Manitouwadge, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Manitouwadge is a township
in the Canadian
province of Ontario
. It is located in the Thunder Bay District
, at the north end of Highway 614, 331 kilometres (205.7 mi) east of Thunder Bay
and 378 kilometres (234.9 mi) west of Sault Ste. Marie
.
, meaning “Cave of the Great Spirit”) was originally part of the range of the nomadic Ojibwe indigenous people. The town itself was founded by Noranda
(now part of Xstrata
) in the early 1950s to support the company's Geco copper
mine. Other mine in Manitouwadge is the Willroy mine, named after two of the "Weekend Prospectors" William Dawidowich and Roy Barker.
From 1954 to 1974 Manitouwadge was classified as an Improvement District. The community became an incorporated township in 1975.
In the early 1980s, gold
was discovered at Hemlo, near the intersection of highways 614 and 17, about 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) south of the town. Noranda acquired the mining rights to a significant portion of the ground in that area, and built the Golden Giant Mine
. It offered housing in Manitouwadge to many of the employees of the new mine, and the town boomed.
When the Geco mine closed in 1995, Manitouwadge's population decreased significantly. After peaking at nearly 4000 people in the early 1990s, it decreased to less than 3000 by 2001. With the closing of the Golden Giant Mine in 2006, the population dropped to 2,300.
Education links
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....
. It is located in the Thunder Bay District
Thunder Bay District
Thunder Bay District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. The district seat is Thunder Bay....
, at the north end of Highway 614, 331 kilometres (205.7 mi) east of 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 378 kilometres (234.9 mi) west of Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie is a city on the St. Marys River in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay, with a population of 74,948. The community was founded as a French religious mission: Sault either means "jump" or "rapids" in...
.
History
Manitouwadge (Manidoowaazh in OjibweOjibwe language
Ojibwe , also called Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of the Algonquian language family. Ojibwe is characterized by a series of dialects that have local names and frequently local writing systems...
, meaning “Cave of the Great Spirit”) was originally part of the range of the nomadic Ojibwe indigenous people. The town itself was founded by Noranda
Noranda
Noranda Inc. was a mining and metallurgy company originally from Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada. It was listed on the TSX under the symbol NRD.LV. After eventually acquiring a large interest in rival mining company Falconbridge, it merged with that company in 2005. The combined company continued...
(now part of Xstrata
Xstrata
Xstrata plc is a global mining company headquartered in Zug, Switzerland and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is a major producer of coal , copper, nickel, primary vanadium and zinc and the world's largest producer of ferrochrome...
) in the early 1950s to support the company's Geco copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
mine. Other mine in Manitouwadge is the Willroy mine, named after two of the "Weekend Prospectors" William Dawidowich and Roy Barker.
From 1954 to 1974 Manitouwadge was classified as an Improvement District. The community became an incorporated township in 1975.
In the early 1980s, 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...
was discovered at Hemlo, near the intersection of highways 614 and 17, about 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) south of the town. Noranda acquired the mining rights to a significant portion of the ground in that area, and built the Golden Giant Mine
Golden Giant Mine
The Golden Giant Mine is an abandoned underground gold mine in the Hemlo mining camp in Canada, located north of Lake Superior, midway between Sault Ste...
. It offered housing in Manitouwadge to many of the employees of the new mine, and the town boomed.
When the Geco mine closed in 1995, Manitouwadge's population decreased significantly. After peaking at nearly 4000 people in the early 1990s, it decreased to less than 3000 by 2001. With the closing of the Golden Giant Mine in 2006, the population dropped to 2,300.
Today
While mining has always been at the forefront of Manitouwadge's economic activity, forestry also plays a significant part in the town's economy. The town is also turning itself into a retirement community, offering some of the lowest housing prices in the country.Demographics
Population trend:- Population in 2006: 2300
- Population in 2001: 2949
- Population in 1996: 3395
- Population in 1991: 3972
Recreation
Summer is open to many outdoor activities. Hunting, fishing and golf are the main summer attractions open to vacationers and residents. There is a nine hole Golf Course which is one of the only courses in Ontario where you don't need to book a Tee-Off. There is a fully equipped gym, a large outside track, and a family pool. Trails for hiking in the summer and trails for snowmobilers in the winter are also abundant. Nine different runs for downhill skiing are present as well as two locations with cross country ski trails managed by the Northern Trails Ski Club as well. From the top of the ski hill one can see the whole town.Trivia
- Four Geographic Townships (Mapledoram, Leslie, Gemmel, and Gertrude) exist within the town limits.
- Willroy mine was named after two of the "Weekend Prospectors." William Dawidowich and Roy Barker.
- Manitouwadge was the first Model Town established in Ontario.
- Nearby Mose Lake is named after Moses Fisher, the native guide of James E. Thomson on his 1931 exploration of the Manitouwadge area. Name duplication required the S be dropped.
- From 1954 to 1974 Manitouwadge was classified as an Improvement District. The community attained Township classification in 1975.
- Birthplace of Stanley Cup and Olympic Gold Medal Winning Hockey Coach Mike BabcockMike BabcockMichael "Mike" Babcock, Jr. is a Canadian professional ice hockey head coach of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League and former player. He serves as head coach of the Red Wings. He also served as the head coach of Team Canada in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver...
Climate
External links
- Manitouwadge tourism website
- Manitouwadge and area Local DAILY newspaper
- The Echo - Manitouwadge local weekly newspaper
Education links