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During the formative years of settlement in Temiskaming, the landscape presented both challenges and opportunities. The big challenge for Ontario?s government of the day was to convince prospective settlers to come, take up a lot, clear land and to establish themselves as farmers.

The huge lakes created by the retreating glaciers about 12,000 years ago, left bottom sediments which in turn be-came the basis for a northern agricultural area. This area was in stark contrast to the rocky wilderness landscape that surrounded it. These two distinct landscape types are both part of the expansive Boreal Forest that sweeps across northern Canada.

The glacial lakes gradually drained away, exposing ancient volcanic rock upheavals and cracks in the called ?faults? or ?fault lines?. One of the largest of these created rift valley that filled with water to form the present Lake Temiskaming.

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The Little Claybelt today
2009
New Liskeard (City of Temiskaming)

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Map 1: Lake Temiskaming is the Ottawa River
1768
District of Temiskaming, Ontario, Canada

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Map 1: Ontario surveys area in 1900
1900
District of Temiskaming, Ontario, Canada

Credits:
Ministry of Northern Development and Mines

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Map 2: Detail of 1900 survey map
1900
District of Temiskaming, Ontario, Canada

Credits:
MNDM Ontario

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The land from a steamboat before 1904
2009
Lake Temiskaming, Ontario

Credits:
Norman Hawirko

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Map 5: Showing Little Claybelt in the region
20th century
District of Temiskaming, Ontario, Canada

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Map 6: Showing detail of Little Claybelt area
20th Century
District of Temiskaming, Ontario, Canada

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The geography of the Little Claybelt
2008
Armstrong Township, District of Temiskaming

Credits:
Norman Hawirko

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A lush agricultural land
2007
Dymond Township (Temiskaming Shores),District of Temiskaming, Ontario.

Credits:
Norman Hawirko

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Map 7: Townships and roads
1919
District of Temiskaming, Ontario, Canada

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What is the Claybelt soil?
2008
Harris township, District of Temiskaming, Ontario.

Credits:
Norman Hawirko

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Varved clay in Haileybury (1910)
1910
Haileybury (City of Temiskaming Shores), Ontario.

Credits:
Ministry of Northern Development and Mines

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That wonderful gumbo clay
2008
District of Temiskaming, Ontario, Canada

Credits:
Norman Hawirko