James, Ontario
Encyclopedia
James is a township
in the Canadian
province of Ontario
, located within the Timiskaming District
. The primary community within the township is Elk Lake, which is located at the junction of Highway 65
and Highway 560
.
The township had a population of 414 in the Canada 2006 Census
.
Elk Lake began as a mining boom town when native silver was discovered in James Township in 1906. Mining activity peaked between 1907 and 1913, when there were about thirty active mining properties in the area. The population at one point reached almost 10,000 people. By 1908 the town included six large hotels, many stores, warehouses, banks, lawyer’s offices, a post office, a hospital and a Mining Recorder’s Office. The town of Elk Lake was incorporated in 1909 as the Corporation of the Township of James. The Township’s first Reeve was the famous athlete and prospector Jack Monroe.
Access to Elk Lake was initially only by motorboat via Heather River. By 1909 the road from Elk Lake to Charlton could be traversed by coach, although commercial steamers on the Montreal River continued to provide summer access from Latchford for most heavy equipment and freight. The steamboat era on the Montreal River lasted only a few years, ending when a branch of the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway was built into Elk Lake in 1913.
Commercial logging in the Temiskaming area dates back to the 1840’s. In 1905, the Montreal River Pulp Concession, an area of 17000 square miles (44,029.8 km²), was sold to J.R. Booth. From 1907 to 1923, Booth maintained a large pulpwood depot in Elk Lake. In the spring of 1930, Booth completed the last log drive on the Montreal River shortly after he sold his local interest to the E.B. Eddy Company.
Today, Elk Lake’s economy continues to be driven by a sustainable forest industry. The town also boasts a significant number of tourist camps and lodges offering excellent packages for the outdoor sports and nature enthusiasts.
The Makobe River Provincial Park protects the Makobe River. This popular whitewater
canoeing
route flows into the Montreal River
at Elk Lake.
Private dwellings, excluding seasonal cottages: 177 (total: 221)
Mother tongue:
has recorded an album entitled Elk-Lake Serenade
.
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 Canadian
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...
province of 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....
, located within the Timiskaming District
Timiskaming District, Ontario
Timiskaming is a district and census division in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. The district was created in 1912 from parts of Algoma, Nipissing, and Sudbury districts. In 1921, Cochrane District was created from parts of this district and parts of Thunder Bay...
. The primary community within the township is Elk Lake, which is located at the junction of Highway 65
Highway 65 (Ontario)
King's Highway 65, commonly referred to as Highway 65, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The route begins at Highway 66 and travels southeast to the Quebec border...
and Highway 560
Highway 560 (Ontario)
Secondary Highway 560, commonly referred to as Highway 560, is a provincially maintained secondary highway in Northern Ontario. It begins in the west at Highway 144 and its eastern terminus is Highway 11 at Englehart...
.
The township had a population of 414 in the Canada 2006 Census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
.
History
Access to Elk Lake was initially only by motorboat via Heather River. By 1909 the road from Elk Lake to Charlton could be traversed by coach, although commercial steamers on the Montreal River continued to provide summer access from Latchford for most heavy equipment and freight. The steamboat era on the Montreal River lasted only a few years, ending when a branch of the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway was built into Elk Lake in 1913.
Commercial logging in the Temiskaming area dates back to the 1840’s. In 1905, the Montreal River Pulp Concession, an area of 17000 square miles (44,029.8 km²), was sold to J.R. Booth. From 1907 to 1923, Booth maintained a large pulpwood depot in Elk Lake. In the spring of 1930, Booth completed the last log drive on the Montreal River shortly after he sold his local interest to the E.B. Eddy Company.
Today, Elk Lake’s economy continues to be driven by a sustainable forest industry. The town also boasts a significant number of tourist camps and lodges offering excellent packages for the outdoor sports and nature enthusiasts.
The Makobe River Provincial Park protects the Makobe River. This popular whitewater
Whitewater
Whitewater is formed in a rapid, when a river's gradient increases enough to disturb its laminar flow and create turbulence, i.e. form a bubbly, or aerated and unstable current; the frothy water appears white...
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'....
route flows into the Montreal River
Montreal River (Timiskaming District, Ontario)
The Montreal River is a river in Timiskaming District, Ontario, Canada. It travels from its source at Smoothwater Lake to its mouth at Lake Timiskaming on the Ottawa River. The river is a significant source of hydroelectricity.-Course:...
at Elk Lake.
Demographics
Population:- Population in 2006: 414 (2001 to 2006 population change: -11.3 %)
- Population in 2001: 467
- Population in 1996: 483
- Population in 1991: 524
Private dwellings, excluding seasonal cottages: 177 (total: 221)
Mother tongue:
- English as first language: 49.4 %
- French as first language: 45.8 %
- English and French as first language: 2.4 %
- Other as first language: 2.4 %
Art and literature
Canadian songwriter Hayden DesserHayden (musician)
Paul Hayden Desser who records as Hayden, is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Thornhill, Ontario.His early works are a largely eclectic mix of genres from grunge rock to alt country, as demonstrated by his first full album, Everything I Long For, released in 1995. Since then his work has become...
has recorded an album entitled Elk-Lake Serenade
Elk-Lake Serenade
Elk-Lake Serenade is the sixth full-length release by Canadian singer-songwriter Hayden. It was released on 18 May 2004 in Canada and in the U.S.A. . It was released two months later in the U.K...
.