Cryptozoology

Written by Susan Demeter-St.Clair

A Kenora man witnessed on one occasion stones being thrown by invisible assailants and on another occasion what appeared to be humanoid creatures near both Ignace, Ontario and Welcome Channel on Lake of the Woods in mid-2004.

 “Large rocks came flying out of the bush on an island. Some hit the ground and rolled into the lake and others hit the water…” said the Kenora man named Mike. The rocks in question were approximately ten to fifteen pounds. Fauna indigenous to the Kenora region near Lake of the Woods that are comparable to humans in size are elk and black bears. The witness noted that he suspected his brother, but later discovered that the brother was about a mile away from the place of the stone throwing.

“I won’t rule out a bear, but I feel it’s improbable,” said Mike.

Black bears run from 100 to 150 pounds for the females, while males range from 150 to 400 pounds. The animal can be 4 to six feet at length. Elk measure from anywhere to four feet tall to six feet long. On a second occasion Mike witnessed four “human like” figures crossing a boggy area outside of Ignace, Ontario. Two were larger than the others and all the figures appeared to be large in stature.
 
Lake of the Woods was first settled back 1860 when the Hudson’s Bay Company moved a post from the Winnipeg River. Before the introduction of Europeans and trade, native groups such as the Ojibwa inhabited the area. The Ojibwa have several legends including one of a trickster named Manabozho, a giant hare that brought life to the region and was sometimes mean to the fauna in the area.