For the past 10 years, faculty, staff and students at the School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism at Lakehead University have been working with the Red Rock Indian Band (RRIB)  on a multitude of projects examining tourism, parks and protected areas, climate change and resilience, and interpretation. In 2010, this research collaboration between the Red Rock Indian Band and two researchers at the school, Drs. Koster and Lemelin were recognized by the Office of Aboriginal Initiatives through the Aboriginal Partnership Research Award.  Involving the RRIB, ORPT, the Nor’Wester Voyageur Trail Club in Nipigon, Parks Canada and Ontario Parks, the latest project featured an assessment of trails in Ruby Lake Provincial Park. Conducted by students in the OUTD 3380 Backpacking Expedition and supervised by the course instructor, staff from Parks Canada, and a member of the Nor’Wester Voyageur Trail Club, the latest project conducted on the traditional lands of the RRIB, featured an assessment of trails in Ruby Lake Provincial Park.  The project also featured a preliminary evaluation of the Henry Roy property, which was recently acquired by the RRIB. Adjacent to Ruby Lake Provincial Park and located on the shores of the Nipigon River, this property provides future tourism product development strategies that could be developed at this site. The students are currently drafting a final report which will be presented to the project partners.

These types of initiatives provide students with hands-on training, while also providing First Nations, communities and regional groups with information that would otherwise require substantial investments.  It also highlights a research partnership between the Red Rock Indian Band and ORPT that began over a decade ago.