The bronze monument by British sculptor Vernon March was commissioned in 1915 and finally erected in 1925 in celebration of the 300th anniversary of French explorer Samuel de Champlain’s visit to the area. The approximately 10-by-10-foot piece of property the monument sits on in Couchiching Beach Park is land owned by the federal government, under the custodianship of Parks Canada.
Although this monument was originally built to celebrate the relations between French and English speaking Canadians, it has now become somewhat of a local embarrassment as a result of its representation of First Nations people.
The bronze plaque attached to the plinth of the structure reads:
“Erected to commemorate the advent into Ontario of the white race, under the leadership of Samuel de Champlain, the intrepid French explorer and colonizer, who, with fifteen companions, arrived in these parts in the summer of 1615, and spent the following winter with the Indians, making his headquarters at the Cahiague, the chief village of the Hurons, which was near this place. A symbol of goodwill between the French and English speaking people of Canada.”
It is important to note that this is representative of the historic views of Colonialism prevalent at the time of the momument's erection in 1925. It is neither consistent with contemporary views or the views of Champlain himself. "It is particularly noteworthy to mention that Champlain himself respected the Huron people, and that the monument’s representation inaccurately reflects his relationship with them." See the following articles for additional commentary on this thinking: Orillia's Problem Monument and Samuel de Champlain by local historian Don Ross
NOTE: this cache is NOT on the monument, but is instead prudently located nearby - use the provided coordinates and hint. This was done to prevent potential damage to the monument structure. PLEASE use extreme stealth when seeking this cache as it is located in a high Muggle area.
This cache has been placed as part of a joint effort by the City of Orillia Active Transportation Committee and the Parks & Recreation Department.