Audio Excerpt

Take a glance right over here to the East...That is the lovely body of water we know as Lake Couchiching...it's derived from an Ojibwe word meaning "inlet."  There are a lot of things you should know about Lake Couchiching, so we went all out on this Tripvia question...we brought in resident expert, Burton Beaver...

Burton-Hey Don,...I prefer to be called Chew da ding, get it?  chew the thing from Couchiching...it's my Ojibwe name...

Don-is it really?

Burton-(dejected) no...not really.

Don-Let's stick to the script...

Burton-OHHHH K...,not too far from here is the Mnjikaning Fish Weir...ancient natives peoples from the Archaic period put these big wooden stakes in the waters to create a trap, so the first can't get through...that way they could come back and take the fish anytime they wanted.  They made the stakes out of eastern white cedar, sugar maple and white birch....mmmm..those are tasty trees!

Don-it's hard to believe they still exist!

Burton-well the wood got preserved by the cold water and layers of silt...now way later, the area near Orillia became a trading post for trappers....i hate those guys.  

Don-well, what's happening these days?

Burton-are you kiddin'!?  Lake Couchiching is huge for boaters--I personally like to water ski on my tail... it’s how I attract mates, look it up Don, it’s science!

Don-Hmmmm

Burton-plus there's Big Chief Island out there! it's got sandy shallow waters all around,.. hundreds of boats latch together for a big, fun party with a DJ boat and a boat that drives around selling hot dogs!