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September 9, 2001 : Jumpgate investigates the Pog Lake Monster

A Jumpgate Investigative Team arrived at Pog Lake, 19 kilometers inside Algonquin park in Mid-August with thousands of dollars worth of high tech electronics, camping equipment, food and beer. The purpose was to resume an investigation started last year into the rumoured existance of the Pog Lake Monster.

The team interviewed a great number of people in the Pog lake area. Because Pog lake is a campground inside Algonquin park, most of the folks that were interviewed had only been on location for a few days, at most a week or two. Unfortunately, we did not come across anyone who could say that they had ever heard of the Pog Lake Monster. We did encounter people who had strange stories to tell about things that they had seen on the lake.

Interestingly, one man (who wished to remain nameless) told us that a few years ago he was sitting reading a book while looking out over the lake, two Canadian Forces C-130 cargo aircraft passed directly over the lake at an altitude of less than 500 feet. One of the aircraft came back and circled the lake, as if looking for something. After a few minutes, the C-130 flew away. We can only speculate that the Canadian Forces C-130 was looking for something in the lake. The question becomes, what do the Canadian Forces know about Pog Lake that the general public does not?

There has been evidence of the monster dating back quite some time, and even possible evidence of an attack on at least one person in July 1992. At that time, it would appear that the monster was referred to as a "man-eating lobster". However, after speaking with the witnesses this reference would appear to be in error, and the person in question suffered no injuries..

On August 19th, we received news from Matthew & Warren O'Connor (not their real names) that the Pog Lake Monster had apparently changed names from "Elmo" to "Chopper", possibly due to legal complications with the Sesame Street character of the same name. When pressed, our sources were unable or unwilling to divulge their sources of this information, except that someone had last year told them that the monsters name was Elmo. The possibility that lawyers from Seasame street had found the monster, and put court action against him to change his name was intriguing, and somewhat humourous.

As time passed, although there was some evidence to show that there was something in the lake, we began to loose hope of ever finding the truth. Then one day we stuck pay dirt. The Team managed to get a photograph of the Pog Lake Monster that shows the Monster pursuing a canoe. A separate individual got another image of "Chopper" cruising the lake minutes earlier.

Click image to view larger version | Photo credit: Ray Binda

In this first image, we can see the long wake of "Chopper" and what appears to be two or three humps. There is a white spot a little back from the humps that is a reflection of the sun off the wake. The humps are definitely moving - at almost 2.5 kilometers per hour after analysis of the wake's travel. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Click image to view larger version | Photo credit: Jumpgate Investigative Team

With this image, we can see the long wake of the Pog Lake Monster as it apparently pursues a solo canoeist with some gusto. You can see what appears to be a small white roostertail of water in the wake of the monster, right behind it. This photographs was taken just moments before the monster just disappeared underwater, just as we thought it was about to attack the canoeist. At the bottom of the image there are two enhancements, zooming in on the area of interest. Click on the image to see a larger version.

That was the last that we saw of the Pog Lake Monster, dispite the large number of electronic monitoring devices that we had laid out in and around the lake. When the funding for our research at Pog Lake ended, we packed up our electronics, camping equipment, and empty beer bottles and returned to Jumpgate's base of operations in Ottawa, jubilant that our efforts had been rewarded.

Unfortunately, our investigation turned up more questions than it answered. What does the Canadian Military know about the Pog Lake Monster? How did the O'Connor brothers get their information from the Monster? Is it able to communicate? Did the Pog Lake Monster eat Sesame Street's lawyer? Why the name "Chopper"? Why hasn't the Monster been seen on the much larger and deeper Lake of Two Rivers, which is attached to Pog lake by a short meandering river? If Jumpgate can obtain funding to send another Investigative Team to Pog Lake, we will look into answers for these questions, because you, our readers want to know the Truth.