"They grew Bisons here?" (Burwash)
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(micro)
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The posted coordinates will take you to a plaque.
Take the last year on the plaque and subtract from it, the first year on the plaque. This is A.
Take the Acres Leased on the plaque and subtract from it, the Acres Owned, then divide by 1000. This is B.
The cache is located at,
N43 13.076 + A
W80 54.244 - B
Parking/trailhead coordinates for the final are added as an additional waypoint.
A history of Burwash, and the Prison, a.k.a. Burwash Industrial Farm, a.k.a Camp Bison
On September 14, 1914, the Ontario Government passed an Order in Council to establish the Burwash Industrial Farm. Four days later, the new Superintendant Clarance Fletcher Neelands, Sgt. Norman Sydney Oliver and nine inmates arrived at the Burwash Station. They set up camp and soon thereafter began constructing the first permanent building known as Camp Spruce.
In 1914 construction commenced on the 35,000 acres of land and by the end of the same year 150 prisoners serving sentences of two years or less were transferred to Burwash.
With the First World War, came recession. With recession came crime. The population of inmates grew to 180.
By 1915, a small log camp had been built on the banks of the Wanapitei River and by fall, work had begun on the main camp. It was completed on January 31, 1916.
Until the construction of the cell blocks, prisoners lived in the dormitory located within the townsite.
Growth
The population continued to grow as the Guelph Reformatory was turned into a veteran's hospital and rehabilitation center. The 200 prisoners were transferred to Burwash. Burwash's population grew to over 350 men.
By 1917, a steam powered sawmill (on Mill Lake), shingle and 'sticker' mill were in operations. Travel to Burwash was primarily by train as there were no roads leading to the site.
In 1933, a road built by the inmates connected the Wanapitei River with Estaire. This road now connected Burwash with other roads to Wanup, Sudbury and Coniston. Burwash was no longer a remote isolated area. In a few years, cars were making it possible for people to visit Burwash and for staff to go shopping in Sudbury.
Once the Trans Canada Highway was built, prisoner escape attempts became more frequent and signs were posted along the highway instructing motorists not to pick up hitchhikers.
Camp Bison
The new $2.6 million Camp Bison was officially opened in a ceremony on June 8, 1960. It accommodated 210 inmates. The name of the camp originated from the numerous wildlife that had been known to roam the property.
A townsite was required for the guards and support staff that worked at the prison farm and the community, built by inmate labour, housed anywhere up to about 1,000 residents. It boasted a public school, which went from kindergarten through grade 10 at one point, a church, a post office, a barber shop, a tailor shop and a shoe repair shop. There was also a grocery store that sold bread made by the inmates, meat from the farm and vegetables produced by the inmates, as well as other grocery items which were brought in from Sudbury. Milk was delivered to the door by horse and wagon and the garbage was picked up by a different horse and wagon. There was a complete working sawmill, which milled the trees cut down by inmates. The village was built from the lumber and all of the provincial parks were provided with picnic tables made there as well. Burwash was considered to be almost self-sufficient, with the inmates working at various trades and receiving an education.
One of the few successful escapes from the prison took place on May 17, 1966, when convicted murderer Wayne Ford and two other prisoners escaped into the bush, walking for 16 miles before stealing a car and making it to Toronto. All three were eventually recaptured, and transferred to maximum security institutions.
David Clayton-Thomas, who had been a juvenile offender in his youth before becoming a noted rock singer, also spent some time in the institution.
The End
On July 10, 1974, Ontario Minister of Correctional Services, Richard T. Potter, announced that the Burwash Correctional Centre would close. The cost to run Burwash was deemed too high, outdated equipment would be costly to replace and Burwash's closure would save the provincial government money.
The last day of operation was February 13, 1975. Residents of the estimated 175 townsite houses were told they would have to vacate their homes. Some residences took their homes with them - literally.
In 1977, a steering Committee was established by the Ontario Government to recommend possible uses for the remaining prison complex and the 35,000 acres of land. This led to the Federal Government purchasing the property in October for $1.8 million dollars.
In July of 1979, the land was leased to the Regional Municipality of Sudbury for a goat farming operation to produce mohair.
In 1990 the government bid on 8000 acres of lad to be used for military training. Some of this training involved using explosives to destroy some of the townsite's homes.
Today
An Ontario Heritage Trust plaque was unveiled at the site on August 6, 2006. Around 2007 the cemetery, overgrown and difficult to find, was cleaned up and a sign posted to mark it's location. There are an estimated 12-20 prisoners buried here many of whom had no family to bury them properly.
Parts of Burwash are still used by the Department of National Defense for training purposes.
Directions to the final:
If you continue straight from the fork in the road you eventually end up at the railway tracks and a small railway building. Across from the tracks is an old gate and a path which leads to Camp Bison. The walk is approx 4.5kms, but can be accessed by 4x4.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Cersbez va gerr