Moosonee, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Moosonee is a town in northern Ontario
, Canada
, on the Moose River
approximately 19 kilometres (12 mi) south of James Bay
. It is considered as "the Gateway to the Arctic" and has Ontario's only saltwater port. Nearby on Moose Factory Island
is the community of Moose Factory
to which it is connected by water taxi
in the summer and ice road
in the winter.
Moosonee is the railhead of the Ontario Northland Railway
where goods are transferred to barge
s and aircraft
for transport to more northerly communities. Moosonee is not particularly far north, being located at 51°N—which is roughly the same latitude as Saskatoon
, Calgary
, London, UK
, and Berlin
—but is isolated due to its lack of road access to the rest of Ontario. The community was the site of a fur trading post set up in 1903 by Révillon Frères
, competitors to the Hudson's Bay Company
which later bought out Révillon.
Moosonee formerly held the status of a Development Area, the only community in the province with that designation, and was governed by a locally elected board subject to formal appointment by the Ontario provincial government. It became incorporated as a town effective January 1, 2001, with an elected mayor and four person council. The most recent council took office on December 1, 2010 after being elected in the 2010 municipal elections
on October 25, 2010. The mayor of Moosonee is Victor Mitchell and the councillors are Pauline Sackaney, Sandra Linklater, Arthur McComb and Bob Gravel.
company arrived on the banks of the Moose River near the much older Moose Factory to establish the Moose River Post. This Parisian furrier had ambitious plans to set up a chain of fur trading
posts in direct competition with the Hudson's Bay Company
, including five on James Bay
. But it suffered a setback when their supply ship that carried all the provisions shipwrecked near Fort George
.
Consequently, Moose River Post became the most important location for Révillon Frères and was quickly expanded with a staff house, carpenter's shop, warehouse, and sawmill. The buildings were spaced far apart as a preventative measure to minimize the spread of fire. By 1912, it was reported that "the whole line of good substantial buildings, built principally for their French Canadian employees, stretches along the river front for nearly a mile northward from the residence of the inspector."
Moose River Post (and Moose Factory) were prosperous but isolated. It was supplied only once per year by ship coming from Montreal
around the Labrador Peninsula
. Mail arrived only four times per year, twice by canoe and twice by toboggan. During World War I
, Révillon Frères' chartered supply ship was requisitioned for war service. So from then on until 1932, the post was supplied by scow
s from Pagwa
on the National Transcontinental Railway
coming down the Pagwachuan, Kenogami, and Albany River
s.
In 1932, the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway
was extended from Cochrane
to Moose River Post, that was renamed at that time to Moosonee, derived from the Cree word Moosoneek meaning "at the Moose (River)". In 1936, Révillon Frères sold its Canadian operations to the Hudson's Bay Company and the Moosonee post closed. The HBC also exited the fur trade and opened a retail store in Moosonee (now Northern Store part of The North West Company
). With the end of the fur trade business, Moosonee's economy became centered on transportation.
In 1962, Moosonee became the site of RCAF Station Moosonee
that was part of NORAD's Pinetree Line
chain of radar stations. It closed in 1975 and some of its buildings were used by the Town after the closure, including the base swimming pool and recreation centre.
In 1968, the town was classified as a Development Area Board. In November 2000, it was incorporated as the Town of Moosonee.
2006 Census
and about 3,500 people by municipal government estimate. Census figures for Moosonee may be inaccurate because of incomplete enumeration
, a common problem with remote communities. About 85 per cent of the population are native Cree
. The number of total private dwellings is 658 of which 596 are occupied by usual residents. Population density
per square kilometre is 3.6.
Population trend:
Health services are provided through the Moosonee Clinic of James Bay General Hospital and the Weeneebayko Health Ahtuskaywin which operates Weeneebayko General Hospital in Moose Factory
. Plans exist for the merger of the two hospitals.
Payukotayno , Family Services, provide child care and social assistance to Moosonee, Moose Factory, Attawapiskat, Fort Albany, Kashechewan and Peawanuck. Payukotayno is a recognized Ontario Children's Aid Society and means 'one family' in Cree.
(Köppen
Dfc), generally featuring long cold winters and short warm summers, with James Bay acting as a thermal reservoir to moderate spring and fall temperatures. Freeze-up on the Moose River normally occurs between late November and mid-December, with mean daily minimum January temperatures approximately -30 °C. Spring break-up, or spring thaw, usually occurs in April. Mean annual precipitation is approximately 660 millimetres (26 in), and mean annual snowfall is approximately 2413 millimetres (95 in) (snow depth). Maximum accumulations of snow occur in mid-May. Severe thunderstorms can occur from time to time.
The main method of access is by Ontario Northland Railway
which reached the town in 1932 and which provides passenger and freight train service to Cochrane
. Ontario Northland's Polar Bear Express
train runs to Cochrane six days per week during the summer months and five days per week during the rest of the year. There are also two freight trains per week. During the summer and early fall shipping season, goods can be transported from Moosonee by barge. In January 2007, responsibility for the Port of Moosonee was transferred from the federal government to the Town of Moosonee.
The town is also accessible via the Moosonee Airport
, served with scheduled flights of Air Creebec
, and Moosonee Water Aerodrome
.
Moosonee is inaccessible by road. The nearest road outside of Moosonee ends at Otter Rapids
which is 148.9 kilometres (92.5 mi) south of Moosonee. During the early months of 2008, a winter road was open between Moosonee and the provincial road system at Otter Rapids. This road was built to support the twinning of the electric transmission lines that run from Otter Rapids to Moosonee. Local residents report it taking five or six hours to get to Timmins
from Moosonee via Otter Rapids and Smooth Rock Falls
. This road was not in service in 2009. In late 2009, members of the Moose Cree First Nation
voted for the construction of a seasonal winter road south to Otter Rapids.
During the winter, ice road
s are plowed and maintained on the ice across the Moose River
to Moose Factory
and winter road
s are maintained to the coastal communities of Fort Albany
, Kashechewan
and Attawapiskat
. In recent years, much of the traffic heading up north has been destined for the Victor Diamond Mine
operated by De Beers
Canada to the west of Attawapiskat.
Northern Ontario from CBCS-FM
Sudbury on 1340 AM. CBLT (on channel 9) and TVOntario
(channel 11) have low-powered rebroadcast transmitters in Moosonee. Most homes subscribe to either Creecable cable TV or a satellite TV service to augment the two locally available channels.
Ontera
, formerly Ontario Northland Telecommunications, provides telecommunications service, including analog cellular (band B), in Moosonee (NPA-NXX
705-336). Digital cellular service began in December 2009 with limited access.
The Tidewater Provincial Park
is on the nearby Prince Charles Island, adjacent to Moose Factory Island.
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...
, on the Moose River
Moose River (Ontario)
The Moose River is a Canadian river in the Hudson Plains ecozone of northern Ontario which flows 100 km northeast from the junction of the Mattagami and Missinaibi Rivers into James Bay. Its drainage basin is 108,500 km² and it has a mean discharge rate of 1370 m³/s. Its full length...
approximately 19 kilometres (12 mi) south of James Bay
James Bay
James Bay is a large body of water on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. Both bodies of water extend from the Arctic Ocean. James Bay borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario; islands within the bay are part of Nunavut...
. It is considered as "the Gateway to the Arctic" and has Ontario's only saltwater port. Nearby on Moose Factory Island
Moose Factory Island
Moose Factory Island is an island in the Moose River, Ontario, Canada, about from its mouth at James Bay. It is adjacent to the community of Moosonee across the Moose River, from which it is accessible by water taxi....
is the community of Moose Factory
Moose Factory, Ontario
Moose Factory is a community in the Cochrane District, Ontario, Canada. It is on Moose Factory Island, near the mouth of the Moose River, which is at the southern end of James Bay. It was the first English-speaking settlement in Ontario and the second Hudson's Bay Company post to be set up in North...
to which it is connected by water taxi
Water taxi
A water taxi or water bus, also known as a commuter boat, is a watercraft used to provide public transport, usually but not always in an urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a similar manner to a bus, or on demand to many locations, operating in a similar...
in the summer and ice road
Ice road
Ice roads are frozen, human-made structures on the surface of bays, rivers, lakes, or seas in the far north. They link dry land, frozen waterways, portages and winter roads, and are usually remade each winter. Ice roads allow temporary transport to areas with no permanent road access...
in the winter.
Moosonee is the railhead of the Ontario Northland Railway
Ontario Northland Railway
The Ontario Northland Railway is a Canadian railway operated by the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission, a provincial Crown agency of the government of Ontario....
where goods are transferred to barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
s and aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
for transport to more northerly communities. Moosonee is not particularly far north, being located at 51°N—which is roughly the same latitude as Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
, Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, London, UK
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
—but is isolated due to its lack of road access to the rest of Ontario. The community was the site of a fur trading post set up in 1903 by Révillon Frères
Revillon Freres
Révillon Frères was a French fur and luxury goods company, founded in 1723.At the end of the 19th century, Revillon had stores in Paris, London, New York, and Montreal. -Fur trading operation:...
, competitors to the 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...
which later bought out Révillon.
Moosonee formerly held the status of a Development Area, the only community in the province with that designation, and was governed by a locally elected board subject to formal appointment by the Ontario provincial government. It became incorporated as a town effective January 1, 2001, with an elected mayor and four person council. The most recent council took office on December 1, 2010 after being elected in the 2010 municipal elections
Ontario municipal elections, 2010
The 2010 municipal elections in Ontario were held on October 25, 2010.Voters in the province of Ontario elected mayors, councillors, school board trustees and all other elected officials in all of the province's municipalities....
on October 25, 2010. The mayor of Moosonee is Victor Mitchell and the councillors are Pauline Sackaney, Sandra Linklater, Arthur McComb and Bob Gravel.
History
In 1900, Annie Hardisty and her two daughters were the first settlers on the site. But the place really developed when on June 6, 1903, four canoes and a crew of 21 persons of the Révillon FrèresRevillon Freres
Révillon Frères was a French fur and luxury goods company, founded in 1723.At the end of the 19th century, Revillon had stores in Paris, London, New York, and Montreal. -Fur trading operation:...
company arrived on the banks of the Moose River near the much older Moose Factory to establish the Moose River Post. This Parisian furrier had ambitious plans to set up a chain of fur trading
Fur 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...
posts in direct competition with the 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...
, including five on James Bay
James Bay
James Bay is a large body of water on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. Both bodies of water extend from the Arctic Ocean. James Bay borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario; islands within the bay are part of Nunavut...
. But it suffered a setback when their supply ship that carried all the provisions shipwrecked near Fort George
Chisasibi, Quebec
Chisasibi is a village on the eastern shore of James Bay, in the Eeyou Istchee territory in northern Quebec, Canada. It is situated on the south shore of La Grande River , less than from the river's mouth...
.
Consequently, Moose River Post became the most important location for Révillon Frères and was quickly expanded with a staff house, carpenter's shop, warehouse, and sawmill. The buildings were spaced far apart as a preventative measure to minimize the spread of fire. By 1912, it was reported that "the whole line of good substantial buildings, built principally for their French Canadian employees, stretches along the river front for nearly a mile northward from the residence of the inspector."
Moose River Post (and Moose Factory) were prosperous but isolated. It was supplied only once per year by ship coming from Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
around the Labrador Peninsula
Labrador Peninsula
The Labrador Peninsula is a large peninsula in eastern Canada. It is bounded by the Hudson Bay to the west, the Hudson Strait to the north, the Labrador Sea to the east, and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the south-east...
. Mail arrived only four times per year, twice by canoe and twice by toboggan. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Révillon Frères' chartered supply ship was requisitioned for war service. So from then on until 1932, the post was supplied by scow
Scow
A scow, in the original sense, is a flat-bottomed boat with a blunt bow, often used to haul bulk freight; cf. barge. The etymology of the word is from the Dutch schouwe, meaning such a boat.-Sailing scows:...
s from Pagwa
Pagwa River, Ontario
Pagwa River is a community in the Cochrane District of Ontario.The place is counted as part of Cochrane, Unorganized, North Part in Canadian census data....
on the National Transcontinental Railway
National Transcontinental Railway
The National Transcontinental Railway was a historic Canadian railway between Winnipeg and Moncton. Much of the line is now operated by the Canadian National Railway.-The Grand Trunk partnership:...
coming down the Pagwachuan, Kenogami, and Albany River
Albany River
The Albany River is a river in Northern Ontario, Canada, which flows northeast from Lake St. Joseph in Northwestern Ontario and empties into James Bay. It is long to the head of the Cat River, tying it with the Severn River for the title of longest river in Ontario...
s.
In 1932, the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway
Ontario Northland Railway
The Ontario Northland Railway is a Canadian railway operated by the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission, a provincial Crown agency of the government of Ontario....
was extended from Cochrane
Cochrane, Ontario
Cochrane is a town in northern Ontario, Canada. It is located east of Kapuskasing, northeast of Timmins, south of Moosonee, and north of Iroquois Falls. It is about a one-hour drive from Timmins, the major city of the region. It is the seat of Cochrane District...
to Moose River Post, that was renamed at that time to Moosonee, derived from the Cree word Moosoneek meaning "at the Moose (River)". In 1936, Révillon Frères sold its Canadian operations to the Hudson's Bay Company and the Moosonee post closed. The HBC also exited the fur trade and opened a retail store in Moosonee (now Northern Store part of The North West Company
The North West Company
The North West Company is a grocery and merchandise store in remote communities across northern Canada and Alaska. Through its subsidiary, Cost-U-Less stores it also operates in the US territories of Guam, The CNMI, and American Samoa and in the Caribbean....
). With the end of the fur trade business, Moosonee's economy became centered on transportation.
In 1962, Moosonee became the site of RCAF Station Moosonee
CFS Moosonee
Canadian Forces Station Moosonee was a military installation located in Moosonee, Ontario.RCAF Station Moosonee was opened in 1962 as part of NORAD's Pinetree Line chain of radar stations. Moosonee was one of five stations built to close radar coverage gaps in the original Pinetree system...
that was part of NORAD's Pinetree Line
Pinetree Line
The Pinetree Line was a series of radar stations located across the northern United States and southern Canada at about the 50th parallel north, along with a number of other stations located on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Run by NORAD , over half were manned by United States Air Force...
chain of radar stations. It closed in 1975 and some of its buildings were used by the Town after the closure, including the base swimming pool and recreation centre.
In 1968, the town was classified as a Development Area Board. In November 2000, it was incorporated as the Town of Moosonee.
Demographics
The population is 2,006 according to the Statistics CanadaStatistics 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....
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...
and about 3,500 people by municipal government estimate. Census figures for Moosonee may be inaccurate because of incomplete enumeration
Enumeration
In mathematics and theoretical computer science, the broadest and most abstract definition of an enumeration of a set is an exact listing of all of its elements . The restrictions imposed on the type of list used depend on the branch of mathematics and the context in which one is working...
, a common problem with remote communities. About 85 per cent of the population are native Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
. The number of total private dwellings is 658 of which 596 are occupied by usual residents. Population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
per square kilometre is 3.6.
Population trend:
- Population in 2006: 2006 (2001 to 2006 population change: 4.7 %)
- Population in 2001: 1916
- Population in 1996: 1939
- Population in 1991: 1213
Services
Moosonee has two elementary schools, Moosonee Public School and Bishop Belleau Separate School (Roman Catholic) that offer kindergarten through grade eight. Bishop Belleau School also provides a French Language Instructional Unit for children who are entitled to be educated in French. There is a public high school, Northern Lights Secondary, that provides grades nine through twelve. Northern College's Moosonee campus provides some post-secondary programs.Health services are provided through the Moosonee Clinic of James Bay General Hospital and the Weeneebayko Health Ahtuskaywin which operates Weeneebayko General Hospital in Moose Factory
Moose Factory, Ontario
Moose Factory is a community in the Cochrane District, Ontario, Canada. It is on Moose Factory Island, near the mouth of the Moose River, which is at the southern end of James Bay. It was the first English-speaking settlement in Ontario and the second Hudson's Bay Company post to be set up in North...
. Plans exist for the merger of the two hospitals.
Payukotayno , Family Services, provide child care and social assistance to Moosonee, Moose Factory, Attawapiskat, Fort Albany, Kashechewan and Peawanuck. Payukotayno is a recognized Ontario Children's Aid Society and means 'one family' in Cree.
Climate
Moosonee has a subarctic climateSubarctic climate
The subarctic climate is a climate characterized by long, usually very cold winters, and short, cool to mild summers. It is found on large landmasses, away from the moderating effects of an ocean, generally at latitudes from 50° to 70°N poleward of the humid continental climates...
(Köppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Dfc), generally featuring long cold winters and short warm summers, with James Bay acting as a thermal reservoir to moderate spring and fall temperatures. Freeze-up on the Moose River normally occurs between late November and mid-December, with mean daily minimum January temperatures approximately -30 °C. Spring break-up, or spring thaw, usually occurs in April. Mean annual precipitation is approximately 660 millimetres (26 in), and mean annual snowfall is approximately 2413 millimetres (95 in) (snow depth). Maximum accumulations of snow occur in mid-May. Severe thunderstorms can occur from time to time.
Transportation
Ontario Northland Railway
The Ontario Northland Railway is a Canadian railway operated by the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission, a provincial Crown agency of the government of Ontario....
which reached the town in 1932 and which provides passenger and freight train service to Cochrane
Cochrane, Ontario
Cochrane is a town in northern Ontario, Canada. It is located east of Kapuskasing, northeast of Timmins, south of Moosonee, and north of Iroquois Falls. It is about a one-hour drive from Timmins, the major city of the region. It is the seat of Cochrane District...
. Ontario Northland's Polar Bear Express
Polar Bear Express
The Polar Bear Express is a Canadian passenger train operated by the Ontario Northland Railway in Northern Ontario. Service was introduced in 1964...
train runs to Cochrane six days per week during the summer months and five days per week during the rest of the year. There are also two freight trains per week. During the summer and early fall shipping season, goods can be transported from Moosonee by barge. In January 2007, responsibility for the Port of Moosonee was transferred from the federal government to the Town of Moosonee.
The town is also accessible via the Moosonee Airport
Moosonee Airport
Moosonee Airport, , is located north-east of Moosonee, Ontario, Canada.The Moosonee Airport was officially opened in May 1970 and a new terminal building was constructed in July 1991, that houses the airport management office and washrooms. There are several small buildings and hangars at the...
, served with scheduled flights of Air Creebec
Air Creebec
Air Creebec Inc. is a regional airline based in Val-d'Or, Quebec, Canada. It operates scheduled and charter services to 16 destinations in Quebec and Ontario. Its main base is Val-d'Or Airport, with a hub at Timmins/Victor M. Power Airport.- History :...
, and Moosonee Water Aerodrome
Moosonee Water Aerodrome
Moosonee Water Aerodrome, , is located adjacent to Moosonee, Ontario, Canada....
.
Moosonee is inaccessible by road. The nearest road outside of Moosonee ends at Otter Rapids
Otter Rapids, Ontario
Otter Rapids, also known as White Otter Rapids is an unincorporated place and dispersed rural community in geographic Pitt Township in the Unorganized North Part of Cochrane District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada...
which is 148.9 kilometres (92.5 mi) south of Moosonee. During the early months of 2008, a winter road was open between Moosonee and the provincial road system at Otter Rapids. This road was built to support the twinning of the electric transmission lines that run from Otter Rapids to Moosonee. Local residents report it taking five or six hours to get to Timmins
Timmins
Timmins is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada on the Mattagami River. At the time of the Canada 2006 Census, Timmins' population was 42,997...
from Moosonee via Otter Rapids and Smooth Rock Falls
Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario
Smooth Rock Falls is an incorporated town in the Cochrane District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. Part of the James Bay Frontier, it calls itself "The North's Biggest Little Town."-Geography and transportation:...
. This road was not in service in 2009. In late 2009, members of the Moose Cree First Nation
Moose Cree First Nation
The Moose Cree First Nation is a Cree First Nation in northern Ontario, Canada. Since time immemorial, their traditional territory is on the west side of James Bay...
voted for the construction of a seasonal winter road south to Otter Rapids.
During the winter, ice road
Ice road
Ice roads are frozen, human-made structures on the surface of bays, rivers, lakes, or seas in the far north. They link dry land, frozen waterways, portages and winter roads, and are usually remade each winter. Ice roads allow temporary transport to areas with no permanent road access...
s are plowed and maintained on the ice across the Moose River
Moose River (Ontario)
The Moose River is a Canadian river in the Hudson Plains ecozone of northern Ontario which flows 100 km northeast from the junction of the Mattagami and Missinaibi Rivers into James Bay. Its drainage basin is 108,500 km² and it has a mean discharge rate of 1370 m³/s. Its full length...
to Moose Factory
Moose Factory, Ontario
Moose Factory is a community in the Cochrane District, Ontario, Canada. It is on Moose Factory Island, near the mouth of the Moose River, which is at the southern end of James Bay. It was the first English-speaking settlement in Ontario and the second Hudson's Bay Company post to be set up in North...
and winter road
Winter road
Winter roads are temporary highways carved out of snow and ice. They facilitate transportation to and from communities without permanent roads, and are commonly seen in isolated regions in Canada's north....
s are maintained to the coastal communities of Fort Albany
Fort Albany, Ontario
Fort Albany First Nation is a community in within the Cochrane District of Northern Ontario, Canada. Situated on the southern shore of the Albany River, Fort Albany First Nation is only accessible by air or by winter road....
, Kashechewan
Kashechewan First Nation
The Kashechewan First Nation is a Cree First Nation located near James Bay in Northern Ontario, Canada. The community is located on the northern shore of the Albany River. Kashechewan First Nation is one of two communities that were established from Old Fort Albany in the 1950s...
and Attawapiskat
Attawapiskat First Nation
Attawapiskat First Nation is an isolated First Nation located in Kenora District in northern Ontario, Canada, at the mouth of the Attawapiskat River at James Bay...
. In recent years, much of the traffic heading up north has been destined for the Victor Diamond Mine
Victor Diamond Mine
The Victor Diamond Mine is the first Canadian diamond mine located in Ontario, and De Beers' second diamond mine in Canada . It is located in the James Bay lowlands west of Attawapiskat in the remote northern part of the province...
operated by De Beers
De Beers
De Beers is a family of companies that dominate the diamond, diamond mining, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. De Beers is active in every category of industrial diamond mining: open-pit, underground, large-scale alluvial, coastal and deep sea...
Canada to the west of Attawapiskat.
Communications
Moosonee has a local radio station, CHMO 1450 AM that is generally operated by volunteers, plus a rebroadcasting facility for CBC Radio OneCBC 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...
Northern Ontario from CBCS-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...
Sudbury on 1340 AM. CBLT (on channel 9) and TVOntario
TVOntario
TVOntario, often referred to only as TVO , is a publicly funded, educational English-language television station and media organization in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is operated by the Ontario Educational Communications Authority, a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Ontario...
(channel 11) have low-powered rebroadcast transmitters in Moosonee. Most homes subscribe to either Creecable cable TV or a satellite TV service to augment the two locally available channels.
Ontera
Ontera
Ontera is a telecommunications company in Ontario, Canada. It is a subsidiary of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission, an "operational enterprise" of the Government of Ontario....
, formerly Ontario Northland Telecommunications, provides telecommunications service, including analog cellular (band B), in Moosonee (NPA-NXX
North American Numbering Plan
The North American Numbering Plan is an integrated telephone numbering plan administered by Neustar which encompasses 24 countries and territories, including the United States and its territories, Canada, Bermuda, and 16 nations of the Caribbean...
705-336). Digital cellular service began in December 2009 with limited access.
Attractions and tourism
Notable attractions in Moosonee include:- Railway Car Museum - displaying the cultural history of the area in an old Baggage Car of the Temiskaming & Northern Ontario Railway.
- MNR Interpretive Centre - displays and videos at the office of the Ministry of Natural Resources highlighting the wildlife, geological, and geographical features of the region.
- Revillon Frères Museum - featuring the history of the Révillon Frères company (closed).
- Excursions to the bird sanctuaries of Shipsands Island and the Southern James BaySouthern James BaySouthern James Bay is a Canadian coastal wetland complex in northeastern Ontario bordering James Bay and Quebec. It was designated as a wetland of international importance via the Ramsar Convention on May 27, 1987...
.
The Tidewater Provincial Park
Tidewater Provincial Park
Tidewater Provincial Park is a provincial park located on four islands in the Moose River estuary between Moosonee and Moose Factory, Ontario, Canada.-External links:*...
is on the nearby Prince Charles Island, adjacent to Moose Factory Island.