchener, she decided to stay and see if she could carve out a life for herself in the Algonquin wilderness.  This podcast is her story,  as recounted to me by her son Ed and his wife Marge in the late 1990s. It’s about the 35 years that Gertie lived alone in Algonquin  Park near the Smoke Creek Bridge making a living by renting out a few cabins and hooking rugs of Tom Thomson paintings that she sold to visitors who stopped by.   

Musical contribution is from the Wakami  Wailers a frequent visitor and entertainment at the annual Logger’s Day celebrations. To hear more of their songs of the Canadian landscape check out www.wakamiwailers.com