Daytripper: Pedal to the metals

This week’s Cobalt to Haileybury Daytripper takes us to a historic mining area so you are obliged to learn the ‘Cobalt Song’ before heading north on Hwy 11.

I had to learn the song because my mother-in-law was born in Cobalt.

Cobalt was recently named the Most Historic Town by TVO’s Studio 2, so you know you are in for a great tour of a small town that really tries to make you welcome.

Known as the “town with the silver lining” due to its overabundance of a certain precious metal, “in the first 60 years of its active life, the mines of the Cobalt camp shipped a total of nearly 1,185,000 tons of rich silver ore and concentrates,” states historian L. Carson Brown, on the Cobalt Web site.

“The total production in that time exceeded 420,500,000 ounces of silver worth more than $264,000,000. The distribution of dividends provided an $80,000,000 jack pot. To ship the ores and bullions extracted from the mines of the camp during those years would require a train of freight cars nearly one hundred miles long - stretching down the track all the way from Cobalt to North Bay,” Brown writes at www.cobalt.ca.

You know you have arrived when you come to the Highway Bookshop. If you want something to read on the return trip, you will find it here.

The Cobalt Mining Museum is a must stop. For young rock puppies or the old experienced lapidarians, this museum has it all. Pay attention to the descriptions of sample ore because there will be a test later! Just down the street is the Bunker Museum that shares quarters with the ONR Station.

Across the way you can see the Great Northern Recycling plant. On the west side of the street is a mural depicting the town as it was in 1911. There are numerous gem shops and places to leave a few shekels before we continue the trip north.

Haileybury, now part of the city of Temiskaming Shores, is another northern town that works at lifestyle as well as attracting tourists. The first stop is the excellent Heritage Museum at the top of the hill (turn left at the first stop sign). Outside, you can climb aboard a tug and a caboose.

Heading back down the hill turn left at the same stop and proceed to the Haileybury School of Mines. The unique Rockwalk Park has hundreds of large ore-containing rock placed for your viewing.

I knew what gold looked like from the Cobalt museum, but here each piece was labelled for those who did not prepare for the aforementioned test.

Downtown at the lake, people were enjoying the swimming area .

In the same park is a large waterslide that was being well used by thrilled children and a few adults who were having a great time. This must be the kind of apparatus that some have been advocating for North Bay’s waterfront, but I am afraid this might be too exciting for us!

Highway 11 is in good condition, but the only short delay is at the Aubrey Cousins Bridge at Latchford.

Total distance: 300 kms round trip. Time for the trip: all the time in the world.