It’s late winter, but feels more like spring. Two tractor trailer engines reverberate in the tranquillity of Ontario’s rugged wilderness just south of Sudbury. As one of the trailer doors is opened, the meagre daylight granted from an overcast morning blankets the long-awaited cargo. Several men step back from the truck and wait.

Minutes pass like hours. Finally, a curious young elk cow ventures ever-so-slowly from the trailer and takes her first few tentative steps on the frozen soil of a wood-panelled enclosure. Her breath visible in the cool air, she stops, and standing stately, scans the unfamiliar surroundings of her strange new home. The 15 volunteers looking on let out a collective sigh of relief.

And thus began, with high hopes and a little trepidation, the first phase of Ontario’s Elk Restoration Project.

"That moment hit home for me," says Elk Advisory Committee co-chair Ivan Filion, vice-president of Cambrian College. "I knew that in a few weeks that same scene would repeat itself, only instead of getting off the truck and into the enclosure, something historic was going to happen - we’d be opening the gate of the enclosure and the elk would be going into our Ontario forests."

The Elk Restoration Project is a 12-organization partnership aimed at restoring elk to parts of their former range in Ontario. September 9 marked the launch of Elk Odyssey, a film documenting the history of elk in Ontario, including their release into the Sudbury area earlier this year.

"The film shows what we’ve learned about elk along the way and captures the excitement the project has aroused in the Sudbury area," says Lloyd Walton, video producer for the Ministry of Natural Resources and cinematographer/editor of Elk Odyssey. "It is the video history of elk in Ontario."

The 45-minute wildlife documentary combines archival material and historical films with footage of the animals in their natural habitat. The film will be sold to TV networks nationally and internationally, and copies will be available for home use through Cambrian College. All proceeds from the video will be re-invested into elk restoration in Ontario.

Larger than deer but smaller than moose, elk generally travel in herds and have a graceful gallop reminiscent of a large horse. Once native to Ontario, the species was virtually eliminated by the late 1800s through over-harvesting and changes caused by human settlement. Beginning in 1897, a number of re-introductions were attempted and by 1949, elk were re-established in parts of central Ontario.

However, unfounded concerns that elk were introducing a new parasite to livestock resulted in the eradication of most of the animals. Two remnant herds totalling less than 60 still exist in the Burwash area between Sudbury and Georgian Bay along the French River.

"In the lower French River area there is a whole community that know about the elk," says Filion. "These people have lived with them, understand them and value them."

Prompted by a joint study in the early ‘90s by Cambrian College and Laurentian University, MNR announced in 1996 that it would begin a provincial restoration project with interested partners. Last fall, several volunteers, including Natural Resources Minister John Snobelen, gathered to build a large enclosure near Sudbury to house the elk upon their arrival from Elk Island National Park near Edmonton. "It was great to get out into the bush and help with such a wonderful cause," Snobelen said. "Elk are magnificent animals and we look forward to their return to prominence in the Ontario wilderness."

The 47 elk arrived at their temporary holding pen near Sudbury on March 1. After a brief adjustment period, the panels of the pen were removed on the foggy morning of March 27, and Ontario’s newest elk herd began investigating their new habitat. Unfortunately, seven of the animals died due to stress-related illnesses before their release.

The majority of the elk stayed close to the pen for the first few months after release, but have since dispersed throughout the region. Four adventurous types are wandering in the direction of Sudbury, while one is heading west toward Espanola and another is approaching Sturgeon Falls in the east. Six elk have made contact with the remnant herds and calves have been spotted.

Five elk have died in the wild since the release. The locations of the remaining 35 are monitored by a process called telemetry. Constant signals are sent from radio collars worn around the necks of the elk to a receiving device, used for tracking the elk in the wilderness.

The future of the Elk Restoration Project will be guided by the results from this first phase. Up to 100 more elk could be released each year over the next five years. Next year, the same site near Sudbury will be targeted again. Other potential release areas include Lake of the Woods, Lake Huron North Shore, Haliburton Highlands, the Frontenac Axis, the Ottawa Valley and other parts of the French River/Nipissing area.

The premiere of Elk Odyssey, complete with a wine and cheese reception, was held at Cambrian College’s Kloski Centre. The home video will be sold for $24.95, plus shipping and handling, from Cambrian College Campus Shop. The phone number for the shop is (705) 566-8101, extension 7292.

The Elk Restoration Project partners are: Cambrian College, Laurentian University, Northern Ontario Tourist Outfitters, Parks Canada, French River Resorts Association, Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Safari Club International (Ontario Chapter), Ontario Deer and Elk Farmers Association, Ontario Federation of Agriculture, Ontario Fur Managers Federation and MNR.