Five days at Besnard Lake

Each year, like many other Canadian families we try to get a bit of time at the lake. For us, we go to a lake where many years ago, we worked with friends to put up a log cabin. My brother Peter (shown with his wife Nikki in front of the cabin in the second photo), was very involved at the time.

This year we had five really good days - yes the weather was variable - and yes there were a few horse flies and mosquitos - but just to be away in a relatively isolated spot, and to spend time with family and friends is marvellous. For us, it is a great break from my busy life as a politician and Naomi's life as a nurse and an artist.

Like many other families, we do a lot of boating and fishing, and enjoy nothing better than freshly caught fish sizzled over a fire.

But we also spend time checking up on the local Bald Eagles. For many years, Naomi and I have been involved with observing and banding Bald Eagles. These big beautiful birds nest along many of the lakes and rivers of Canada's boreal forest and along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. They nest very high in trees. At Besnard Lake, eagles usually nest in Aspen Poplar, Balsam Poplar, White Spruce or Jack Pine, but rarely in Birch or in Black Spruce.Young Bald Eagles have brown heads and they do not get the full white head of their adult plumage until they are about four or five years old. The young eagles grow quickly and are as large as the adults by the time they leave the nest. If you are interested in a more complete description of Bald Ealges and our involvement with them on Besnard Lake, you can find it in the book called The Bald Eagle: Haunts and Habits of a Wilderness Monarch, published by the Smithsonian Institute Press.