Photographs of northern Ontario artifacts on display at North Bay Museum
He’s a professor and the founder of the Canadian Ecology Centre, but to many people, Bill Steer is known as an avid adventurer.
Nicknamed 'Back Roads' Bill, Steer has found and photographed northern Ontario ruins for decades. His stories, along with photos of his discoveries, are on display at the North Bay Museum.
“People tell me things and then I’ll do research,” he said.
To Steer, there’s a hidden find everywhere. Over the years, he’s discovered ruins of all types.
“There are so many gems on the backwaters and backroads to find,” he said. “It’s ongoing. The beauty of northern Ontario is out there in the hinterland.”
One of his favourite finds is the Red Rock. It’s an Indigenous waterway marker made by the Anishinabek peoples. It was found in northwestern Ontario on Mooseland Lake and took Steer four attempts to reach it.
“When I look at the photo of that Red Rock, I think of how long it’s been there. More than 300 years and how important it is to indigenous people,” he said.
Steer has been uncovering the past for 30 years, finding remnants of building and engineered structures.
The exhibit is called 'Ruins in the Trees: The Work of Back Roads Bill.'
Museum Director Naomi Hehn said the exhibit is all about inspiring other adventurers to explore the great outdoors and uncover the past.
“Exploring those things can really open up doors and it gets people outside finding these ruins and enjoying northern Ontario that way,” Hehn said.
For Steer, he still wants to uncover a few Hudson Bay Company trading posts.
He also discovered the remains of a downed Cold War fighter jet north of Constance Lake. The pilot was killed in the crash. Through dedicated digging, he found the pilot’s son in Colorado Springs.
“He’s going to come here when COVID is over and I’m going to take him to where his father died in that fighter jet bomber crash in the Cold War," Steer said. "That will be my next adventure.”
Steer’s exhibit will be on display all winter until May. He calls it a chance to inspire others to track down hidden northern Ontario stories.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Mystik Dan wins the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a three-horse photo finish
Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby in a photo finish, edging out Forever Young and Sierra Leone for the upset victory.
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.