Kirkland Lake, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Kirkland Lake is a town and municipality located in 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...

 in Northeastern
Northeastern Ontario
Northeastern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and east of Lakes Superior and Huron.Northeastern Ontario consists of the districts of Algoma, Sudbury, Cochrane, Timiskaming, Nipissing and Manitoulin; and the single-tier municipality of Greater...

 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...

. The 2006 population, according to Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....

, was 8,248.

The community name was based on a nearby lake which in turn was named after Winnifred Kirkland, a secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...

 of 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....

 Department of Mines in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

. The lake was named by surveyor Louis Rorke in 1907. Miss Kirkland never visited the town and the lake that bore her name no longer exists because of mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...

 tailings. The community comprises Kirkland Lake, as well as Swastika
Swastika, Ontario
Swastika is a small community founded in 1908 around a mining site in Northern Ontario, Canada, and today within the municipal boundaries of Kirkland Lake, Ontario....

, Chaput Hughes and Harvey Kirkland.

Kirkland Lake was built on gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...

, but it is equally as well known for producing world-famous hockey players. Indeed, legendary hockey broadcaster Foster Hewitt
Foster Hewitt
Foster William Hewitt, OC was a Canadian radio broadcaster most famous for his play-by-play calls for Hockey Night in Canada. He was the son of W. A. Hewitt, and the father of Bill Hewitt.-Early life and career:...

 called Kirkland Lake "the town that made the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...

 famous", likely because in the early days of the NHL, it was not uncommon to find an NHLer from the town. The town celebrates this tradition at the Hockey Heritage North museum. Until January 1, 1972, the town was known as Township of Teck. A by-law was introduced, on July 20, 1971 to change the name of the municipality to Town of Kirkland Lake, effective January 1, 1972.

History

The Council for the Township of Teck was sworn in, in 1919. Their first task was the establishment of public utilities, including roads and water pipes, in the rapidly growing area.
Kirkland Lake had numerous mines, in the early years, including Teck-Hughes Mine (1917-1968), Lake Shore Mine (1918-1968), Kirkland Minerals (1919-1960), Wright-Hargreaves Mine (1921-1965), Sylvanite Mine (1927-1961), Toburn Mine (1913-1953), Adams Mine
Adams Mine
Adams Mine is an abandoned open pit iron ore mine located in the Boston Township of the District of Timiskaming, south of Kirkland Lake in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the Canadian Shield....

 (1965-1990) and Macassa Mine (1933-1999). The Second World War dealt a blow to the local mining industry, as materials became very expensive, the price of gold was pegged and unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...

, as men went off to war, jumped. Kirkland Lake's first fire hall
Fire station
A fire station is a structure or other area set aside for storage of firefighting apparatus , personal protective equipment, fire hose, fire extinguishers, and other fire extinguishing equipment...

 was established in 1935 and the second fire hall in 1955. After World War II
World 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...

, local soldiers returned to the newly created Federal area, in the northern section of the town. A move duplicated by numerous communities welcoming back victorious soldiers. A member of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves, and places of commemoration, of Commonwealth of Nations military service members who died in the two World Wars...

, the Kirkland Lake Cemetery contains the graves
Graves
Graves is an important subregion of the Bordeaux wine region. Graves is situated on the left bank of the Garonne river, in the upstream part of the region, southeast of the city Bordeaux and stretch over...

 of 12 soldiers and 3 pilots of the Canadian military who died during World War II
World 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...

.The Kirkland Lake Community Complex
Joe Mavrinac Community Complex
Joe Mavrinac Community Complex is an arena established in 1979 and named after former Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada mayor Joe Mavrinac. It has been the home of the Kirkland Lake Blue Devils, since 2011.- External link :*...

, now the Joe Mavrinac Commuity Complex, opened in 1979. Between October and December 1988, Kirkland Lake was the filming location
Filming location
A filming location is a place where some or all of a film or television series is produced, in addition to or instead of using sets constructed on a movie studio backlot or soundstage...

 for the drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...

 Termini Station
Termini Station (film)
Termini Station is a Canadian drama film, released in 1989. It was directed by Allan King, and written by Colleen Murphy.The film stars Colleen Dewhurst and Megan Follows as Molly and Micheline Dushane, a mother and daughter living in a small Northern Ontario town...

.

Geography and ecology

Kirkland Lake is located at 48°09′00"N 80°02′00"W at an altitude of 243 metres (797 ft) above sea level and has an area of 285 km² (110.04 sq mi) including the townships of Teck, Bernhardt and Morrisette.

Kirkland Lake is nestled in the resource rich Precambrian Shield, the oldest geological formation on the planet. Nearby is the Arctic Watershed. Waters flowing south of this height of land (318 meters above sea level) flow into the Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...

 and on to the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

. North of this point, all waters flow into Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...

 and on to the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...

.

Noticeable local landmarks include Mount Cheminis, rising 500 meters above sea level, and many small kettle lakes, scraped out of the rock during the last Ice Age and filled with clear water.

Black spruce
Black Spruce
Picea mariana is a species of spruce native to northern North America, from Newfoundland west to Alaska, and south to northern New York, Minnesota and central British Columbia...

, Jack pine
Jack Pine
Jack pine is a North American pine with its native range in Canada east of the Rocky Mountains from Northwest Territories to Nova Scotia, and the northeast of the United States from Minnesota to Maine, with the southernmost part of the range just into northwest Indiana...

, trembling aspen
Populus tremuloides
Populus tremuloides is a deciduous tree native to cooler areas of North America, commonly called quaking aspen, trembling aspen, American aspen, and Quakies,. The trees have tall trunks, up to 25 metres, with smooth pale bark, scarred with black. The glossy green leaves, dull beneath, become golden...

, white birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...

, white spruce, balsam poplar
Balsam poplar
The balsam poplars — also known as Populus sect. Tacamahaca — are a group of about 10 species of poplars, indigenous to North America and eastern Asia, distinguished by the balsam scent of their buds, the whitish undersides of their leaves, and the leaf petiole being round in cross-section...

, and balsam fir are the dominant trees in the area. A prominent forest form in this part of the Black Spruce distribution is The Black Spruce/Feathermoss climax forest
Climax community
In ecology, a climax community, or climatic climax community, is a biological community of plants and animals which, through the process of ecological succession — the development of vegetation in an area over time — has reached a steady state. This equilibrium occurs because the climax community...

, which characteristically exhibits moderately dense canopy and features a forest floor of feathermosses. Moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...

, beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...

, muskrat
Muskrat
The muskrat , the only species in genus Ondatra, is a medium-sized semi-aquatic rodent native to North America, and introduced in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands and is a very successful animal over a wide range of climates and habitats...

, snowshoe hare
Snowshoe Hare
The Snowshoe Hare , also called the Varying Hare, or Snowshoe Rabbit, is a species of hare found in North America. It has the name "snowshoe" because of the large size of its hind feet and the marks its tail leaves. The animal's feet prevent it from sinking into the snow when it hops and walks...

, as well as numerous predators roam this area, including marten
Marten
The martens constitute the genus Martes within the subfamily Mustelinae, in family Mustelidae.-Description:Martens are slender, agile animals, adapted to living in taigas, and are found in coniferous and northern deciduous forests across the northern hemisphere. They have bushy tails, and large...

, ermine
Ermine
Ermine has several uses:* A common name for the stoat * The white fur and black tail end of this animal, which is historically worn by and associated with royalty and high officials...

, fisher
Fisher (animal)
The fisher is a medium-size mammal native to North America. It is a member of the mustelid family, commonly referred to as the weasel family. The fisher is closely related to but larger than the American Marten...

, otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....

, black bear
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...

, wolf, and lynx
Lynx
A lynx is any of the four Lynx genus species of medium-sized wildcats. The name "lynx" originated in Middle English via Latin from Greek word "λύγξ", derived from the Indo-European root "*leuk-", meaning "light, brightness", in reference to the luminescence of its reflective eyes...

. The many wetlands and lakes support a diversity of bird species, such as Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores and England...

s, ducks, geese, and that symbol of the north, the common loon. Ground and tree dwelling birds are also plentiful, including grouse
Grouse
Grouse are a group of birds from the order Galliformes. They are sometimes considered a family Tetraonidae, though the American Ornithologists' Union and many others include grouse as a subfamily Tetraoninae in the family Phasianidae...

, partridge
Partridge
Partridges are birds in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. They are a non-migratory Old World group.These are medium-sized birds, intermediate between the larger pheasants and the smaller quails. Partridges are native to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East...

, robins, blue jay
Blue Jay
The Blue Jay is a passerine bird in the family Corvidae, native to North America. It is resident through most of eastern and central United States and southern Canada, although western populations may be migratory. It breeds in both deciduous and coniferous forests, and is common near and in...

s, and gray jay
Gray Jay
The Gray Jay , also Grey Jay, Canada Jay, or Whiskey Jack, is a member of the crow and jay family found in the boreal forests across North America north to the tree-line and in subalpine forests of the Rocky Mountains south to New Mexico and Arizona...

s as well as birds of prey such as hawks.

Climate

Kirkland Lake enjoys four distinct seasons. Spring and autumn offer a mix of warm sunny days and crisp, cool nights. Summers are comfortably warm, with dry air and temperatures reaching into the mid 20 degree Celsius range (mid 70s' Fahrenheit). Winter temperatures may seem brisk, but high winds and high humidity are rare, allowing residents to take full advantage of outside recreational activities.

Demographics

Census Population
1938 26,000
1939 25,000
1941 21,500
1943 15,888
1945 20,000
1971 13,599
1981 12,219
1991 10,440
1996 9,905
2001 8,616
2006 8,248

Kirkland Lake is the ninth largest community in Northern Ontario. Over the past twenty years, the population has declined by more than 30%, from 12,000 in 1986. This decline, reflecting the closing of the mines that were historically the largest employers in the town, has slowed in recent times. However, between the 2001 census and 2006 census, the population declined by 4.5%, the 24th highest decline in Canada.

While this is accurate, more current information indicates that the population has actually increased for the first time in decades. Using Statistics Canada Taxfiler data, the local population in 2004 was estimated at 7,580, a decline from the 2001 population of 8,616. The 2006 Census population actually shows an increase of 8.7% from 2004.

The increase in population has had a number of consequences. Housing sales have increased by over 25% since 2003. Unemployment has dropped to less than 6%. Wages have increased, with many of the new jobs being fairly well paid ones. For example, a labourer in a sawmill operation earns an average salary of $21.00 per hour, while a miner averages $24.00 per hour. Given the tight labour market, especially in the mining sector, actual wages may be significantly higher, especially once premiums and bonuses are added to the total amounts earned. Lastly, consumer confidence has increased. There has been a steady increase in the number of building permits issued over the last two years, and businesses dealing with consumer leisure or recreational items have reported increased sales.

In 1939, the population of Kirkland Lake, then called Township of Teck, was 25,000.

Economy

The town went through a period of economic decline towards the end of the last century, with the closing of the original mines. That ended in 2001, when Foxpoint Resources (now Kirkland Lake Gold Inc. or KLG) bought five of the mining claims in the town and began intensive exploration work. KLG successfully resuscitated the local mining scene, finding new zones of mineralization
Mineralization (geology)
In geology, mineralization is the hydrothermal deposition of economically important metals in the formation of ore bodies or "lodes".The first scientific studies of this process took place in Cornwall, United Kingdom by J.W.Henwood FRS and later by R.W...

 that, combined with the steadily increasing price of gold, turned the town around. Today, Kirkland Lake is probably one of the most successful communities of its size in Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...

. Some of the more recent developments include:
  • Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. continues to expand its operations. Since December 2002
    December 2002
    December 2002: January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December – →-December 3, 2002:*Football : Real Madrid has defeated Olimpia Paraguay to win the Intercontinental Cup....

    , the company’s confirmed gold reserves have increased by 160% to 2,022,000 tons with an average grade of 0.46 ounces per ton containing a total of 927,000 ounces of gold. In 2003, the Company started a $21 million, 3 year exploration program targeted at adding an additional 15,000,000 tons of ore to reserves and resources. Currently, over 500 personnel are directly or indirectly employed at the mine site. Based on today’s resources, the mine has a 12-15 year life span. A recently announced $16 million expansion in its exploration activities is already paying dividends. The mine recently announced the discovery of the richest ore veins ever found in the history of the Kirkland Lake camp, a move which will significantly increase the mine’s life span.

  • While the forestry industry has been hard hit across Canada, the impact on Kirkland Lake has been mitigated by the conversion of the existing Tembec
    Tembec
    Tembec Inc. is a paper company in Canada. Tembec has approximately 6000 employees located in Canada, United States, and France. Tembec's operating divisions include Forest Products, Pulp, Paper & Paperboard, and Chemicals....

     Forest Products Group's Kenogami sawmill into a value-added centre for the manufacturing of finger-jointed lumber. The new centre, located on the outskirts of KL, opened in July 2006
    July 2006
    July 2006 was a month with thirty-one days.The following events also occurred during the month:...

    . It will employ between 70 and 92 workers. Under an innovative Public-Private partnership, the municipality is working with Rosko Forestry Operations to establish a specialty sawmill
    Sawmill
    A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....

     in the Archer Drive Industrial Park that will sell into the Canadian market.

  • The local tourism industry has provided a much needed depth to the local economy. Star attractions include the Museum of Northern History
    Museum of Northern History
    The Museum of Northern History is a historic house museum located in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada with approximately 5,000 pieces showcasing the history of northern Ontario in particular relation to mining. The museum is located in the Sir Harry Oakes Chateau. The museum also holds art...

     at the Sir Harry Oakes Chateau, the Miners Memorial, and Hockey Heritage North
    Hockey Heritage North
    Hockey Heritage North is a museum of featuring the history of ice hockey, exhibition centre and conference centre in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada. The museum was officially opened on June 29, 2006 and established as a foundation in January 2008....

     (an 18000 square feet (1,672.3 m²) interactive facility telling the story of hockey in the north). Upcoming attractions include a refurbishment of the historical Toburn Headframe. Event based tourism is also strong. Some of the most popular draws include a drag racing
    Drag racing
    Drag racing is a competition in which specially prepared automobiles or motorcycles compete two at a time to be the first to cross a set finish line, from a standing start, in a straight line, over a measured distance, most commonly a ¼-mile straight track....

     event in the summer and a national snow cross racing event in the winter.

  • Prospects for an expansion of the Town’s white-collar
    White-collar worker
    The term white-collar worker refers to a person who performs professional, managerial, or administrative work, in contrast with a blue-collar worker, whose job requires manual labor...

     workforce are excellent. Two new 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....

    s as well as a long-term care
    Long-term care
    Long-term care is a variety of services which help meet both the medical and non-medical need of people with a chronic illness or disability who cannot care for themselves for long periods of time....

     facility, and a new medical centre
    Academic health science centre
    An academic health science centre is a partnership between one or more universities and healthcare providers focusing on research, clinical services, education and training...

     promise to make the community more attractive to professionals in the fields of medicine
    Medicine
    Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....

     and education
    Education
    Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...

    . Veterans Affairs Canada
    Veterans Affairs Canada
    The Department of Veterans Affairs , also referred to as Veterans Affairs Canada , is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for pensions/benefits and services for war veterans, retired personnel of the Canadian Forces and Royal Canadian Mounted Police, their families,...

     is also growing its client service operations. The local office is now the primary service bureau for over 100,000 clients across central
    Central Canada
    Central Canada is a region consisting of Canada's two largest and most populous provinces: Ontario and Quebec. Due to their high populations, Ontario and Quebec have traditionally held a significant amount of political power in Canada, leading to some amount of resentment from other regions of the...

     and eastern Canada
    Eastern Canada
    Eastern Canada is generally considered to be the region of Canada east of Manitoba, consisting of the following provinces:* New Brunswick* Newfoundland and Labrador* Nova Scotia* Ontario* Prince Edward Island* Quebec...

    .


These good news stories are supplemented by a number of developments occurring regionally that will have a positive impact because KL is the economic hub of the north Timiskaming District, and so the primary supplier of products, people and services to regional activities. For example:
  • The steady increase in the price of gold has brought a number of other mining projects to the feasibility stage. Queenston Mining Inc. announced promising results at its Upper Beaver Properties. Northgate Minerals has poured over $20 million into exploration work and is moving ahead with mining operations at its Young-Davidson properties near Matachewan. According to the company, this site has the potential to produce 150,000 ounces of gold per year for a decade. In addition, more finds are coming online because of the Discover Abitibi mineral exploration program.

  • St. Andrew Goldfields will commence production at the Holloway-Holt Gold Mine Complex near Matheson in the second quarter of 2007. The mine has a forecast production rate of 75,000-100,000 ounces of gold per annum for the next seven years, and will employ over 100 people.

  • Tres-Or Resources Ltd. continues to return high quality results from its diamond exploration efforts southwest of Kirkland Lake. The richness of the finds, the large size of the host kimberlite
    Kimberlite
    Kimberlite is a type of potassic volcanic rock best known for sometimes containing diamonds. It is named after the town of Kimberley in South Africa, where the discovery of an diamond in 1871 spawned a diamond rush, eventually creating the Big Hole....

     pipes, plus expected low mine construction and operating costs in the area indicate a very positive future in this wholly new area of economic activity. Exploration continues. If more kimberlite structures are found, and the price of diamonds increases as expected, a mine could be in the making within 10 years.


Through the 1990s, one of the town's dominant political and economic controversies surrounded a proposal to ship Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

's garbage to the Adams Mine
Adams Mine
Adams Mine is an abandoned open pit iron ore mine located in the Boston Township of the District of Timiskaming, south of Kirkland Lake in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the Canadian Shield....

, an abandoned open pit mine in Boston Township just outside of Kirkland Lake.

Kirkland Lake is also self-sufficient when it comes to power production with a generator that produces up to 117MW.

Kirkland Lake also has a shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...

 with stores including Ardene
Ardene
Ardène is a Canadian clothing and accessories retailer based in Montreal, Quebec. With over 400 stores across Canada, Ardene also specializes in ear piercing.-Products:...

, Box Office Entertainment and The Source by Circuit City
The Source by Circuit City
The Source , formerly known as RadioShack and later The Source by Circuit City, is a Canadian electronics retailer with over 800 locations across Canada. Originally part of the American RadioShack chain, The Source is currently financially backed by Bell Canada, which purchased the assets of...

, Carlton Cards
Carlton Cards
Carlton Cards Limited is a Canadan greeting card company. Their lines of cards include Carlton, Gibson and Tender Thoughts. They also distribute the American Greetings line of cards in Canada. This is not to be confused with Carlton Cards Retail, Inc.....

, Dollarama
Dollarama
Dollarama is a chain of over 690 dollar stores across Canada. The company is headquartered in Montreal and, since 2009, is Canada's largest retailer of items for 2 dollars or less. The first Dollarama store was created at the shopping centre "Les promenades du St-Laurent" in Matane...

, easyhome, Hart Stores
Hart Stores
Hart Stores Inc. is a junior mid-sized discount department store dominant in the region of Eastern Canada. It was founded in 1960 by Harry Hart, in Rosemère, Quebec. Hart stores are based in the provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador and Ontario...

, North Shore Outfitters, ReMax and Warehouse One.

Education

Kirkland Lake has two secondary schools, each catering to a different language group: the École Catholique Jean Vanier, a French Catholic school; and the Kirkland Lake District Composite School
Kirkland Lake District Composite School
Kirkland Lake District Composite School is a public elementary and secondary school located in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 2006 to replace the building that housed both Kirkland Lake Collegiate and Vocational Institute and École Secondaire Jean Vanier.- External links :* *...

, an English secondary school also featuring French immersion instruction (opened in 2006; from 1923 - 2006 students attended Kirkland Lake Collegiate and Vocational Institute, also known as KLCVI).

Elementary schools in Kirkland Lake include Central Public School (French immersion, public), Federal Public School (English, public), Sacred Heart School (French immersion and English, Catholic), St. Jerome School (French immersion and English, Catholic), and Ecole Assomption (French, Catholic).

The community is also home to a campus of the Northern College of Applied Arts and Technology.

Northern College offers one-, two- and three-year programs in the fields of technology, business, human services, health and emergency services and veterinary sciences. Northern also offers post-diploma, apprenticeship, skills and job re-entry programs funded by the federal and provincial governments. The College also provides job related training. This includes providing the facilities for the delivery of third party programs, or the development of courses to meet the needs of a company.

Kirkland Lake also includes the Teck Centennial Public Library.

Transportation

Kirkland Lake is served by Ontario Northland bus and railway services (with the train station located in Swastika
Swastika, Ontario
Swastika is a small community founded in 1908 around a mining site in Northern Ontario, Canada, and today within the municipal boundaries of Kirkland Lake, Ontario....

) and the Kirkland Lake Airport
Kirkland Lake Airport
Kirkland Lake Airport, , is located northeast of Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada. The airport was established on December 7, 1982....

 as well as local transportation for people with disabilities and local taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...

 services as well as connections to the Timmins/Victor M. Power Airport and Rouyn-Noranda Airport
Rouyn-Noranda Airport
Rouyn-Noranda Airport, , is located east southeast of Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada.The airport houses the headquarters of Propair.-Airlines and destinations:-External links:*...

s. Transportation is also provided to senior citizens and persons with disabilities
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...

, through Timiskaming Home Support, which is funded by the North East Local Health Integration Network
Local Health Integration Network
A Local Health Integration Network is a type of health organisation in Ontario, Canada.Across the province of Ontario there are 14 LHINs. The LHINs have been given the mandate for planning, integrating and funding health care services at a local level...

.

Tourism and festivals

The Kirkland Lake area continues to support a strong tourist industry throughout the year. The summers are met with a number of anglers, hunters, and campers looking for adventure. Winters are especially popular as a result of the well maintained snow mobile trails in the area. There are also a number of tourist destinations in the area, including the recently developed Hockey Heritage North. It also has a strong community built on music. Local attractions include:
  • Hockey Heritage North
    Hockey Heritage North
    Hockey Heritage North is a museum of featuring the history of ice hockey, exhibition centre and conference centre in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada. The museum was officially opened on June 29, 2006 and established as a foundation in January 2008....

  • Kirkland Lake Miners' Memorial
    Kirkland Lake Miners' Memorial
    The Kirkland Lake Miners' Memorial is a memorial in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, dedicated to the city's mining labourers.During the 1930s the town's seven great gold mines provided one million dollars to the province’s economy and employed 4, 640 workers...

  • Toburn Mine - This mine was the first producing mine in Kirkland Lake and the old headframe
    Headframe
    A headframe is the structural frame above an underground mine shaft. Modern headframes are built out of steel, concrete or a combination of both...

     is a recognized cultural asset.
  • Wright-Hargraves Park - Site of the former Wright-Hargraves mine that used to be one of the most productive and deepest gold mines in the world.

Homecoming Week

The Kirkland Lake Festivals Committee hosts an annual Homecoming Week during Canada Day week. The 2012 Homecoming Week will feature events from June 25-July 2 including live concerts, Canada Day celebrations, fireworks, golf tournaments, kids events, outdoor movies and more. The Kirkland Lake Chamber of Commerce will host Gold Daze celebrations as part of the 2012 Homecoming Week. In addition, Party of the Century celebrations at Culver Park in Swastika have also been moved to coincide with 2012 Homecoming Week.

The 2011 Kirkland Lake Homecoming Week featuring live concerts by Down With Webster
Down with Webster
Down with Webster, or DWW, is a 7-man Canadian rap rock band from The Beaches area of Toronto, Ontario who signed with Universal Motown in April 2009. During live shows the band occasionally uses a 3-piece horn section....

 with special guests Stereos
Stereos
Stereos are a Juno nominated pop band from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, formed in 2008. They are known mainly for their musical style, which fuses aspects of hip hop and pop to form their primary style including. Their first act that had them recognized was appearing on the MuchMusic original series,...

 and The Sam Roberts Band with special guests Bedouin Soundclash
Bedouin Soundclash
Bedouin Soundclash is a Canadian band currently based in Toronto. Their sound can be described as reggae and ska.-History:The band's current lineup consists of vocalist and guitarist Jay Malinowski, and bassist Eon Sinclair with Sekou Lumumba on drums. Their debut album, Root Fire, released in 2001...

, comedian Tracy Smith live at the Northern College Auditorium, a free outdoor Canada Day concert featuring live tributes to Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...

, Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...

, Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...

 and Guns N Roses. Past KL Homecoming performers have included Terri Clark
Terri Clark
Terri Lynn Sauson , known professionally as Terri Clark, is a Canadian country music artist who has had success in both Canada and the United States. Signed to Mercury Records in 1995, she released her self-titled debut that year...

, Lou Gramm
Lou Gramm
Lou Gramm is an American rock vocalist and songwriter best known for his role as the lead vocalist and co-writer of many of the songs for the rock band Foreigner. He also had a successful solo career...

 of Foreigner
Foreigner (band)
Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm...

, Tom Cochrane
Tom Cochrane
Tom Cochrane, OC Canadian musician and humanitarian, best known for his hit songs "Life Is a Highway", "Lunatic Fringe", "Human Race" and "I Wish You Well". Cochrane fronted the Canadian rock band Red Rider and has won seven Juno Awards...

 with Red Rider
Red Rider
Red Rider are a Canadian rock band popular in the 1980s. While the band achieved great success in Canada, in the US, the band never had a song in the Top 40....

, the late Jeff Healey
Jeff Healey
Norman Jeffrey "Jeff" Healey was a blind Canadian jazz and blues-rock vocalist and guitarist who attained musical and personal popularity, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:...

, David Wilcox
David Wilcox (Canadian musician)
David Wilcox is a Canadian rock musician.-History:Montreal native, David Wilcox drew inspiration from musician Elvis Presley at the early age of six...

, Trooper
Trooper (band)
Trooper is a Juno Award winning Canadian rock band that developed from a group formed by vocalist Ramon McGuire and guitarist Brian Smith in 1975...

, Jimmy Rankin
Jimmy Rankin
Jimmy Rankin is a Canadian country and folk artist. A member of The Rankin Family, Rankin has also released four solo studio albums. As a solo artist, Rankin was named Roots Artist of the Year in 2002 by the Canadian Country Music Association...

, Serena Ryder
Serena Ryder
Serena Ryder is a Juno Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter raised in Millbrook, Ontario.Ranging musically between folk, roots, country, and adult contemporary music, Ryder possesses a five-octave range...

 and more.

Winter Carnival

The Kirkland Lake Festivals Committee hosts an annual Winter Carnival beginning in mid-February. With 18 days of events each year, Kirkland Lake's Winter Carnival is one of Canada's longest Winter Carnivals.

The 2012 Kirkland Lake Winter Carnival is scheduled for February 16-March 4. Former Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...

 frontman Steven Page
Steven Page
Steven Jay Page , is a Canadian musician. Along with Ed Robertson, he was a founding member, lead singer, guitarist, and a primary songwriter of the music group Barenaked Ladies ; he left the band in 2009 to pursue a solo career....

 kicks off 18 days of events with a live concert in the Northern College Auditorium on Thursday, February 16. Bobby Bazini
Bobby Bazini
Bobby Bazini is a French Canadian singer-songwriter from Mont-Laurier, Quebec, Canada.-Better in Time :...

 performs live on Thursday, February 23rd and Kim Mitchell
Kim Mitchell
Joseph Kim Mitchell is a Canadian guitarist. He was the lead singer and guitarist for the band Max Webster before going on to lead a solo career. He is currently a radio show host for CILQ-FM in Toronto....

 will headline the Winterfest Pub on Saturday, February 25 following the $50,000 Winter Carnival Fish Derby.

Other events will include the Rino Robazza Memorial Oldtimers Hockey Tournament (Feb 17-19), the Stars of Pop Concert (Feb 18), the CJKL Carnival Queen Fashion Show & Crowning (Feb 21), Kabaret (Feb 29-March 3), the Kirkland Lake Skating Club's Ice Show (March 2), skating parties, fireworks, free kids matinees at Hockey Heritage North
Hockey Heritage North
Hockey Heritage North is a museum of featuring the history of ice hockey, exhibition centre and conference centre in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada. The museum was officially opened on June 29, 2006 and established as a foundation in January 2008....

 and the first-ever NorthernTel
NorthernTel
NorthernTel is a telephone company in Ontario, Canada.NorthernTel began in April 1905 in New Liskeard, Ontario, as the Temiskaming Telephone Company. It grew by buying other regional telephone providers and became the Northern Telephone Company Ltd. in 1928...

 Kids Carnival on the Family Day
Family Day
Family Day is the name of a public holiday in South Africa, in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Prince Edward Island, in the American states of Arizona and Nevada, in Vanuatu, in Vietnam and in the Australian Capital Territory.- Australian Capital Territory...

 Holiday, Monday, February 20.

Theatres

Kirkland Lake was once a town of many movie theatres, including the only current LaSalle Theatre. Defunct theatres were the Strand Theatre, Uptown Theatre and the drive-in
Drive-in
A drive-in is a facility such as a bank, restaurant, or movie theater where one can literally drive in with an automobile for service. It is usually distinguished from a drive-through. At a drive-in restaurant, for example, customers park their vehicles and are usually served by staff who walk out...

 Mel-Ron Drive In.

Media

The city's primary newspaper is Northern News
Northern News
The Northern News is a newspaper in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada. It is owned and published by Sun Media.It was previously named the Northern Daily News, but was downsized to fit the population in the readership on June 1, 2004. It had been a daily newspaper for about 90 years, but now only...

. Formerly a daily paper, Northern News now publishes three times per week.

Radio

  • FM 90.3 - CBCR-FM
    CBCS-FM
    CBCS-FM is a Canadian radio station. It is the CBC Radio One station in Sudbury, Ontario, broadcasting at 99.9 FM, and serves all of Northeastern Ontario through its network of relay transmitters.-History:The station was launched in 1978 on FM 99.9 MHz...

    , CBC Radio One
    CBC Radio One
    CBC 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...

  • FM 93.7 - CBON-FM-1
    CBON-FM
    CBON-FM is a Canadian radio station. It broadcasts the Société Radio-Canada's Première Chaîne network at 98.1 FM in Sudbury, Ontario. The station also serves much of Northern Ontario through a network of relay transmitters.-History:...

    , Première Chaîne
  • FM 99.1 - CHIM-FM-3
    CHIM-FM
    CHIM-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts Christian music at 102.3 FM in Timmins, Ontario.The station began testing its signal at 102.3 MHz on December 24, 1995, and officially signed on April 7, 1996. The station has expanded through a network of rebroadcast transmitters in...

    , Christian radio
    Christian radio
    Christian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...

  • FM 101.5 - CJKL-FM
    CJKL-FM
    CJKL-FM 101.5 is an FM radio station in Kirkland Lake, Ontario. The station is owned by Connelly Communications Corporation, which also owns CJTT-FM in Temiskaming Shores. Connelly Communications is owned by Rob Connelly of Kirkland Lake....

    , adult contemporary

Television

The town is served by rebroadcasters of CITO-TV
CITO-TV
CITO is a Canadian television station, broadcasting in Timmins, Ontario. It is an O&O of CTV. CITO also broadcasts on channel 10 in Kapuskasing, channel 11 in Kirkland Lake, channel 4 in Hearst and channel 9 in Chapleau.-History:CITO was established in 1971 as CKSO-TV-2, originally rebroadcasting...

 (CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...

) and CBLT (CBC
CBC Television
CBC 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...

) which are officially licensed to the outlying community of Kearns.

Notable people

  • Ralph Backstrom
    Ralph Backstrom
    Ralph Gerald Backstrom is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre.-Playing career:Backstrom played junior hockey with the Montreal Junior Canadiens from 1954 to 1956, and the Ottawa Junior Canadiens from 1956 to 1958...

     - hockey player
  • Michael Barnes
    Michael Barnes (Canadian author)
    Michael Barnes, CM is a Canadian writer who is an authority on the history and folklore of Northern Ontario....

     - former Principal of Queen Elizabeth and Central Schools, author regional interest books.
  • Mario Bernardi
    Mario Bernardi
    Mario Bernardi, is a Canadian conductor and pianist. He has conducted 75 different operas and over 450 other works with the National Arts Centre Orchestra.-Early years:...

     - conductor, pianist
  • Toller Cranston
    Toller Cranston
    Toller Shalitoe Montague Cranston, CM is a Canadian figure skater and painter. He is the 1971-1976 Canadian national champion, the 1974 World bronze medalist, and the 1976 Olympic bronze medalist....

     - figure skater, painter
  • Dick Duff
    Dick Duff
    Terrence Richard "Dick" Duff was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 18 seasons for the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings, and New York Rangers in the National Hockey League . He also served as head coach of the Leafs for part of the...

     - hockey player
  • Bill Durnan
    Bill Durnan
    William Ronald Durnan was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...

     - goalie
  • Bill Enouy
    Bill Enouy
    Bill Enouy is a Canadian politician, currently serving as mayor of Kirkland Lake, Ontario.First elected mayor in the 2000 municipal election, Enouy previously served as a town councillor in Kirkland Lake. He was an outspoken advocate of the failed Adams Mine proposal to repurpose a defunct open pit...

     - mayor (2000–present)
  • Murray Hall - NHL player
  • Ed Havrot
    Ed Havrot
    Edward Michael Havrot is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1971 to 1975 and again from 1977 to 1985, as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party....

     - reeve (1970)
  • Michael Hogan, actor
  • Megan Leslie
    Megan Leslie
    Megan Leslie is a Canadian politician, who has been the federal Member of Parliament for the electoral district of Halifax since the 2008 Canadian federal election. She is a member of the New Democratic Party and serves as the NDP critic for the environment...

     - politician (elected as the Halifax MP in 2008)
  • Michael Mahonen
    Michael Mahonen
    Michael Mahonen is a Canadian actor, director and screen writer.-Biography:As a child Michael did not have a particular interest in acting and looks back on his first acting experience as something he wasn’t the least bit interested in or inspired to do. “It was some sort of Charlie Brown show in...

     - actor
  • Diane Marleau
    Diane Marleau
    Diane Marleau, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. She represented the riding of Sudbury in the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 to 2008, and was a cabinet minister in the government of Jean Chrétien...

     - politician
  • Joe Mavrinac - mayor (1981–1997)
  • Kurtis McLean
    Kurtis McLean
    Kurtis McLean , is a professional Canadian ice hockey centre who plays for SM-liiga club Lukko.-Playing career:...

     - hockey player
  • Bob Murdoch - hockey player, coach
  • Claude Noel
    Claude Noel
    Claude Noël is a former Canadian ice hockey player and the head coach of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League. Prior to joining Winnipeg, he was head coach of the Manitoba Moose of the AHL...

     - hockey player, current coach of the Winnipeg Jets NHL franchise
  • Sir Harry Oakes
    Harry Oakes
    Sir Harry Oakes, 1st Baronet was an American-born British Canadian gold-mine owner, entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist. He earned his fortune in Canada and moved to the Bahamas in the 1930s for tax purposes. He was murdered in 1943 under notorious circumstances in the Bahamas...

     - mining millionaire
  • Barclay Plager
    Barclay Plager
    Barclay Graham Plager , was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and coach for the St. Louis Blues.-Playing career:...

     - hockey player, coach
  • Bill Plager
    Bill Plager
    William Ronald Plager is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman.Plager started his National Hockey League career with the Minnesota North Stars in 1967. He also played for the St. Louis Blues and Atlanta Flames...

     - hockey player
  • Bob Plager
    Bob Plager
    Robert Bryant Plager is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League for fourteen seasons from 1964–65 until 1977–78. He had two brothers, Bill and Barclay, who also played in the NHL....

     - hockey player
  • Daren Puppa
    Daren Puppa
    Daren James Puppa was born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada and is a former professional ice hockey goaltender in the NHL...

     - hockey player
  • Mickey Redmond - hockey player, sports broadcaster
  • Ann Shipley
    Ann Shipley
    Marie Ann Shipley was a Canadian politician.Born in Lawrence Station in Southwold, Ontario, she was educated at Ottawa's Lisgar Collegiate and married Manley Adair Shipley. They settled in Kirkland Lake where she was an administrative secretary for the Kirkland District Mines Medical Plans...

     - reeve, Teck Township (1943–1952)
  • Alan Thicke
    Alan Thicke
    Alan Thicke is a Canadian actor, songwriter, and game and talk show host. He is best known for his role as Jason Seaver, the patriarch on the ABC television series Growing Pains.- Early life :...

     - actor from Growing Pains
    Growing Pains
    Growing Pains is an American television sitcom about an affluent family, residing in Huntington, New York, with a working mother and a stay-at-home psychiatrist father raising three children together, which aired on ABC from September 24, 1985 to April 25, 1992.-Synopsis:The show's premise is based...

    and composer of t.v theme songs Facts of Life and Different Strokes

External links

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