George W. Bartlett (1852 - 1939) Inducted 1995

George Bartlett came to Canada in 1863 and in 1872 to Orillia, where he and his family lived on Regent St. He was a man very fond of the great outdoors. His initial work on the railroad construction and lumber camps up north, led to a position of considerable responsibility with the J. R. Booth Company.

In 1893 the Ontario Government passed the act establishing Algonquin Provincial Park as a "Public Park and Forest Reservation". But by 1897, the administration of the Park had fallen into disrepute and the Premier of Ontario, the Hon. Arthur Hardy, asked George Bartlett to take responsibility for the Park and "to make it a credit to the province". This he did for the next 24 years. As superintendent, he was also the Postmaster, Police Magistrate, Chief Coroner of the District of Nipissing and Commissioner of Oaths.

Mr. Bartlett hired former trappers to become Park Rangers to help him curtail poaching and illegal trapping, no easy task in the days of snowshoes, dog sled and travelling by canoe. He was a hard working man, expecting the rangers he appointed to be the same, and he was determined to maintain the wildlife of the Park. The preservation of the Park is a tribute to the foresight of the people of Ontario and the supervision of people like George Bartlett.

We are happy to know Algonquin Park as it is today. It was put in the hands of a truly dedicated gentleman, who was recognized both nationally and internationally for his achievement in the preservation of wildlife in a controlled area enjoyed by people from all over the world. He helped build a legacy for Canadians that should endure for centuries.