Dr. Gregory Klages releases first two books in his Algonquin Diaries series with assistance of student researcher through U of GH Faculty Research Fund
Life in Algonquin Park more than a century ago went beyond inhaling the crisp Northern Ontario air and observing wildlife. The personal diaries of Mark Robinson, whose career as an Algonquin Park Ranger and Acting Park Superintendent spanned over several decades of the early 20th-century, contain a wealth of observations about environmental, technological, and social changes.
When Dr. Klages, a passionate historian, came across Robinson’s preserved diaries, he was fascinated. This intrigue is what led him to initiate a book series, “Algonquin Diaries," focused on publishing archival documents recording the history of Algonquin Park. The first two books in this series, Shadowy Lakes and Dreaming Woods and Bush Friends All Around, have recently released. A third volume of Robinson’s diaries is slated for publication in fall 2025.
“These diaries give a unique insight into life in the park, into life in rural Ontario 100 years ago. Every day, Robinson wrote down what he did. He wrote down novel things that happened, such as his first time seeing an airplane, enforcing the prohibition on alcohol in the park, or describing interesting people he met, such as artists, authors, provincial premiers, environmentalists, socialites. The diaries are just phenomenal,” Dr. Klages said.
Robinson was born in 1867 in Simcoe County, Ont., but throughout his life, held different roles at Algonquin Park, working as a Ranger, acting Park Superintendent, and Chief Ranger. He also served at home and overseas during WWI and contributed writing to popular magazines and newspapers. For Dr. Klages, reading about Robinson was a window into Canadian life a century ago, and he wanted to share that fascinating world with readers.
During his research, Dr. Klages found about 30 years’ worth of diaries, so each book is roughly divided into about 10 years’ worth of entries. The first two volumes cover from 1908 through to 1924. The format of the books remains true to Robinson’s diaries; Dr. Klages transcribed the entries, editing out those that are repetitive. He also added annotations to provide context, leaving readers with a compelling story that’s quite easy to digest.
“One of the reviewers looking at the books said it's particularly well-suited for the social media era because you don't have to sit down and go, ‘I left partway through the chapter, and now I don't remember what I read.’ You can read one day's entry, maybe two or three sentences at a time,” he said. “You could just glance at it quickly, much like reading a post from someone living a century ago.”
The research process was intensive. The diaries were only available in an archive, so Dr. Klages would take photos of each diary page (about 8,000 photos) and bring the photos home to transcribe – but he didn’t do this alone. Thanks to the U of GH Faculty Research Fund, he was able to hire a Guelph-Humber student to assist him in the transcription process. This also provided a valuable opportunity to the student, Mia McDonald (a Business graduate) to glean insights into how a historian works, while making some money as well. Her efforts as a contributor are also acknowledged in the book.
And for his students, Dr. Klages aims to bring that same enthusiasm into the classroom that he has as an author, and vice-versa. He hopes his students can be as excited about history as he is.
“I can communicate to my students, whether it be history or anything else I teach, that it’s something to be excited and passionate about, or to have them recognize that what happened to this Algonquin Park ranger 100 years ago is really interesting, and it's relevant even today. It has meaning. It can help us understand our own lives. It can help us understand changes in the world. It can help us think differently or perceive differently. Heck, even relate to people differently. That, to me, is a really good success,” Dr. Klages said of what he hopes to achieve in the classroom and through his books.
To read his past work, check out Dr. Klages’ 2016 book, “The Many Deaths of Tom Thomson: Separating Fact from Fiction.” This title was a National Post bestseller, and was included in the Writers’ Trust of Canada list of Best Books for 2016.