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Melgund Township, Northwestern Ontario

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Northern White Violet

Tucked quietly among mosses and ferns, the Northern White Violet (Viola macloskeyi) is one of the forest's most understated treasures.
Jamie Bell May 29, 2025
With soft white petals etched by fine purple veins, the Northern White Violet graces mossy forest floors and damp meadows, offering subtle beauty and early sustenance for native pollinators in northern ecosystems.

With soft white petals etched by fine purple veins, the Northern White Violet graces mossy forest floors and damp meadows, offering subtle beauty and early sustenance for native pollinators in northern ecosystems.

Viola macloskeyi – A Delicate Presence in Cool, Shaded Wetlands

Tucked quietly among mosses and ferns, the Northern White Violet (Viola macloskeyi) is one of the forest’s most understated treasures. Its small, white blossoms often go unnoticed beneath taller plants, but to those who kneel and look closely, it reveals a fine, almost fragile elegance. Each petal is etched with delicate purple lines, like veins on paper or the gentle strokes of a careful hand, guiding bees and flies to the flower’s hidden center. It doesn’t demand attention. Instead, it invites stillness — the kind of attention that only comes when we slow down.

This violet isn’t loud or showy, and that’s part of its charm. It emerges in early spring, when the ground is still wet from snowmelt, and the air carries the chill of a long winter’s end. It thrives in places others might overlook: boggy forest margins, shaded hollows, the edge of a quiet stream. There, it plays its part in the larger web of life — feeding pollinators, supporting soil health, and quietly marking the shift of seasons.

For generations, people living close to the land have noticed the Northern White Violet, even if they didn’t always name it. In some places, it’s been used for gentle remedies or simply admired for its persistence and grace. It’s a reminder that beauty often lives low to the ground — in the overlooked, in the quiet, in the places where few others choose to grow.

About the Author

Jamie Bell

Jamie Bell

Administrator

Jamie Bell is a Winnipeg-based interdisciplinary artist and strategist working at the intersection of media arts, community engagement, and public affairs. Among others, his work has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Manitoba Arts Council, and the OpenAI Researcher Access Program, with a focus on participatory media, strategic communications, and arts-based collaboration across northern and urban contexts.

Author's website Author's posts
Tags: Plants SDG 15

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Next: Northern Bog Violet: A Bloom in the Wetlands

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NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO ARTS PROGRAMS

This platform, our Northwestern Ontario hub and programs have been made possible with support from the Ontario Arts Council Multi and Inter-Arts Projects Program. We gratefully acknowledge their funding and support in making the work we do possible.

Ontario Arts Council Multi and Inter-Arts Projects Program

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Arts Incubator and Art Borups Corners Collective was seeded with strategic arts innovation funding from the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Greenhouse and the Local Services Board of Melgund. We thank them for their investment, support and bringing the arts to life.

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SUPPORTING ARTS AND RECREATION

Borups Corners Arts and Recreation supports arts and recreation in Melgund Township, Northwestern Ontario as volunteer-driven Arts Collective.

Ontario Arts Council Multi and Inter-Arts Projects Program
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