Atikokan, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Atikokan is a township
in the District of Rainy River
in Northwestern
Ontario
, Canada
. In 2006, the population was 3,293. The town is one of the main entry points into Quetico Provincial Park
and promotes itself as the "Canoeing
Capital of Canada". Atikokan was originally established as a rail stop for the Canadian Northern Railway
.
The township of Atikokan is an enclave within the Unorganized Rainy River District.
in 1688. His journey was critical for the expansion and exploration of the Atikokan area.
Within the short span of just 200 years, the population of the Natives was almost cut in half. Diseases brought from the Europeans, and their rivals the Sioux
, were the main causes. Another major blow to the natives was the lackadaisical care of fire brought by the new explorers, which resulted in the destruction of moss
, the caribou's main food source. The lower caribou populations resulted in a struggle to find food sources for the native people.
, Savanne River, Lac des Mille Lacs, via Pickerel Lake and Sturgeon Lake
.
The government, ignoring both plans, decided to build a road west of Lac des Mille Lacs, down the Seine River and finally into Rainy Lake
. In 1859, Simon James Dawson
was hired to begin the route, but the plan was held up due to poor economic conditions in the east. In 1867, after Confederation, there became an increased need for communication to the west. Construction of the Dawson Trail
began in Prince Arthur's Landing
in 1868. Construction was sped up in 1869 as the Riel Rebellion
resulted in the need to transport troops.
. Tom moved here because he had heard that there was need of shelter for the workers on the railway. Within a year of moving to Atikokan, Tom Rawn built the Pioneer Hotel, which had 18 rooms on its second story. In 1900, he was the first to strike a claim for iron ore in the Steep Rock area.
on Clark Street. Pitt Construction arrived later to construct roads. Their new way of making roads with machines amazed old-timers, who were used to making them using a pick, shovel and wheelbarrow. In 1950, the population had grown to 3,000 people.
The first businesses in Atikokan could buy lots on Main Street for only $10 an acre, but the prices soon skyrocketed to $100 per square foot. Even with the high costs, stores, restaurants, banks and other establishments sprang up very quickly. The second bank to open was the Toronto-Dominion
, the third, the Royal Bank of Canada
.
started after the explorations of Jacques de Noyon
in 1688, de la Noue in 1717 and Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye
in 1731. The first English trading post
was built on the shores of Lake of the Woods
and Rainy Lake
. The first French post however was on Grand Portage, Minnesota
. By 1741, the French fur trading posts had extended as far west as Saskatchewan
, and were actually competing with the much larger Hudson's Bay Company
.
Just as the French were poised to become the larger company, Great Britain conquered Canada
, and the French trade disappeared with it. This caused an explosion in the number of independent traders, resulting in the trade becoming extremely violent. Some traders even succumbed to murder as a way for them to be the most profitable fur trader. In 1779, the independent traders put aside their differences to form a union of traders which would be called the North West Company
in order to compete with the much larger Hudson's Bay Company. The North West Company made Grand Portage their headquarters, and using a route that skimmed the to-be border, were able to compete with the Hudson's Bay Company for the fur.
, led by Robert Whiteside to take the job.
In 1932, Dr. McKenzie and Tom Rawn staked out the entire South East bay of Steep Rock. They then found a spot, sunk a shaft and found it was rich with high grade hematite. The mine was quickly abandoned as they had trouble keeping water out of it. In 1940, Tom sold 109 claims located west of Steep Rock to Midwest Iron Mining Corporation, and in March of that year, with 60 claims in his name, created Rawn Iron Mines Ltd. Four months later, on July 23, Rawn went out prospecting
near Sapawe, and never returned. Parties searched for weeks, but his remains were never found.
and 10 being in the Clearwater and White Otter Castle
area. The first attempt at harvesting timber in the area was in the 1870s. A sawmill was located on the height of land east of the French Portage.
The strip between Lac La Croix and French Lake held great potential for logging of red and white pine, however, the barren shores around Saganaga show that there were many fires there, with approximately one sixth of the total area having been destroyed by fires. These forest fires were usually caused by the carelessness of troops that passed through the area years before on the Dawson Trail. Smith described the aftermath as "gigantic, half burned dead pines, which, towering in the air, add so much to the wildness and desolation of the scene" and "too often caused by the carelessness of explorers, prospectors, and hunters; The Indians are very careful to extinguish their fires during the dry season ... it is regretted that the fatal carelessness of the others cannot be checked." He noted that the pine in the unburnt area was excellent. The best trees were said to be found on Trout, Darkey, and Brent Lakes, and the farthest Southeast end of Sturgeon Lake
.
, mineral exploration in the area determined the presence of a large, high grade, iron ore deposit at the bottom of Steep Rock Lake. After the war a large water diversion project on the Seine River system was undertaken to enable the draining and dredging of Steep Rock lake in order to develop open-pit mining
operations.
Atikokan is in the Central Time Zone but observes Central Daylight Time year round. One explanation for this is that the late afternoon daylight in winter facilitated the loading of iron ore cars back when the mines were still in operation. The practice continues and makes for dark mornings in the depth of winter.
Two large mines (Steep Rock Iron Mines and Caland Ore Co.) commenced operations in the late-1950s and continued for more than 30 years. When the mines closed in the early-1980s the town of Atikokan suffered economically but continued to survive on natural resource
-based industries and tourism
.
In 1994, a 10 megawatt
hydroelectric
generating station (Valerie Falls Power) was developed on the Seine River
diversion that had facilitated the opening of the mines 40 years earlier.
thermal power plant
located 20 kilometres north of the community, the general hospital and (collectively) its canoeing outfitters. Recently, two forest product mills—Fibratech and Atikokan Forest Products (Located 30 kilometres east in Sapawe) were closed indefinitely due to the downturn in the wood industry.
Ontario Power Generation (OPG), has been one of Atikokan's main employers since the eary 1980's. The station burns coal shipped from Saskatchewan.
The Osisko Mining Corporation is planning a new gold mine and ore processing facility at it's Hammond Reef site approximately 30 kilometers north of Atikokan. The company plans to have a permit by 2013, open in 2016 and operate until 2030 followed by a 2-year decommissioning and closure process. The mine is planned to have two main open pits to produce 17.5 million tons of gold ore each year.
, between Thunder Bay
and Fort Frances
. CN Rail runs through the town and operates a small rail yard
south of the town. Atikokan Municipal Airport
is located to the northwest of the town. When Atikokan opened its first rail line, fares were $15.
.
The Atikokan Little Falls Golf Course and Recreation centre features a beautiful yet difficult colf course and a six sheet curling rink. The rink is located inside the recreation centre and adjacent to the golf course. Both the curling club and the gold club offer leagues to play in. Leagues like men's, ladies, and mixed are offered.
Atikokan Bass Classic is an annual small mouth bass fishing tournament located in the upper and lower floodwaters. It's named "The funnest bass tourny in the north west" because of all events leading up to it. There is a week full of events before the weekend of the tournament. Afterwards, there's a street dance to celebrate.
Another annual Atikokan event is the Mudflings. Trucks race across a mud pit, the one with the best time between two days wins. This event also include a pagent for 4 girls from the town. They participate in community events and sponsors. There is a dance at the end of the weekend for adults.
Quetico park is great place to go camping, canoeing, hiking, swimming or anything in the outdoors. During the summer, it has a variety of programs and activities for all ages. It's a, envirnmentally friendly campground, no motor boats, hunting, or cutting down trees.
, one separate school
and one high school
. Public Schools are administered by the Rainy River District School Board
, St. Patrick's School is administered by the Northwest Catholic District School Board
.
Township (Canada)
The term township generally means the district or area associated with a town. However in some systems no town needs to be involved. The specific use of the term to describe political subdivisions has varied by country, usually to describe a local rural or semi-rural government within the county...
in the District of Rainy River
Rainy River District, Ontario
Rainy River District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1885. It is the only division in Ontario that lies completely in the Central time zone. Its seat is Fort Frances...
in Northwestern
Northwestern Ontario
Northwestern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and west of Lake Superior, and west of Hudson Bay and James Bay. It includes most of subarctic Ontario. Its western boundary is the Canadian province of Manitoba, which disputed Ontario's claim to the...
Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. In 2006, the population was 3,293. The town is one of the main entry points into Quetico Provincial Park
Quetico Provincial Park
Quetico Provincial Park is a large wilderness park in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, renowned for its excellent canoeing and fishing. This park shares its southern border with Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which is part of the larger Superior National Forest...
and promotes itself as the "Canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
Capital of Canada". Atikokan was originally established as a rail stop for the Canadian Northern Railway
Canadian Northern Railway
The Canadian Northern Railway is a historic Canadian transcontinental railway. At its demise in 1923, when it was merged into the Canadian National Railway , the CNoR owned a main line between Quebec City and Vancouver via Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Edmonton.-Manitoba beginnings:CNoR had its start in...
.
The township of Atikokan is an enclave within the Unorganized Rainy River District.
Early history
The original settlers to the Atikokan area were the "Oschekamega Wenenewak" (The people of the cross ridges) Ojibwa / Chippewa. They lived by themselves until the arrival of Jacques de NoyonJacques de Noyon
Jacques de Noyon was a French Canadian explorer and coureur des bois. He is the first known European to visit the Boundary Waters region west of Lake Superior.Jacques de Noyon was born on February 12, 1668, in Trois-Rivières, New France...
in 1688. His journey was critical for the expansion and exploration of the Atikokan area.
Within the short span of just 200 years, the population of the Natives was almost cut in half. Diseases brought from the Europeans, and their rivals the Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
, were the main causes. Another major blow to the natives was the lackadaisical care of fire brought by the new explorers, which resulted in the destruction of moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
, the caribou's main food source. The lower caribou populations resulted in a struggle to find food sources for the native people.
The road to Atikokan
Palliser Gladman-Hind suggested the first real road in the area, he intended for it to go as far as possible starting from Arrow Lake, and after the road's end travellers would take a waterway to Fort Frances. Simon Dawson, on the other hand, thought the road could go from Dog Lake, to Thunder Bay, then using a series of dams, would allow even the larger boats to travel along the route of Dog RiverDog River (Ontario)
Dog River is a river located northwest of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It enters the northern end of Big Dog Lake and drains at the southern end, continuing to Little Dog Lake and then to its confluence with the Matawin River to form Kaministiquia River. The name "Kaministiquia" comes from an...
, Savanne River, Lac des Mille Lacs, via Pickerel Lake and Sturgeon Lake
Sturgeon Lake (Ontario)
Sturgeon Lake is a lake in the Kawartha Lakes region of Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Trent-Severn Waterway. The lake is Y shaped and has the communities of Fenelon Falls, Lindsay, Sturgeon Point and Bobcaygeon at the north-west, south, central and north-east points of the Y respectively...
.
The government, ignoring both plans, decided to build a road west of Lac des Mille Lacs, down the Seine River and finally into Rainy Lake
Rainy Lake
Rainy Lake is a relatively large freshwater lake that straddles the border between the United States and Canada. The Rainy River issues from the west side of the lake and is harnessed to make hydroelectricity for US and Canadian locations. The U.S...
. In 1859, Simon James Dawson
Simon James Dawson
Simon James Dawson was a Canadian civil engineer and politician.Born in Redhaven, Banffshire, Scotland, Dawson emigrated to Canada as a young man and began his career as an engineer...
was hired to begin the route, but the plan was held up due to poor economic conditions in the east. In 1867, after Confederation, there became an increased need for communication to the west. Construction of the Dawson Trail
Dawson Trail
Dawson Trail is a provincial electoral division in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was created by redistribution in 2008 and was created out of parts of Morris and La Verendrye....
began in Prince Arthur's Landing
Port Arthur, Ontario
Port Arthur was a city in Northern Ontario which amalgamated with Fort William and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Port Arthur was the district seat of Thunder Bay District.- History :...
in 1868. Construction was sped up in 1869 as the Riel Rebellion
Red River Rebellion
The Red River Rebellion or Red River Resistance was the sequence of events related to the 1869 establishment of a provisional government by the Métis leader Louis Riel and his followers at the Red River Settlement, in what is now the Canadian province of Manitoba.The Rebellion was the first crisis...
resulted in the need to transport troops.
The first residents
Tom Rawn and his wife were the first residents of Atikokan, arriving by canoe in 1899. Tom was lured to Atikokan by both the allure of gold in the area and because of plans by the Canadian Northern Railway to build a divisional pointDivisional point
In Canada, a divisional point is a railway depot that includes more than just a basic siding or station.- Overview :In the coal and steam era, a divisional point would include such amenities as a substantial passenger station, freight and baggage sheds, a roundhouse, water tank, coaling and sanding...
. Tom moved here because he had heard that there was need of shelter for the workers on the railway. Within a year of moving to Atikokan, Tom Rawn built the Pioneer Hotel, which had 18 rooms on its second story. In 1900, he was the first to strike a claim for iron ore in the Steep Rock area.
The beginning of the town
In 1937, when Julian Cross discovered ore, it seemed like Atikokan had some potential for becoming a real town. The first real showing was the construction of the Canadian Imperial Bank of CommerceCanadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is one of Canada's chartered banks, fifth largest by deposits. The bank is headquartered at Commerce Court in Toronto, Ontario. CIBC's Institution Number is 010, and its SWIFT code is CIBCCATT....
on Clark Street. Pitt Construction arrived later to construct roads. Their new way of making roads with machines amazed old-timers, who were used to making them using a pick, shovel and wheelbarrow. In 1950, the population had grown to 3,000 people.
The first businesses in Atikokan could buy lots on Main Street for only $10 an acre, but the prices soon skyrocketed to $100 per square foot. Even with the high costs, stores, restaurants, banks and other establishments sprang up very quickly. The second bank to open was the Toronto-Dominion
Toronto-Dominion Bank
The Toronto-Dominion Bank , is the second-largest bank in Canada by market capitalization and based on assets. It is also the sixth largest bank in North America. Commonly known as TD and operating as TD Bank Group, the bank was created in 1955 through the merger of the Bank of Toronto and the...
, the third, the Royal Bank of Canada
Royal Bank of Canada
The Royal Bank of Canada or RBC Financial Group is the largest financial institution in Canada, as measured by deposits, revenues, and market capitalization. The bank serves seventeen million clients and has 80,100 employees worldwide. The company corporate headquarters are located in Toronto,...
.
The fur trade
The boom of the fur tradeFur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
started after the explorations of Jacques de Noyon
Jacques de Noyon
Jacques de Noyon was a French Canadian explorer and coureur des bois. He is the first known European to visit the Boundary Waters region west of Lake Superior.Jacques de Noyon was born on February 12, 1668, in Trois-Rivières, New France...
in 1688, de la Noue in 1717 and Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye
Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye
Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye was a French Canadian military officer, fur trader and explorer. In the 1730s he and his four sons opened up the area west of Lake Superior and thus began the process that added Western Canada to the original New France in the Saint Lawrence basin...
in 1731. The first English trading post
Trading post
A trading post was a place or establishment in historic Northern America where the trading of goods took place. The preferred travel route to a trading post or between trading posts, was known as a trade route....
was built on the shores of Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods is a lake occupying parts of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba and the U.S. state of Minnesota. It separates a small land area of Minnesota from the rest of the United States. The Northwest Angle and the town of Angle Township can only be reached from the rest of...
and Rainy Lake
Rainy Lake
Rainy Lake is a relatively large freshwater lake that straddles the border between the United States and Canada. The Rainy River issues from the west side of the lake and is harnessed to make hydroelectricity for US and Canadian locations. The U.S...
. The first French post however was on Grand Portage, Minnesota
Grand Portage, Minnesota
Grand Portage is an unorganized territory in Cook County, Minnesota, on Lake Superior, at the northeast corner of the state near the border with northwestern Ontario. The population was 557 at the 2000 census...
. By 1741, the French fur trading posts had extended as far west as Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, and were actually competing with the much larger Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
.
Just as the French were poised to become the larger company, Great Britain conquered Canada
Canada, New France
Canada was the name of the French colony that once stretched along the St. Lawrence River; the other colonies of New France were Acadia, Louisiana and Newfoundland. Canada, the most developed colony of New France, was divided into three districts, each with its own government: Quebec,...
, and the French trade disappeared with it. This caused an explosion in the number of independent traders, resulting in the trade becoming extremely violent. Some traders even succumbed to murder as a way for them to be the most profitable fur trader. In 1779, the independent traders put aside their differences to form a union of traders which would be called the North West Company
North West Company
The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what was to become Western Canada...
in order to compete with the much larger Hudson's Bay Company. The North West Company made Grand Portage their headquarters, and using a route that skimmed the to-be border, were able to compete with the Hudson's Bay Company for the fur.
Iron mining
The potential for the Steep Rock iron mine was revealed in 1897 by a non-resident geologist named William McInnis. Nothing was done until the winter of 1929–1930, when Julian Cross started interviewing iron and steel companies to try to unlock Steep Rock’s potential. He finally convinced a company from Duluth, MinnesotaDuluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
, led by Robert Whiteside to take the job.
In 1932, Dr. McKenzie and Tom Rawn staked out the entire South East bay of Steep Rock. They then found a spot, sunk a shaft and found it was rich with high grade hematite. The mine was quickly abandoned as they had trouble keeping water out of it. In 1940, Tom sold 109 claims located west of Steep Rock to Midwest Iron Mining Corporation, and in March of that year, with 60 claims in his name, created Rawn Iron Mines Ltd. Four months later, on July 23, Rawn went out prospecting
Prospecting
Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially viable ore...
near Sapawe, and never returned. Parties searched for weeks, but his remains were never found.
Forestry
Timber was first noticed in the area as early as 1886. There were 31 surveys, with 21 being in Quetico Provincial ParkQuetico Provincial Park
Quetico Provincial Park is a large wilderness park in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, renowned for its excellent canoeing and fishing. This park shares its southern border with Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which is part of the larger Superior National Forest...
and 10 being in the Clearwater and White Otter Castle
White Otter Castle
White Otter Castle is an elaborate 3-story log house built on the shore of White Otter Lake, about south of Ignace, Ontario, Canada, by eccentric hermit James Alexander "Jimmy" McOuat....
area. The first attempt at harvesting timber in the area was in the 1870s. A sawmill was located on the height of land east of the French Portage.
The strip between Lac La Croix and French Lake held great potential for logging of red and white pine, however, the barren shores around Saganaga show that there were many fires there, with approximately one sixth of the total area having been destroyed by fires. These forest fires were usually caused by the carelessness of troops that passed through the area years before on the Dawson Trail. Smith described the aftermath as "gigantic, half burned dead pines, which, towering in the air, add so much to the wildness and desolation of the scene" and "too often caused by the carelessness of explorers, prospectors, and hunters; The Indians are very careful to extinguish their fires during the dry season ... it is regretted that the fatal carelessness of the others cannot be checked." He noted that the pine in the unburnt area was excellent. The best trees were said to be found on Trout, Darkey, and Brent Lakes, and the farthest Southeast end of Sturgeon Lake
Sturgeon Lake (Ontario)
Sturgeon Lake is a lake in the Kawartha Lakes region of Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Trent-Severn Waterway. The lake is Y shaped and has the communities of Fenelon Falls, Lindsay, Sturgeon Point and Bobcaygeon at the north-west, south, central and north-east points of the Y respectively...
.
Recent history
Before the 2nd World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, mineral exploration in the area determined the presence of a large, high grade, iron ore deposit at the bottom of Steep Rock Lake. After the war a large water diversion project on the Seine River system was undertaken to enable the draining and dredging of Steep Rock lake in order to develop open-pit mining
Open-pit mining
Open-pit mining or opencast mining refers to a method of extracting rock or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open pit or borrow....
operations.
Atikokan is in the Central Time Zone but observes Central Daylight Time year round. One explanation for this is that the late afternoon daylight in winter facilitated the loading of iron ore cars back when the mines were still in operation. The practice continues and makes for dark mornings in the depth of winter.
Two large mines (Steep Rock Iron Mines and Caland Ore Co.) commenced operations in the late-1950s and continued for more than 30 years. When the mines closed in the early-1980s the town of Atikokan suffered economically but continued to survive on natural resource
Natural Resources
Natural Resources is a soul album released by Motown girl group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas in 1970 on the Gordy label. The album is significant for the Vietnam War ballad "I Should Be Proud" and the slow jam, "Love Guess Who"...
-based industries and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
.
In 1994, a 10 megawatt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
generating station (Valerie Falls Power) was developed on the Seine River
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
diversion that had facilitated the opening of the mines 40 years earlier.
Climate
Demographics
Population trend:- Population in 2006: 3293
- Population in 2001: 3632
- Population in 1996: 4043
- Population in 1991: 4047
Economy
Atikokan's main employers are an Ontario Power GenerationOntario Power Generation
Ontario Power Generation is a public company wholly owned by the Government of Ontario. OPG is responsible for approximately 70% of the electricity generation in the Province of Ontario, Canada. Sources of electricity include nuclear, hydroelectric, solar, wind, and fossil fuel...
thermal power plant
Fossil fuel power plant
A fossil-fuel power station is a power station that burns fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas or petroleum to produce electricity. Central station fossil-fuel power plants are designed on a large scale for continuous operation...
located 20 kilometres north of the community, the general hospital and (collectively) its canoeing outfitters. Recently, two forest product mills—Fibratech and Atikokan Forest Products (Located 30 kilometres east in Sapawe) were closed indefinitely due to the downturn in the wood industry.
Ontario Power Generation (OPG), has been one of Atikokan's main employers since the eary 1980's. The station burns coal shipped from Saskatchewan.
The Osisko Mining Corporation is planning a new gold mine and ore processing facility at it's Hammond Reef site approximately 30 kilometers north of Atikokan. The company plans to have a permit by 2013, open in 2016 and operate until 2030 followed by a 2-year decommissioning and closure process. The mine is planned to have two main open pits to produce 17.5 million tons of gold ore each year.
Transportation
The town is located off Highway 11Highway 11 (Ontario)
King's Highway 11 is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. At , it is the second longest highway in the province after Highway 17. Highway 11 begins at Highway 400 in Barrie, and arches through northern Ontario, around Lake Superior, to the Ontario–Minnesota border...
, between Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
and Fort Frances
Fort Frances, Ontario
Fort Frances is a town in, and the seat of, Rainy River District in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. The population as of the 2006 census was 8,103 and Fort Frances' population peaked in 1971 at 9,947...
. CN Rail runs through the town and operates a small rail yard
Rail yard
A rail yard, or railroad yard, is a complex series of railroad tracks for storing, sorting, or loading/unloading, railroad cars and/or locomotives. Railroad yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock stored off the mainline, so that they do not obstruct the flow of traffic....
south of the town. Atikokan Municipal Airport
Atikokan Municipal Airport
Atikokan Municipal Aerodrome, , is a registered aerodrome located northwest of the town of Atikokan, Ontario, Canada. It is served by a published instrument approach.-External links:* on COPA's Places to Fly airport directory...
is located to the northwest of the town. When Atikokan opened its first rail line, fares were $15.
Recreation
Atikokan was selected as the host site for the 2003 edition of Raid the North Extreme, a televised 6-day multi-sport expedition race that visits incredible wilderness locations across Canada. A key factor in the selection was the proximity to the incredible paddling presented by Quetico Provincial ParkQuetico Provincial Park
Quetico Provincial Park is a large wilderness park in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, renowned for its excellent canoeing and fishing. This park shares its southern border with Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which is part of the larger Superior National Forest...
.
The Atikokan Little Falls Golf Course and Recreation centre features a beautiful yet difficult colf course and a six sheet curling rink. The rink is located inside the recreation centre and adjacent to the golf course. Both the curling club and the gold club offer leagues to play in. Leagues like men's, ladies, and mixed are offered.
Atikokan Bass Classic is an annual small mouth bass fishing tournament located in the upper and lower floodwaters. It's named "The funnest bass tourny in the north west" because of all events leading up to it. There is a week full of events before the weekend of the tournament. Afterwards, there's a street dance to celebrate.
Another annual Atikokan event is the Mudflings. Trucks race across a mud pit, the one with the best time between two days wins. This event also include a pagent for 4 girls from the town. They participate in community events and sponsors. There is a dance at the end of the weekend for adults.
Quetico park is great place to go camping, canoeing, hiking, swimming or anything in the outdoors. During the summer, it has a variety of programs and activities for all ages. It's a, envirnmentally friendly campground, no motor boats, hunting, or cutting down trees.
Education
Atikokan is served by one elementary schoolElementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
, one separate school
Separate school
In Canada, separate school refers to a particular type of school that has constitutional status in three provinces and statutory status in three territories...
and one high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. Public Schools are administered by the Rainy River District School Board
Rainy River District School Board
The Rainy River District School Board is a school board in the Canadian province of Ontario. The school board is the school district administrator for English language public schools in the Rainy River District, Ontario with a total enrollment of 3,358 students as of 2005...
, St. Patrick's School is administered by the Northwest Catholic District School Board
Northwest Catholic District School Board
The Northwest Catholic District School Board have their corporate office in Fort Frances, Ontario, and their business office in Dryden, Ontario. There are five schools in this school board: Our Lady of the Way School in Stratton, Ontario; Sacred Heart School in Sioux Lookout, Ontario; St. Joseph's...
.
- Public Schools
- North Star Community School
- Atikokan High School
- Separate School
- St. Patrick's Separate School
Media
- Newspapers
- Radio
- AMAM broadcastingAM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
1240 - CFOB Fort FrancisCFOB-FMCFOB-FM, branded as B93, is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 93.1 FM in Fort Frances, Ontario. The station airs a hot adult contemporary format....
repeater (formerly used by CKDR-6 Dryden until 2010) - FMFM broadcastingFM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
90.1 - CBQICBQT-FMCBQT-FM is a Canadian radio station. It is the CBC Radio One station in Thunder Bay, Ontario, broadcasting at 88.3 FM, and serves all of Northwestern Ontario through a network of relay transmitters.-History:...
, CBC Radio OneCBC Radio OneCBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
- AM
- Television
- Channel 7 - CBWCT-1CBWTCBWT is the CBC's television station in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is the only CBC station in Manitoba, since Brandon's CKX-TV closed on October 2, 2009....
- CBCCBC TelevisionCBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
- Channel 7 - CBWCT-1