Northern Ontario
Encyclopedia
Northern Ontario is a region of the Canadian
province of Ontario
which lies north of Lake Huron
(including Georgian Bay
), the French River
and Lake Nipissing
. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 (310,000 mi2) and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population. Most of Northern Ontario is situated on the Canadian Shield
, a vast rocky plateau. The climate is characterized by extremes of temperature, extremely cold in winter and hot in summer. The principal industries are mining
, forestry
, and hydroelectricity
.
For some purposes, Northern Ontario is further subdivided into Northeastern
and Northwestern Ontario
. When the region is divided in this way, the three westernmost districts (Rainy River
, Kenora
and Thunder Bay
) constitute "Northwestern Ontario" and the other districts constitute "Northeastern Ontario." Northeastern Ontario contains two thirds of Northern Ontario's population.
In the early 20th century, Northern Ontario was often called "New Ontario", although this name fell into disuse because of its colonial connotations. (In French
, however, the region may still be referred to as Nouvel Ontario, although le Nord de l'Ontario and Ontario-Nord are also used.)
The people of Northern Ontario have a strong sense of identity separate from Southern Ontario
. There have been movements in the past for the region to separate from the rest of Ontario, all of which have failed. It is economically, politically, geographically, and socially vastly different from the rest of the province. Some organizations effectively treat it as a province — for instance, it is the only provincial or territorial subregion in Canada that sends its own team to the Brier separately from its province.
in the pays d'en haut, essentially the watersheds of the Ottawa River
, Lake Huron
and Lake Superior
, had been acquired by the British by the Treaty of Paris (1763)
and became part of Upper Canada
in 1791, and then the Province of Canada
between 1840 and 1867.
At the time of Canadian Confederation
in 1867, the portion of Northern Ontario lying south of the Laurentian Divide
was part of Ontario, while the portion north of the divide was part of the separate British territory of Rupert's Land
. The province's boundaries were provisionally expanded northward and westward in 1874, while the Lake of the Woods
region remained subject to a boundary dispute between Ontario and Manitoba
. The region was confirmed as belonging to Ontario by decision of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
in 1884, and confirmed by the Canada (Ontario Boundary) Act, 1889 of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
, which set the province's new northern boundary at the Albany River
.
The remaining northernmost portion of the province, from the Albany River to Hudson Bay
, was transferred to the province from the Northwest Territories
by the Parliament of Canada in the Ontario Boundaries Extension Act, 1912. This region was originally established as the District of Patricia, but was merged into the Kenora District
in 1927.
began creating judicial districts in sparsely populated Northern Ontario with the establishment of Algoma District
and Nipissing District
in 1858. These districts had no municipal function; they were created for the provision of judicial and administrative services from the district seat
. After the creation of the province of Ontario in 1867, the first district to be established was Thunder Bay
in 1871 which until then had formed part of Algoma District. The Ontario government was reluctant to establish new districts in the north, partly because the northern and western boundaries of Ontario were in dispute after Confederation
. Ontario's right to Northwestern Ontario
was determined by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
in 1884 and confirmed by the Canada (Ontario Boundary) Act, 1889 of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
. By 1899 there were seven northern districts: Algoma, Manitoulin, Muskoka, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Rainy River, and Thunder Bay. Five more northern districts were created between 1907 and 1922: Cochrane, Kenora, Sudbury, Temiskaming and Patricia. The Patricia District was then merged into the Kenora District in 1927.
Unlike the counties
and regional municipalities
of Southern Ontario
, which have a government and administrative structure and jurisdiction over specified government services, a district lacks that level of administration. Districts are too sparsely populated to maintain a county government system, so many district-based services are provided directly by the provincial government. For example, districts have provincially-maintained secondary highways instead of county roads.
The districts in Northern Ontario (which appear in red on the location map) are Rainy River
, Kenora
, Thunder Bay
, Cochrane
, Timiskaming
, Algoma
, Sudbury
, Nipissing
and Manitoulin
. The single-tier municipality of Greater Sudbury — which is not politically part of the District of Sudbury — is the only census division
in Northern Ontario where county-level services are offered by the local government rather than the province.
A portion of the Nipissing District which lies south of the formal dividing line between Northern and Southern Ontario is considered part of Northern Ontario because of its status as part of Nipissing. As well, for some purposes, the districts of Parry Sound
and Muskoka
(which appear in green on the map) are treated as part of Northern Ontario even though they are geographically in Central Ontario. In 2004, the provincial government removed Muskoka from its definition of Northern Ontario for development funding purposes, but continues to treat Parry Sound as a Northern Ontario division. The federal government retained both more southerly districts in the service area of its development agency FedNor
.
All of Northeastern Ontario is within the Eastern (UTC -5) time zone
; Northwestern Ontario is split between the Eastern and Central (UTC -6) time zones.
), they are:
Until the City of Greater Sudbury was created in 2001, Thunder Bay had a larger population than the old city of Sudbury, but the Regional Municipality of Sudbury was the larger Census Metropolitan Area as Sudbury had a much more populous suburban belt (including the city of Valley East
, formerly the region's sixth-largest city.) However, as the former Regional Municipality of Sudbury is now governed as a single city, it is both the region's largest city and the region's largest CMA.
Smaller municipalities in Northern Ontario include:
Sudbury is the dominant city in Northeastern Ontario, and Thunder Bay is the dominant city in Northwestern Ontario. These two regions are quite distinct from each other economically and culturally, and also quite distant from each other geographically. As a result, Sudbury and Thunder Bay are each the primary city in their part of the region, but neither city can be said to outrank the other as the principal economic centre of Northern Ontario as a whole.
In fact, each city has a couple of distinct advantages that the other city lacks—Sudbury is at the centre of a larger economic sphere due to the city's, and Northeastern Ontario's, larger population, but Thunder Bay is advantaged by air, rail and shipping traffic due to its prime location along major continental transportation routes. The Thunder Bay International Airport
is the third busiest airport in Ontario after Lester B. Pearson International Airport in Toronto and Macdonald-Cartier International Airport in Ottawa, carrying some 600,000 passengers in 2004 with over 100 flights and four international flights daily. Sudbury's economy, in which the largest sectors of employment are government-related fields such as education and health care, is somewhat more diversified than Thunder Bay's, which is still based primarily on natural resources and manufacturing. Yet in the era of government cutbacks, Thunder Bay's economy has been less prone to recession and unemployment.
Under the staples thesis
of Canadian economic history, Northern Ontario is a "hinterland" or "periphery" region, whose economic development has been defined primarily by providing raw natural resource materials to larger and more powerful business interests from elsewhere in Canada or the world.
Northern Ontario has had difficulty in recent years maintaining both its economy and its population. All of the region's cities declined in population between the censuses of 1996 and 2001. (This coincides with the discontinuation of the operation of the subsidized government airline, norOntair
in March 1996.) Although the cities have tried with mixed results to diversify their economies in recent years, most communities in the region are resource-based economies, whose economic health is very dependent on "boom and bust" resource cycles. Mining
and forestry
are the two major industries in the region, although manufacturing
, transportation, public services and tourism
are represented as well. In the 2006 census, some of the region's cities (including its four largest) posted modest population growth, while others saw further declines.
The cities have, by and large, been very dependent on government-related employment and investment for their economic diversification. The Liberal government of David Peterson
in the 1980s moved several provincial agencies and ministries to Northern Ontario, including the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation
(which maintains a large office in Sault Ste. Marie) and the Ministry of Northern Development Mines and Forestry
(whose head office is in Greater Sudbury).
As well, many of Northern Ontario's major tourist attractions (e.g. Science North
, Dynamic Earth
, the Sault Locks
, etc.), and some of its transportation infrastructure (e.g., Ontario Northland Transportation Commission
) are agencies of the provincial or federal governments. Further, much of the funding available for economic development in Northern Ontario comes from government initiatives such as the federal government's FedNor
and the provincial Northern Ontario Heritage Fund
.
Over the past several years, there has been a renewed interest in mining exploration. McFaulds Lake
in the James Bay
Lowlands has attracted the attention of junior mining exploration companies. Since the 2003 investigation of the area for diamonds, some 20 companies have staked claims in the area, forming joint ventures. While still in the exploration phase, there have been some exciting finds that could bring prosperity to the region and the First Nations
communities in that area. New mining sites have also been investigated and explored in Sudbury, Timmins, Kirkland Lake, Elliot Lake and the Temagami
area.
candidates have been elected in Northern Ontario from time to time, the region has been one of the weakest areas in all of Canada for both the PCs and their federal successor, the Conservative Party
. In part due to the region's significant dependence on government investment, the Liberal Party
has traditionally taken the majority of the region's seats at both the federal and provincial levels. The New Democrats
also have a significant base of support here, thanks to the region's history of labour unionism, support from First Nations
communities, and the personal popularity of local NDP figures.
Mike Harris
, the Conservative
premier
of Ontario from 1995 to 2002, represented the Northern Ontario riding of Nipissing
. However, Harris himself was the only Conservative candidate elected in a true Northern Ontario riding in either the 1995 election
or the 1999 election
. (If the definition of Northern Ontario is extended to include the Parry Sound District, then Harris was joined by Ernie Eves
in Parry Sound—Muskoka. Following Eves' retirement from politics, Norm Miller
— currently the Official Opposition critic for Northern Development and Mines
— was also elected in Parry Sound—Muskoka in a by-election in 2001, and was re-elected in the 2003
and 2007
elections.
Former Ontario New Democratic Party
leader Howard Hampton
also represents a Northern Ontario riding, Kenora—Rainy River
, in the Ontario Legislative Assembly. The riding of Algoma East
was represented federally by Prime Minister
Lester B. Pearson
from 1948 to 1968. William Hearst, premier of Ontario from 1914 to 1919, represented the riding of Sault Ste. Marie
.
In the 2008 federal election
, the New Democratic Party won nearly every seat in the region, with the exception of Nipissing—Timiskaming
, which was retained by its Liberal incumbent Anthony Rota
, and Kenora
, which was won by Conservative Greg Rickford
. This sweep included several seats which were formerly seen as Liberal strongholds, including Sudbury
, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing
, Thunder Bay—Rainy River
and Thunder Bay—Superior North
. However, the strong support for the NDP in most parts of Northern Ontario tends to be more labour-populist
in nature. The region can, in fact, be quite socially conservative
in some respects, especially in the southern border parts of the region. The northern and northeastern areas are generally more progressive, due to the high concentration of First Nations
and the high Franco-Ontarian
population, which are generally quite liberal.
Major political issues in recent years have included the economic health of the region, the extension of Highway 400 from Parry Sound to Sudbury, issues pertaining to the quality and availability of health care
services, mining development in the Ring of Fire
region around McFaulds Lake, and a controversial but now-defunct plan to ship Toronto
's garbage to the Adams Mine
, an abandoned open pit mine
in Kirkland Lake.
In the redistribution of provincial electoral districts
prior to the 2007 election
, the province retained the existing electoral district boundaries in Northern Ontario, rather than adjusting them to correspond to federal electoral district boundaries as was done in the southern part of the province. Without this change, the region would have lost one Member of Provincial Parliament.
Due to the region's relatively sparse population, federal and provincial electoral districts in the region are almost all extremely large geographically. Federally, the electoral district of Sudbury
is the only one that is comparable in size to an electoral district in Southern Ontario, while at the other extreme the districts of Kenora
and Timmins—James Bay
are both geographically larger than the entire United Kingdom
. One consequence of this, for example, is that a politician who represents a Northern Ontario riding in the Canadian House of Commons
or the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
must typically maintain a much higher budget for travel and office expenses than one who represents a small urban district does.
On-going high unemployment
, lack of awareness of or concern for Northern Ontario's problems, and difficulties in achieving economic diversification have led to discontent amongst Northern Ontarians. In the late 1970s, this manifested itself in the establishment of the Northern Ontario Heritage Party
created and led by Ed Deibel, to lobby for the formation of a separate province of Northern Ontario. The party attracted only modest support and folded in 1984, but was reestablished in 2010. In its current platform, the Northern Ontario Heritage Party stops short of advocating full separation of the region from the province, but instead calls for a number of measures to increase the region's power over its own affairs, including increasing the number of Northern Ontario electoral districts in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and the creation of a special district for the region's First Nations
voters.
More recently, however, such concerns have resurfaced as some residents of the city of Kenora have called for the city or the wider region to secede from Ontario and join Manitoba
. A few residents throughout the region continue to suggest splitting all or part of the region into a separate province. The latter movement, known as the Northern Ontario Secession Movement, has begun to attract attention and support; most notably by the mayors of Kenora and Fort Frances. The crisis in the Ontario forest industry, and the perceived inaction by the provincial government, has in particular spurred support for the idea of secession. In particular, many residents feel that the industrial energy rate is too high to allow the industry to remain competitive. These concerns have been given particular voice by Howard Hampton. Additionally, media coverage, though rarely in favour of secession, has begun to highlight the problems and frustrations faced by the north. Most recently, the Toronto Star
, a major daily, ran a front page story on the issue.
Similarly, Sudbury's Northern Life community newspaper has published a number of editorials in recent years calling on the province to create a new level of supraregional government that would give the Northern Ontario region significantly more autonomy over its own affairs within the province.
The southern limit of the region is home to four universities: Lakehead University
in Thunder Bay, Laurentian University
in Sudbury, Nipissing University
in North Bay and Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie. Algoma, which was previously a federated school
of Laurentian, became an independent university in 2008. Laurentian University also has a federated school with campuses in Hearst, Kapuskasing and Timmins, the francophone Université de Hearst
.
The universities also have satellite campuses in some Southern Ontario
cities that do not have their own universities. Lakehead has a campus in Orillia, Nipissing has one in Brantford
, Laurentian offers programs on the campus of Georgian College
in Barrie
, and Algoma has a campus in Brampton
.
The region also has six colleges: Confederation College
in Thunder Bay, Sault College
in Sault Ste. Marie, Northern College in Timmins, Canadore College
in North Bay, and the anglophone Cambrian College
and francophone Collège Boréal
in Sudbury. Several of the colleges also have satellite campuses in smaller Northern Ontario communities.
A large distance education
network, Contact North
, also operates from Sudbury and Thunder Bay to provide educational services to small and remote Northern Ontario communities.
In the early 2000s, the provincial government announced funding for the Northern Ontario School of Medicine
, which opened in 2005. This school, a joint faculty of Laurentian and Lakehead universities, has a special research focus on rural medicine.
service from the originating stations or rebroadcast transmitters of the CTV Northern Ontario
system. CBC
, Global
, Radio-Canada
, TVOntario
and E! service is received through rebroadcast transmitters of the networks' Toronto stations.
Northwestern Ontario receives Global and CBC service through the independently-owned Thunder Bay Television
twinstick
and through rebroadcasters of the CBC stations in Toronto or Winnipeg
(depending on the community's time zone), and CTV service through Kenora's CJBN
. TVOntario service is received through rebroadcast transmitters of the Toronto station; like the English CBC, Radio-Canada service may originate from Toronto or Winnipeg.
Some of Northern Ontario's more remote communities receive TFO
and the Ontario Parliament Network
from over-the-air transmitters; in most areas of the province these services are only available on cable. (TFO is also available as an over-the-air channel in Greater Sudbury.)
Daily newspaper
s in the region include the Sudbury Star
, the Chronicle-Journal
in Thunder Bay, the Sault Star
in Sault Ste. Marie, the North Bay Nugget
, the Timmins Daily Press
and the Kenora Daily Miner. The Chronicle-Journal is owned by Continental Newspapers, and all of the other daily newspapers are owned by Quebecor
. Community newspapers include Northern Life in Sudbury, Northern News
in Kirkland Lake and the Dryden Observer in Dryden.
Noted magazines published in the region include HighGrader
, Northern Ontario Business and Sudbury Living.
Most commercial radio stations in Northern Ontario are owned by the national radio groups Rogers Communications
, Haliburton Broadcasting Group
or Newcap Broadcasting
, although a few independent and community broadcasters are represented as well. CBC Radio One
has stations in Sudbury (CBCS
), with rebroadcasters throughout Northeastern Ontario, and in Thunder Bay (CBQT
), with rebroadcasters in the Northwest. The French Première Chaîne has a station in Sudbury (CBON
), with rebroadcasters throughout Northern Ontario. CBC Radio 2 is currently heard only in Sudbury (CBBS
) and Thunder Bay (CBQ
), and the French Espace musique
is currently heard only in Sudbury (CBBX
) and Timmins (CBBX-FM-1).
Cable television service is provided by Shaw Cable in Sault Ste. Marie and virtually all of Northwestern Ontario, by Cogeco
in North Bay, and by EastLink
in Northeastern Ontario apart from North Bay and Sault Ste. Marie.
s to Northeastern Ontario, and French
is still widely spoken there. While the Canadian constitution never required the province of Ontario to recognize French as an official language, the government provides full services in the French language to any citizen, resident, or visitor wishing it including communications, schools, hospitals, social services, and in the courts, under the French Language Services Act
of 1986. All of Northeastern Ontario, with the sole exception of Manitoulin Island, is designated as a French language service area, as are a few individual municipalities in the Northwest. As well, the government of Canada provides French and English equally in all matters. See Franco-Ontarian
for further information.
The region also has a significant First Nations
population, primarily of the Ojibwe, Cree
and Oji-Cree nations, with smaller communities of Nipissing
, Algonquin, Odawa
and Saulteaux
.
North Bay inventor Troy Hurtubise
was the subject of the documentary film
Project Grizzly
(1996).
Television series The Red Green Show
(1991–2005) and its spinoff theatrical film Duct Tape Forever
(2002) are set in the fictional town of Possum Lake
. The animated sitcom Chilly Beach
(2003–, CBC
), set in a fictional town of unspecified location in Northern Canada, is produced in Sudbury.
, Elizabeth Patterson attended North Bay's Nipissing University
, and subsequently taught school in the fictional reserve
of Mtigwaki on Lake Nipigon
. Lynn Johnston
, the strip's cartoonist, lives in Corbeil, near North Bay in real life, although the strip is set primarily in Southern Ontario.
The first part of Scott Pilgrim vs the World is set in Northern Ontario.
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....
which lies north of Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
(including Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...
), the French River
French River (Ontario)
The French River is a river in Central Ontario, Canada. It flows from Lake Nipissing west to Georgian Bay. The river largely follows the boundary between the Parry Sound District and the Sudbury District, and in most contexts is considered the dividing line between Northern Ontario and Southern...
and Lake Nipissing
Lake Nipissing
Lake Nipissing is a lake in the Canadian province of Ontario. It has a surface area of , a mean elevation of above sea level, and is located between the Ottawa River and Georgian Bay. Excluding the Great Lakes, Lake Nipissing is the fifth-largest lake in Ontario. It is relatively shallow for a...
. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 (310,000 mi2) and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population. Most of Northern Ontario is situated on the Canadian Shield
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien , is a vast geological shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American or Laurentia craton. It is an area mostly composed of igneous rock which relates to its long volcanic history...
, a vast rocky plateau. The climate is characterized by extremes of temperature, extremely cold in winter and hot in summer. The principal industries are mining
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...
, forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
, and hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
.
For some purposes, Northern Ontario is further subdivided into 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...
and Northwestern Ontario
Northwestern Ontario
Northwestern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and west of Lake Superior, and west of Hudson Bay and James Bay. It includes most of subarctic Ontario. Its western boundary is the Canadian province of Manitoba, which disputed Ontario's claim to the...
. When the region is divided in this way, the three westernmost districts (Rainy River
Rainy River District, Ontario
Rainy River District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1885. It is the only division in Ontario that lies completely in the Central time zone. Its seat is Fort Frances...
, Kenora
Kenora District, Ontario
Kenora District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. It was created in 1907 from parts of Rainy River District. It is, geographically, the largest division in that province; at 407,192.66 km2 it comprises almost 38 percent of the province's land area...
and Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay District, Ontario
Thunder Bay District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. The district seat is Thunder Bay....
) constitute "Northwestern Ontario" and the other districts constitute "Northeastern Ontario." Northeastern Ontario contains two thirds of Northern Ontario's population.
In the early 20th century, Northern Ontario was often called "New Ontario", although this name fell into disuse because of its colonial connotations. (In French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, however, the region may still be referred to as Nouvel Ontario, although le Nord de l'Ontario and Ontario-Nord are also used.)
The people of Northern Ontario have a strong sense of identity separate from Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a region of the province of Ontario, Canada that lies south of the French River and Algonquin Park. Depending on the inclusion of the Parry Sound and Muskoka districts, its surface area would cover between 14 to 15% of the province. It is the southernmost region of...
. There have been movements in the past for the region to separate from the rest of Ontario, all of which have failed. It is economically, politically, geographically, and socially vastly different from the rest of the province. Some organizations effectively treat it as a province — for instance, it is the only provincial or territorial subregion in Canada that sends its own team to the Brier separately from its province.
Territorial evolution
Those areas which formed part of New FranceNew France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
in the pays d'en haut, essentially the watersheds of the Ottawa River
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
, Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
and Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
, had been acquired by the British by the Treaty of Paris (1763)
Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
and became part of Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
in 1791, and then the Province of Canada
Province of Canada
The Province of Canada, United Province of Canada, or the United Canadas was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham in the Report on the Affairs of British North America following the Rebellions of...
between 1840 and 1867.
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
in 1867, the portion of Northern Ontario lying south of the Laurentian Divide
Laurentian Divide
The Laurentian Divide or Northern Divide is a continental divide dividing the direction of water flow in eastern and southern Canada and the northern Midwestern United States. Water north of the height of land flows to the Arctic Ocean by rivers to Hudson Bay or directly to the Arctic...
was part of Ontario, while the portion north of the divide was part of the separate British territory of Rupert's Land
Rupert's Land
Rupert's Land, or Prince Rupert's Land, was a territory in British North America, consisting of the Hudson Bay drainage basin that was nominally owned by the Hudson's Bay Company for 200 years from 1670 to 1870, although numerous aboriginal groups lived in the same territory and disputed the...
. The province's boundaries were provisionally expanded northward and westward in 1874, while the Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods is a lake occupying parts of the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba and the U.S. state of Minnesota. It separates a small land area of Minnesota from the rest of the United States. The Northwest Angle and the town of Angle Township can only be reached from the rest of...
region remained subject to a boundary dispute between Ontario and Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. The region was confirmed as belonging to Ontario by decision of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is one of the highest courts in the United Kingdom. Established by the Judicial Committee Act 1833 to hear appeals formerly heard by the King in Council The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is one of the highest courts in the United...
in 1884, and confirmed by the Canada (Ontario Boundary) Act, 1889 of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, which set the province's new northern boundary at the 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...
.
The remaining northernmost portion of the province, from the Albany River to 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,...
, was transferred to the province from the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
by the Parliament of Canada in the Ontario Boundaries Extension Act, 1912. This region was originally established as the District of Patricia, but was merged into the Kenora District
Kenora District, Ontario
Kenora District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. It was created in 1907 from parts of Rainy River District. It is, geographically, the largest division in that province; at 407,192.66 km2 it comprises almost 38 percent of the province's land area...
in 1927.
Judicial and administrative divisions
The Province of CanadaProvince of Canada
The Province of Canada, United Province of Canada, or the United Canadas was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham in the Report on the Affairs of British North America following the Rebellions of...
began creating judicial districts in sparsely populated Northern Ontario with the establishment of Algoma District
Algoma District, Ontario
Algoma District is a district and census division in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1858 comprising territory as far west as Minnesota...
and Nipissing District
Nipissing District, Ontario
Nipissing District, Ontario is a district in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1858. The district seat is North Bay.In 2006, the population was 84,688...
in 1858. These districts had no municipal function; they were created for the provision of judicial and administrative services from the district seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
. After the creation of the province of Ontario in 1867, the first district to be established was Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay District, Ontario
Thunder Bay District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. The district seat is Thunder Bay....
in 1871 which until then had formed part of Algoma District. The Ontario government was reluctant to establish new districts in the north, partly because the northern and western boundaries of Ontario were in dispute after Confederation
Confederation
A confederation in modern political terms is a permanent union of political units for common action in relation to other units. Usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution, confederations tend to be established for dealing with critical issues such as defense, foreign...
. Ontario's right to Northwestern Ontario
Northwestern Ontario
Northwestern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and west of Lake Superior, and west of Hudson Bay and James Bay. It includes most of subarctic Ontario. Its western boundary is the Canadian province of Manitoba, which disputed Ontario's claim to the...
was determined by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is one of the highest courts in the United Kingdom. Established by the Judicial Committee Act 1833 to hear appeals formerly heard by the King in Council The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is one of the highest courts in the United...
in 1884 and confirmed by the Canada (Ontario Boundary) Act, 1889 of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. By 1899 there were seven northern districts: Algoma, Manitoulin, Muskoka, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Rainy River, and Thunder Bay. Five more northern districts were created between 1907 and 1922: Cochrane, Kenora, Sudbury, Temiskaming and Patricia. The Patricia District was then merged into the Kenora District in 1927.
Unlike the counties
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
and regional municipalities
Regional municipality
A regional municipality is a type of Canadian municipal government similar to and at the same municipal government level as a county, although the specific structure and servicing responsibilities may vary from place to place...
of Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a region of the province of Ontario, Canada that lies south of the French River and Algonquin Park. Depending on the inclusion of the Parry Sound and Muskoka districts, its surface area would cover between 14 to 15% of the province. It is the southernmost region of...
, which have a government and administrative structure and jurisdiction over specified government services, a district lacks that level of administration. Districts are too sparsely populated to maintain a county government system, so many district-based services are provided directly by the provincial government. For example, districts have provincially-maintained secondary highways instead of county roads.
The districts in Northern Ontario (which appear in red on the location map) are Rainy River
Rainy River District, Ontario
Rainy River District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1885. It is the only division in Ontario that lies completely in the Central time zone. Its seat is Fort Frances...
, Kenora
Kenora District, Ontario
Kenora District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. It was created in 1907 from parts of Rainy River District. It is, geographically, the largest division in that province; at 407,192.66 km2 it comprises almost 38 percent of the province's land area...
, Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay District, Ontario
Thunder Bay District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. The district seat is Thunder Bay....
, Cochrane
Cochrane District, Ontario
Cochrane District, Ontario is a district and census division in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1921 from parts of Timiskaming and Thunder Bay districts....
, Timiskaming
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...
, Algoma
Algoma District, Ontario
Algoma District is a district and census division in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1858 comprising territory as far west as Minnesota...
, Sudbury
Sudbury District, Ontario
The Sudbury District is a district in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1894 from townships of eastern Algoma District and west Nipissing District....
, Nipissing
Nipissing District, Ontario
Nipissing District, Ontario is a district in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1858. The district seat is North Bay.In 2006, the population was 84,688...
and Manitoulin
Manitoulin District, Ontario
Manitoulin District is a district in Northeastern Ontario within the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1888 from part of Algoma District. The district seat is Gore Bay....
. The single-tier municipality of Greater Sudbury — which is not politically part of the District of Sudbury — is the only census division
Census divisions of Ontario
In the Canadian province of Ontario, there are three different types of census divisions: single-tier municipalities, upper-tier municipalities and districts...
in Northern Ontario where county-level services are offered by the local government rather than the province.
A portion of the Nipissing District which lies south of the formal dividing line between Northern and Southern Ontario is considered part of Northern Ontario because of its status as part of Nipissing. As well, for some purposes, the districts of Parry Sound
Parry Sound District, Ontario
Parry Sound District is a census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its seat is Parry Sound. Its boundaries are Muskoka to the south, the Sudbury District, the French River and Lake Nipissing in the north, Nipissing District, Ontario and North Bay in the north and east and parts of...
and Muskoka
Muskoka District Municipality, Ontario
The District Municipality of Muskoka, more generally referred to as the District of Muskoka, or simply Muskoka, is a Regional Municipality located in Central Ontario, Canada. Muskoka extends from Georgian Bay in the west, to the northern tip of Lake Couchiching in the south, to the western border...
(which appear in green on the map) are treated as part of Northern Ontario even though they are geographically in Central Ontario. In 2004, the provincial government removed Muskoka from its definition of Northern Ontario for development funding purposes, but continues to treat Parry Sound as a Northern Ontario division. The federal government retained both more southerly districts in the service area of its development agency FedNor
FedNor
The Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario is a program of Industry Canada whose mission is to address the economic development, diversification and job creation in Northern Ontario. FedNor especially aids women, Franco-ontarians, youth, and Aboriginal peoples in Ontario...
.
All of Northeastern Ontario is within the Eastern (UTC -5) time zone
Time zone
A time zone is a region on Earth that has a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. In order for the same clock time to always correspond to the same portion of the day as the Earth rotates , different places on the Earth need to have different clock times...
; Northwestern Ontario is split between the Eastern and Central (UTC -6) time zones.
Communities
Northern Ontario has nine cities. In order of population (2006Canada 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...
), they are:
- Greater Sudbury (pop. 157,857; CMA 158,258)
- Thunder BayThunder 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...
(pop. 109,140; CMA 122,907) - Sault Ste. MarieSault Ste. Marie, OntarioSault 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...
(pop. 74,948; CA 80,098) - North BayNorth Bay, OntarioNorth Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...
(pop. 53,966; CA 63,424) - TimminsTimminsTimmins is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada on the Mattagami River. At the time of the Canada 2006 Census, Timmins' population was 42,997...
(pop. 42,997) - Kenora (pop. 15,177)
- Elliot Lake (pop. 11,549)
- Temiskaming Shores (pop. 10,732; CA 12,904)
- DrydenDryden, OntarioDryden is the second-largest city in the Kenora District of Northwestern Ontario, Canada, located on Wabigoon Lake. It is the smallest community in the province of Ontario designated as a city...
(pop. 8,195)
Until the City of Greater Sudbury was created in 2001, Thunder Bay had a larger population than the old city of Sudbury, but the Regional Municipality of Sudbury was the larger Census Metropolitan Area as Sudbury had a much more populous suburban belt (including the city of Valley East
Valley East, Ontario
Valley East was a city in Ontario, Canada, which existed from 1973 to 2000.It was created as part of the Regional Municipality of Sudbury, and took its name from the fact that it comprised the eastern half of the Sudbury Basin....
, formerly the region's sixth-largest city.) However, as the former Regional Municipality of Sudbury is now governed as a single city, it is both the region's largest city and the region's largest CMA.
Smaller municipalities in Northern Ontario include:
- Atikokan
- Blind RiverBlind River, OntarioPopulation trend:* Population in 2006: 3780* Population in 2001: 3969* Population in 1996: 3152 * Population in 1991: 3355-Economy:Its main businesses are tourism, fishing, logging, and uranium refining....
- ChapleauChapleau, OntarioChapleau is a township in Sudbury District, Ontario, Canada. It is home to one of the world's largest wildlife preserves. Chapleau has a population of 2,354 according to the Canada 2006 Census....
- CobaltCobalt, OntarioCobalt is a town in the district of Timiskaming, province of Ontario, Canada, with a population of 1,223 In 2001 Cobalt was named "Ontario's Most Historic Town" by a panel of judges on the TV Ontario program Studio 2, and in 2002 the area was designated a National Historic Site.-History:Silver was...
- CochraneCochrane, OntarioCochrane 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...
- EspanolaEspanola, OntarioEspanola is a town in Northern Ontario, Canada, and is the seat of Sudbury District. It is situated on the Spanish River, approximately 70 kilometres west of downtown Sudbury, and just south of the junction of Highway 6 and Highway 17.- History :The name "Espanola" has been attributed to a story...
- EnglehartEnglehart, OntarioEnglehart is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located on the Englehart River in the Timiskaming District.-History:...
- Ear FallsEar Falls, OntarioEar Falls is a small settlement and township located in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, on the right bank of the English River near the outlet of Lac Seul...
- Earlton
- Fauquier-StricklandFauquier-Strickland, OntarioFauquier-Strickland is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Cochrane District. The township had a population of 678 in the Canada 2001 Census. The three main communities in the township are Fauquier, Strickland, and Gregoires Mill...
- Fort FrancesFort Frances, OntarioFort Frances is a town in, and the seat of, Rainy River District in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. The population as of the 2006 census was 8,103 and Fort Frances' population peaked in 1971 at 9,947...
- French River
- GreenstoneGreenstone, OntarioGreenstone is an amalgamated town in the Canadian province of Ontario. The area of the town is , stretching along Highway 11 from Lake Nipigon to Longlac; it is one of the largest incorporated towns in Canada....
- HearstHearst, OntarioHearst is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located in Northern Ontario, approximately west of Kapuskasing, approximately north of Toronto and east of Thunder Bay on Highway 11...
- IgnaceIgnace, OntarioIgnace is a township in the Kenora District of Northwestern Ontario, Canada, located at Highway 17 and Secondary Highway 599, and on the Canadian Pacific Railway between Thunder Bay and Kenora. It is on the shore of Agimak Lake, and, as of 2006, the population of Ignace was 1,431.The town was...
- Iroquois FallsIroquois Falls, OntarioIroquois Falls is a small town in Northern Ontario, Canada, with a population of 4,729 in the Canada 2006 Census.The town centre lies just off of Hwy 11 on the banks the Abitibi River, west of Lake Abitibi. Timmins, one of the largest cities in northern Ontario is approximately to the west...
- Kapuskasing
- Kirkland Lake
- MarathonMarathon, OntarioMarathon is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Thunder Bay District, on the north shore of Lake Superior north of Pukaskwa National Park, in the heart of the Canadian Shield.- History :...
- Markstay-WarrenMarkstay-Warren, OntarioMarkstay-Warren is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Sudbury District. Highway 17, from the city limits of Greater Sudbury to the Sudbury District's border with Nipissing District, lies entirely within Markstay-Warren...
- MattawaMattawa, OntarioMattawa is a town in northeastern Ontario, Canada, at the confluence of the Mattawa and Ottawa Rivers in Nipissing District. Mattawa means "Meeting of the Waters" in Ojibwa...
- Mattice-Val CoteMattice-Val Côté, OntarioMattice-Val Côté is an incorporated township in Cochrane District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is located approximately east of Hearst and west of Kapuskasing on Ontario Highway 11....
- MoonbeamMoonbeam, OntarioMoonbeam is a township in Ontario, Canada, located in Cochrane District. It had a population of 1201 in the 2001 census, a decline of 9% from 1996. It was named after Moonbeam Creek....
- MoosoneeMoosonee, OntarioMoosonee is a town in northern Ontario, Canada, on the Moose River approximately south of James Bay. It is considered as "the Gateway to the Arctic" and has Ontario's only saltwater port...
- NipigonNipigon, OntarioNipigon is a township in Thunder Bay District, Northwestern Ontario, Canada, located along the west side of the Nipigon River and south of the small Lake Helen running between Lake Nipigon and Lake Superior...
- Northeastern Manitoulin and the IslandsNortheastern Manitoulin and the Islands, OntarioNortheastern Manitoulin and the Islands is a municipality with "town" status in Manitoulin District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada, approximately 30 kilometres south of Espanola. Its main town is Little Current, located on the northeast side of Manitoulin Island...
- OpasatikaOpasatika, OntarioOpasatika is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Cochrane District.The main communities in the township are Opasatika and Lowther, both located along Highway 11 between Mattice and Harty. The ghost town of Reesor Siding, site of the 1963 Reesor Siding incident, is at the...
- Rainy RiverRainy River, OntarioThe Canadian town of Rainy River is situated on the Ontario-Minnesota border, along the Rainy River opposite Baudette, Minnesota, USA, and southeast of the Lake of the Woods...
- Red LakeRed Lake, OntarioPopulation trend:* Population in 2006: 4526* Population in 2001: 4233* Population total in 1996: 4778** Golden : 2248** Red Lake : 2277* Population in 1991:** Golden : 2355** Red Lake : 2268-Climate:...
- St. Charles
- Sables-Spanish RiversSables-Spanish Rivers, OntarioPopulation trend:* Population in 2006: 3237* Population in 2001: 3245* Population total in 1996: 3535** Massey : 1171** The Spanish River : 1598** Webbwood : 563* Population in 1991:** Massey : 1186...
- Sioux LookoutSioux Lookout, OntarioSioux Lookout is a town in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. It has a population of 5,336 and an elevation of 1280 ft / 390 m. Known locally as the "Hub of the North", it is serviced by the Sioux Lookout Airport, Highway 72, and the Sioux Lookout railway station...
- Smooth Rock FallsSmooth Rock Falls, OntarioSmooth 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:...
- Val Rita-HartyVal Rita-Harty, OntarioVal Rita-Harty is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Cochrane District.The township consists of two communities, Val Rita and Harty, located along Highway 11 between Opasatika and Kapuskasing...
- WawaWawa, OntarioWawa is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located within the Algoma District. Formerly known as the township of Michipicoten, the township was officially renamed for its largest and best-known community in 2009....
- West NipissingWest Nipissing, OntarioWest Nipissing is a town in northeastern Ontario, Canada, on Lake Nipissing in the Nipissing District. It was formed on January 1, 1999, with the amalgamation of seventeen and a half former towns, villages, townships and unorganized communities....
Economy
In fact, each city has a couple of distinct advantages that the other city lacks—Sudbury is at the centre of a larger economic sphere due to the city's, and Northeastern Ontario's, larger population, but Thunder Bay is advantaged by air, rail and shipping traffic due to its prime location along major continental transportation routes. The Thunder Bay International Airport
Thunder Bay International Airport
Thunder Bay Airport or Thunder Bay International Airport, , is an airport in the Canadian city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. With 80,591 aircraft movements in 2010 it was the 7th busiest airport in Ontario and the 24th busiest airport in Canada...
is the third busiest airport in Ontario after Lester B. Pearson International Airport in Toronto and Macdonald-Cartier International Airport in Ottawa, carrying some 600,000 passengers in 2004 with over 100 flights and four international flights daily. Sudbury's economy, in which the largest sectors of employment are government-related fields such as education and health care, is somewhat more diversified than Thunder Bay's, which is still based primarily on natural resources and manufacturing. Yet in the era of government cutbacks, Thunder Bay's economy has been less prone to recession and unemployment.
Under the staples thesis
Staples thesis
The staples thesis is a theory of Canadian economic development. The theory “has its origins in research into Canadian social, political, and economic history carried out in Canadian universities…by members of what were then known as departments of political economy.” From these groups of...
of Canadian economic history, Northern Ontario is a "hinterland" or "periphery" region, whose economic development has been defined primarily by providing raw natural resource materials to larger and more powerful business interests from elsewhere in Canada or the world.
Northern Ontario has had difficulty in recent years maintaining both its economy and its population. All of the region's cities declined in population between the censuses of 1996 and 2001. (This coincides with the discontinuation of the operation of the subsidized government airline, norOntair
NorOntair
NorOntair is a defunct airline from Canada that operated its first scheduled flight October 18, 1971 and its last flight March 29, 1996.-Dash 8 service:* Fort Frances* Kapuskasing* North Bay* Sault Ste...
in March 1996.) Although the cities have tried with mixed results to diversify their economies in recent years, most communities in the region are resource-based economies, whose economic health is very dependent on "boom and bust" resource cycles. Mining
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...
and forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
are the two major industries in the region, although manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
, transportation, public services and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
are represented as well. In the 2006 census, some of the region's cities (including its four largest) posted modest population growth, while others saw further declines.
The cities have, by and large, been very dependent on government-related employment and investment for their economic diversification. The Liberal government of David Peterson
David Peterson
David Robert Peterson, PC, O.Ont was the 20th Premier of the Province of Ontario, Canada, from June 26, 1985 to October 1, 1990. He was the first Liberal premier of Ontario in 42 years....
in the 1980s moved several provincial agencies and ministries to Northern Ontario, including the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation
Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation , known for corporate branding purposes simply as OLG since 2006, is a Crown Corporation of the Government of Ontario, Canada. It is responsible for the province's lotteries, charity and Aboriginal casinos, commercial casinos, and slot machines at...
(which maintains a large office in Sault Ste. Marie) and the Ministry of Northern Development Mines and Forestry
Ministry of Northern Development and Mines (Ontario)
The Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry is responsible for assisting economic development in the Northern Ontario region, and for mining and forestry regulation, in the Canadian province of Ontario....
(whose head office is in Greater Sudbury).
Science North
Science North is an interactive science museum in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.The complex, which is Northern Ontario's most popular tourist attraction, consists of two snowflake-shaped buildings on the southwestern shore of Lake Ramsey, just south of the city's downtown core, as well as a...
, Dynamic Earth
Dynamic Earth
Dynamic Earth is an interactive science museum in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Owned and operated by Science North, Dynamic Earth is an earth sciences museum which builds on the city's mining heritage, focusing principally on geology and mining history exhibitions.The centre, which opened in...
, the Sault Locks
Soo Locks
The Soo Locks are a set of parallel locks which enable ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. They are located on the St. Marys River between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, between the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario...
, etc.), and some of its transportation infrastructure (e.g., Ontario Northland Transportation Commission
Ontario Northland Transportation Commission
The Ontario Northland Transportation Commission , or simply Ontario Northland, is a Crown agency of the Government of Ontario.ONTC operates the following public services in Northern Ontario:...
) are agencies of the provincial or federal governments. Further, much of the funding available for economic development in Northern Ontario comes from government initiatives such as the federal government's FedNor
FedNor
The Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario is a program of Industry Canada whose mission is to address the economic development, diversification and job creation in Northern Ontario. FedNor especially aids women, Franco-ontarians, youth, and Aboriginal peoples in Ontario...
and the provincial Northern Ontario Heritage Fund
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund
The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund is a division of the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry in the Canadian province of Ontario, whose purpose is to provide funding and program support to foster economic development in the economically disadvantaged Northern Ontario region.The NOHF...
.
Over the past several years, there has been a renewed interest in mining exploration. McFaulds Lake
McFaulds Lake
McFaulds Lake is a lake located in the Unorganized Part of Kenora District in northwestern Ontario, Canada. It is part of the James Bay drainage basin and is in the Hudson Bay Lowlands area...
in the 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...
Lowlands has attracted the attention of junior mining exploration companies. Since the 2003 investigation of the area for diamonds, some 20 companies have staked claims in the area, forming joint ventures. While still in the exploration phase, there have been some exciting finds that could bring prosperity to the region and the First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
communities in that area. New mining sites have also been investigated and explored in Sudbury, Timmins, Kirkland Lake, Elliot Lake and the Temagami
Temagami, Ontario
Temagami, formerly spelt as Timagami, is a region and a municipality in northeastern Ontario, Canada, in the District of Nipissing with Lake Temagami at its heart....
area.
Politics
Although Progressive ConservativeProgressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
candidates have been elected in Northern Ontario from time to time, the region has been one of the weakest areas in all of Canada for both the PCs and their federal successor, the Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
. In part due to the region's significant dependence on government investment, the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
has traditionally taken the majority of the region's seats at both the federal and provincial levels. The New Democrats
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
also have a significant base of support here, thanks to the region's history of labour unionism, support from First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
communities, and the personal popularity of local NDP figures.
Mike Harris
Mike Harris
Michael Deane "Mike" Harris was the 22nd Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. He is most noted for the "Common Sense Revolution", his Progressive Conservative government's program of deficit reduction in combination with lower taxes and cuts to government...
, the Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario , is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. The party was known for many years as "Ontario's natural governing party." It has ruled the province for 80 of the years since Confederation, including an uninterrupted run from 1943 to 1985...
premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
of Ontario from 1995 to 2002, represented the Northern Ontario riding of Nipissing
Nipissing (electoral district)
Nipissing was a federal electoral district that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1896 to 2004. It was located in the northeastern part of Ontario, Canada....
. However, Harris himself was the only Conservative candidate elected in a true Northern Ontario riding in either the 1995 election
Ontario general election, 1995
The Ontario general election of 1995 was held on June 8, 1995, to elect members of the 36th Legislative Assembly of the province of Ontario, Canada...
or the 1999 election
Ontario general election, 1999
An Ontario general election was held on June 3, 1999, to elect members of the 37th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
. (If the definition of Northern Ontario is extended to include the Parry Sound District, then Harris was joined by Ernie Eves
Ernie Eves
Ernest Lawrence "Ernie" Eves was the 23rd Premier of the province of Ontario, Canada, from April 15, 2002, to October 23, 2003.-Beginnings:...
in Parry Sound—Muskoka. Following Eves' retirement from politics, Norm Miller
Norm Miller
Norm Miller is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, representing the riding of Parry Sound—Muskoka for the Progressive Conservatives...
— currently the Official Opposition critic for Northern Development and Mines
Ministry of Northern Development and Mines (Ontario)
The Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry is responsible for assisting economic development in the Northern Ontario region, and for mining and forestry regulation, in the Canadian province of Ontario....
— was also elected in Parry Sound—Muskoka in a by-election in 2001, and was re-elected in the 2003
Ontario general election, 2003
The Ontario general election of 2003 was held on October 2, 2003, to elect the 103 members of the 38th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
and 2007
Ontario general election, 2007
The Ontario general election of 2007 was held on October 10, 2007 to elect members of the 39th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Liberals under Dalton McGuinty won the election with a majority government, winning 71 out of a possible 107 seats with 42.2% of the popular...
elections.
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
leader Howard Hampton
Howard Hampton
Howard George Hampton, MPP is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He has served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada, since 1987 as the Member of Provincial Parliament from the northern riding of Kenora—Rainy River. A member of the Ontario New Democratic Party, he was also the party's...
also represents a Northern Ontario riding, Kenora—Rainy River
Kenora—Rainy River (provincial electoral district)
Kenora—Rainy River is a provincial electoral district in northwestern Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1999. It was created from Kenora, most of Rainy River and part of Lake Nipigon. The boundaries of the new district corresponded with the...
, in the Ontario Legislative Assembly. The riding of Algoma East
Algoma East
Algoma East was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1968. It was created in 1903 from parts of Algoma riding....
was represented federally by Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Lester B. Pearson
Lester B. Pearson
Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson, PC, OM, CC, OBE was a Canadian professor, historian, civil servant, statesman, diplomat, and politician, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis...
from 1948 to 1968. William Hearst, premier of Ontario from 1914 to 1919, represented the riding of Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie (electoral district)
Sault Ste. Marie is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968.In 2004, due to population changes in boundary distribution, the riding expanded significantly to include a significant portion of the Algoma District, from...
.
In the 2008 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2008
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
, the New Democratic Party won nearly every seat in the region, with the exception of Nipissing—Timiskaming
Nipissing—Timiskaming
Nipissing—Timiskaming is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004. The riding was formed by the amalgamation of the former Nipissing riding with the southeastern portion of the former Timiskaming—Cochrane...
, which was retained by its Liberal incumbent Anthony Rota
Anthony Rota
Anthony Rota is a Canadian politician. He was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 2004 to 2011, representing the riding of Nipissing—Timiskaming....
, and Kenora
Kenora (electoral district)
Kenora is a federal and former provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004, and was represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from the early twentieth century....
, which was won by Conservative Greg Rickford
Greg Rickford
Greg Rickford is a Canadian politician. Rickford was elected to represent the Ontario electoral district of Kenora in the 2008 Canadian federal election....
. This sweep included several seats which were formerly seen as Liberal strongholds, including Sudbury
Sudbury (electoral district)
Sudbury is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1949.Its population in 2001 was 89,443. The district is one of two serving the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario....
, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing
Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing
Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004...
, Thunder Bay—Rainy River
Thunder Bay—Rainy River
Thunder Bay—Rainy River is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004...
and Thunder Bay—Superior North
Thunder Bay—Superior North
Thunder Bay—Superior North is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1976....
. However, the strong support for the NDP in most parts of Northern Ontario tends to be more labour-populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
in nature. The region can, in fact, be quite socially conservative
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
in some respects, especially in the southern border parts of the region. The northern and northeastern areas are generally more progressive, due to the high concentration of First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
and the high Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarians are French Canadian or francophone residents of the Canadian province of Ontario. They are sometimes known as "Ontarois"....
population, which are generally quite liberal.
Major political issues in recent years have included the economic health of the region, the extension of Highway 400 from Parry Sound to Sudbury, issues pertaining to the quality and availability of health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
services, mining development in the Ring of Fire
Northern Ontario Ring of Fire
The Ring of Fire is the name given to an area of muskeg swamps in the James Bay Lowlands located in Northern Ontario, Canada, which is currently home to a major mining exploration project...
region around McFaulds Lake, and a controversial but now-defunct plan 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
Open-pit mining
Open-pit mining or opencast mining refers to a method of extracting rock or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open pit or borrow....
in Kirkland Lake.
In the redistribution of provincial electoral districts
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
prior to the 2007 election
Ontario general election, 2007
The Ontario general election of 2007 was held on October 10, 2007 to elect members of the 39th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The Liberals under Dalton McGuinty won the election with a majority government, winning 71 out of a possible 107 seats with 42.2% of the popular...
, the province retained the existing electoral district boundaries in Northern Ontario, rather than adjusting them to correspond to federal electoral district boundaries as was done in the southern part of the province. Without this change, the region would have lost one Member of Provincial Parliament.
Due to the region's relatively sparse population, federal and provincial electoral districts in the region are almost all extremely large geographically. Federally, the electoral district of Sudbury
Sudbury (electoral district)
Sudbury is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1949.Its population in 2001 was 89,443. The district is one of two serving the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario....
is the only one that is comparable in size to an electoral district in Southern Ontario, while at the other extreme the districts of Kenora
Kenora (electoral district)
Kenora is a federal and former provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004, and was represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from the early twentieth century....
and Timmins—James Bay
Timmins—James Bay
Timmins—James Bay is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997. Its population in 2001 was 84,001....
are both geographically larger than the entire United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. One consequence of this, for example, is that a politician who represents a Northern Ontario riding in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
or the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
must typically maintain a much higher budget for travel and office expenses than one who represents a small urban district does.
Secession movement
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...
, lack of awareness of or concern for Northern Ontario's problems, and difficulties in achieving economic diversification have led to discontent amongst Northern Ontarians. In the late 1970s, this manifested itself in the establishment of the Northern Ontario Heritage Party
Northern Ontario Heritage Party
The Northern Ontario Heritage Party is a provincial political party in Ontario, Canada that was formed in 1977 to campaign for provincial status for Northern Ontario. No member was ever elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario...
created and led by Ed Deibel, to lobby for the formation of a separate province of Northern Ontario. The party attracted only modest support and folded in 1984, but was reestablished in 2010. In its current platform, the Northern Ontario Heritage Party stops short of advocating full separation of the region from the province, but instead calls for a number of measures to increase the region's power over its own affairs, including increasing the number of Northern Ontario electoral districts in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and the creation of a special district for the region's First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
voters.
More recently, however, such concerns have resurfaced as some residents of the city of Kenora have called for the city or the wider region to secede from Ontario and join Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. A few residents throughout the region continue to suggest splitting all or part of the region into a separate province. The latter movement, known as the Northern Ontario Secession Movement, has begun to attract attention and support; most notably by the mayors of Kenora and Fort Frances. The crisis in the Ontario forest industry, and the perceived inaction by the provincial government, has in particular spurred support for the idea of secession. In particular, many residents feel that the industrial energy rate is too high to allow the industry to remain competitive. These concerns have been given particular voice by Howard Hampton. Additionally, media coverage, though rarely in favour of secession, has begun to highlight the problems and frustrations faced by the north. Most recently, the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
, a major daily, ran a front page story on the issue.
Similarly, Sudbury's Northern Life community newspaper has published a number of editorials in recent years calling on the province to create a new level of supraregional government that would give the Northern Ontario region significantly more autonomy over its own affairs within the province.
Education
Lakehead University
Lakehead University is a public research university in Thunder Bay, and Orillia, Ontario, Canada.Lakehead University, shortened to 'Lakehead U', or 'LU', is non-denominational and provincially supported. It has undergraduate and graduate programs and a medical school.The school has more than 45,000...
in Thunder Bay, Laurentian University
Laurentian University
Laurentian University , was incorporated on March 28, 1960, is a mid-sized bilingual university in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada....
in Sudbury, Nipissing University
Nipissing University
Nipissing University is a public liberal arts university located in North Bay, Ontario, Canada, on a site overlooking Lake Nipissing. The university's unique character is defined by its location in Northern Ontario, and a large and highly respected faculty of education...
in North Bay and Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie. Algoma, which was previously a federated school
Federated school
An affiliated school is an educational institution that operates independently, but also has a formal collaborative agreement with another, usually larger institution that may have some level of control or influence over its academic policies, standards or programs.While a university may have one...
of Laurentian, became an independent university in 2008. Laurentian University also has a federated school with campuses in Hearst, Kapuskasing and Timmins, the francophone Université de Hearst
Université de Hearst
Université de Hearst is a Canadian postsecondary institution with campuses in Hearst, Timmins and Kapuskasing, Ontario...
.
The universities also have satellite campuses in some Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a region of the province of Ontario, Canada that lies south of the French River and Algonquin Park. Depending on the inclusion of the Parry Sound and Muskoka districts, its surface area would cover between 14 to 15% of the province. It is the southernmost region of...
cities that do not have their own universities. Lakehead has a campus in Orillia, Nipissing has one in Brantford
Brantford, Ontario
Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...
, Laurentian offers programs on the campus of Georgian College
Georgian College
Georgian College is an Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology. Its primary campus is in Barrie, Ontario, with satellite campuses in Orillia, Midland, Collingwood, Bracebridge, Port Colborne, Orangeville, and Owen Sound....
in Barrie
Barrie
Barrie may refer to:* Barrie, city in Ontario, Canada* Barrie , Canadian federal electoral district* Barrie , provincial electoral district* Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford, former Canadian electoral district...
, and Algoma has a campus in Brampton
Brampton
Brampton is the third-largest city in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada.Brampton may also refer to:- Canada :* Brampton, a city in Ontario** Brampton GO Station, a station in the GO Transit network located in the city- United Kingdom :...
.
The region also has six colleges: Confederation College
Confederation College
Confederation College is a provincially funded college of applied arts and technology located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1967, and has area campuses in Dryden, Fort Frances, Geraldton, Kenora, Marathon, Sioux Lookout, Red Lake and Wawa. The college, with its area...
in Thunder Bay, Sault College
Sault College
Sault College of Applied Arts and Technology is one of 24 publicly funded colleges in Ontario. Sault College is located in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and began in 1965 as the Ontario Vocational Centre...
in Sault Ste. Marie, Northern College in Timmins, Canadore College
Canadore College
Canadore College is a college of applied arts and technology located in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1967 as a campus of Sudbury's Cambrian College, and became an independent institution in 1972...
in North Bay, and the anglophone Cambrian College
Cambrian College
Cambrian College is a college of applied arts and technology in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Established in 1967, and funded by the province of Ontario, Cambrian has campuses in Sudbury, Espanola and Little Current....
and francophone Collège Boréal
Collège Boréal
Collège Boréal is a francophone College of Applied Arts and Technology based and with its principal campus in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. The college also has satellite campuses in Hearst, Kapuskasing, Timmins, Temiskaming Shores, Toronto and West Nipissing, as well as a network of access centres...
in Sudbury. Several of the colleges also have satellite campuses in smaller Northern Ontario communities.
A large distance education
Distance education
Distance education or distance learning is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom...
network, Contact North
Contact North
Contact North is Ontario's most extensive distance education network. Contact North provides access to education and training opportunities to secondary and post-secondary students Northern Ontario, Canada through distance education.Through a network of 94 access centres in Northern Ontario and...
, also operates from Sudbury and Thunder Bay to provide educational services to small and remote Northern Ontario communities.
In the early 2000s, the provincial government announced funding for the Northern Ontario School of Medicine
Northern Ontario School of Medicine
The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is a medical school in the Canadian province of Ontario, created through a partnership between Laurentian University in Sudbury and Lakehead University in Thunder Bay...
, which opened in 2005. This school, a joint faculty of Laurentian and Lakehead universities, has a special research focus on rural medicine.
Media
All of Northeastern Ontario's towns and cities receive CTVCTV 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...
service from the originating stations or rebroadcast transmitters of the CTV Northern Ontario
CTV Northern Ontario
CTV Northern Ontario, formerly known as MCTV, is a system of four television stations in Northern Ontario, Canada, owned and operated by the CTV Television Network, a division of Bell Media.These stations are:...
system. 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...
, Global
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
, Radio-Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada is a Canadian French language television network. It is owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, known in French as Société Radio-Canada. Headquarters are at Maison Radio-Canada in Montreal, which is also home to the network's flagship station, CBFT-DT...
, 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...
and E! service is received through rebroadcast transmitters of the networks' Toronto stations.
Northwestern Ontario receives Global and CBC service through the independently-owned Thunder Bay Television
Thunder Bay Television
Dougall Media is a Canadian media company, which has several television, radio and publishing holdings in Northwestern Ontario.-Television:Thunder Bay Television is the name under which CKPR, a CBC affiliate in Thunder Bay, Ontario operates. It is co-owned with CHFD, a Global affiliate in the same...
twinstick
Twinstick
A twinstick, in Canadian broadcasting, is a term for two television stations, broadcasting in the same market, which are owned by the same company...
and through rebroadcasters of the CBC stations in Toronto or Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
(depending on the community's time zone), and CTV service through Kenora's CJBN
CJBN-TV
CJBN-TV, channel 13, is a television station based in Kenora, Ontario, Canada and affiliated with the CTV network. It can also be seen on cable TV channel 4 in the Kenora area, as well as on the Bell TV and Shaw Direct satellite services. The station adopted the CJTV brand in the early 2000s, but...
. TVOntario service is received through rebroadcast transmitters of the Toronto station; like the English CBC, Radio-Canada service may originate from Toronto or Winnipeg.
Some of Northern Ontario's more remote communities receive TFO
TFO
TFO is a Canadian French language educational public television network in the province of Ontario. It is the only French-language television network in Canada whose operations are based entirely outside of Quebec....
and the Ontario Parliament Network
Ontario Parliament Network
The Ontario Parliament Network is a television network in the Canadian province of Ontario, established in 1986 to broadcast the parliamentary proceedings of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario...
from over-the-air transmitters; in most areas of the province these services are only available on cable. (TFO is also available as an over-the-air channel in Greater Sudbury.)
Daily newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s in the region include the Sudbury Star
Sudbury Star
The Sudbury Star is a Canadian daily regional newspaper, published in Sudbury, Ontario. It is run by the media conglomerate Sun Media, which is controlled by Quebecor....
, the Chronicle-Journal
Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal
The Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Unlike many Canadian newspapers, it does not use the city's name in its masthead...
in Thunder Bay, the Sault Star
Sault Star
The Sault Star is a daily newspaper in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario and owned my Sun Media.The northern newspaper has a current daily subscription of over 20,000 households to the Sault Ste. Marie area and Algoma District....
in Sault Ste. Marie, the North Bay Nugget
North Bay Nugget
-External links:* *...
, the Timmins Daily Press
Timmins Daily Press
The Timmins Daily Press is a newspaper in Timmins, Ontario, which publishes six days a week. It is notable as the first paper bought by press baron Roy Thomson, who would eventually own more than 200 newspapers including The Times...
and the Kenora Daily Miner. The Chronicle-Journal is owned by Continental Newspapers, and all of the other daily newspapers are owned by Quebecor
Quebecor
Quebecor Inc. is a communications company based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was founded by Pierre Péladeau, and remains run by his family. Quebecor Inc. owns 55% of Quebecor Media Inc...
. Community newspapers include Northern Life in Sudbury, 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...
in Kirkland Lake and the Dryden Observer in Dryden.
Noted magazines published in the region include HighGrader
HighGrader
HighGrader is a Canadian magazine.It was launched in 1995 by musician Charlie Angus and his wife, Brit Griffin, as a venue for journalism relating to rural lifestyle and culture in Northern Ontario....
, Northern Ontario Business and Sudbury Living.
Most commercial radio stations in Northern Ontario are owned by the national radio groups Rogers Communications
Rogers Communications
Rogers Communications Inc. is one of Canada's largest communications companies, particularly in the field of wireless communications, cable television, home phone and internet with additional telecommunications and mass media assets...
, Haliburton Broadcasting Group
Haliburton Broadcasting Group
The Haliburton Broadcasting Group is a Canadian group of FM radio stations, located primarily in smaller markets in Ontario.-History:The company is named for the Haliburton region in Central Ontario, where majority owner and president Christopher Grossman, a longtime radio sales manager, trainer...
or Newcap Broadcasting
Newcap Broadcasting
Newfoundland Capital Corporation Limited is a major Canadian broadcasting company, majority-owned by Harold R. Steele. Newfoundland Capital is the parent company of Newcap Inc. . It is currently the number two private-sector radio broadcaster in Canada, just behind Astral Media...
, although a few independent and community broadcasters are represented as well. 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...
has stations in Sudbury (CBCS
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...
), with rebroadcasters throughout Northeastern Ontario, and in Thunder Bay (CBQT
CBQT-FM
CBQT-FM is a Canadian radio station. It is the CBC Radio One station in Thunder Bay, Ontario, broadcasting at 88.3 FM, and serves all of Northwestern Ontario through a network of relay transmitters.-History:...
), with rebroadcasters in the Northwest. The French Première Chaîne has a station in Sudbury (CBON
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:...
), with rebroadcasters throughout Northern Ontario. CBC Radio 2 is currently heard only in Sudbury (CBBS
CBBS-FM
CBBS-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's CBC Radio 2 network at 90.1 FM in Sudbury, Ontario.The station was originally licensed by the CRTC in 1984...
) and Thunder Bay (CBQ
CBQ-FM
CBQ-FM is a Canadian radio station, airing the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's CBC Radio 2 network at 101.7 FM in Thunder Bay, Ontario.The station was launched in 1984.- External links :* at Canadian Communications Foundation...
), and the French Espace musique
Espace musique
Espace musique is the French-language music radio service of Canada's national public broadcaster, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation...
is currently heard only in Sudbury (CBBX
CBBX-FM
CBBX-FM is a Canadian radio station. It broadcasts the Société Radio-Canada's Espace musique network at 90.9 FM in Sudbury, Ontario.-History:...
) and Timmins (CBBX-FM-1).
Cable television service is provided by Shaw Cable in Sault Ste. Marie and virtually all of Northwestern Ontario, by Cogeco
Cogeco
Cogeco Inc. is a Canadian media and communications company. The name is an acronym for Compagnie Générale de Communication .-History:...
in North Bay, and by EastLink
EastLink (company)
EastLink is a Canadian cable television and telecommunications company. In 1970, EastLink was established in Amherst, Nova Scotia, when it was issued one of the first cable licences granted by the CRTC...
in Northeastern Ontario apart from North Bay and Sault Ste. Marie.
Demographics
The mining boom of the early twentieth century attracted many francophoneFrancophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
s to Northeastern Ontario, and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
is still widely spoken there. While the Canadian constitution never required the province of Ontario to recognize French as an official language, the government provides full services in the French language to any citizen, resident, or visitor wishing it including communications, schools, hospitals, social services, and in the courts, under the French Language Services Act
French Language Services Act
The French Language Services Act is a law in the province of Ontario, Canada which is intended to protect the rights of Franco-Ontarians, or French-speaking people, in the province....
of 1986. All of Northeastern Ontario, with the sole exception of Manitoulin Island, is designated as a French language service area, as are a few individual municipalities in the Northwest. As well, the government of Canada provides French and English equally in all matters. See Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarians are French Canadian or francophone residents of the Canadian province of Ontario. They are sometimes known as "Ontarois"....
for further information.
The region also has a significant First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
population, primarily of the Ojibwe, 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...
and Oji-Cree nations, with smaller communities of Nipissing
Nipissing First Nation
The Nipissing First Nation consists of first nation people of Ojibwa and Algonquin descent who have lived in the area of Lake Nipissing in the Canadian province of Ontario for about 9,400 years. Though in history known by many names, they are generally considered part of the Anishinaabe peoples,...
, Algonquin, Odawa
Ottawa (tribe)
The Odawa or Ottawa, said to mean "traders," are a Native American and First Nations people. They are one of the Anishinaabeg, related to but distinct from the Ojibwe nation. Their original homelands are located on Manitoulin Island, near the northern shores of Lake Huron, on the Bruce Peninsula in...
and Saulteaux
Saulteaux
The Saulteaux are a First Nation in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, Canada.-Ethnic classification:The Saulteaux are a branch of the Ojibwe nations. They are sometimes also called Anihšināpē . Saulteaux is a French term meaning "people of the rapids," referring to...
.
Novels
- Shut Up and Eat Your Snowshoes (1970), by Jack DouglasJack Douglas (writer)Jack Douglas was an American comedy writer who wrote for radio, television and a series of humor books, beginning with the bestselling My Brother Was an Only Child .-Radio:...
- La Vengeance de l'orignal (1980), by Doric GermainDoric GermainDoric Germain is a Canadian writer and university professor.Educated at the University of Ottawa and Université Laval, he briefly taught high school before publishing his first novel in 1980...
- Le Trappeur du Kabi (1981), by Doric GermainDoric GermainDoric Germain is a Canadian writer and university professor.Educated at the University of Ottawa and Université Laval, he briefly taught high school before publishing his first novel in 1980...
- Loon (1992) and Freddy Dimwhistle's Northcountry Sketchbook (1997), by A. W. (Bill) Plumstead
- Logan in Overtime (1990), by Paul QuarringtonPaul QuarringtonPaul Lewis Quarrington was a Canadian novelist, playwright, screenwriter, filmmaker, musician and educator.-Background:...
- Bastion Falls (1995), by Susie MoloneySusie MoloneySusie Moloney is a Canadian author of horror fiction. The film rights to her book, A Dry Spell, were purchased by Cruise/Wagner Productions in 1997, for a reported seven figures.- Works :...
- No Great MischiefNo Great MischiefNo Great Mischief is a 1999 novel by Alistair MacLeod.The novel opens in the present day, with successful orthodontist Alexander MacDonald visiting his elderly older brother Calum in Toronto, Ontario...
(1999), by Alistair MacLeodAlistair MacLeodAlistair MacLeod, OC is a noted Canadian author and retired professor of English at the University of Windsor.- Academic career :... - Forty Words for SorrowForty Words for SorrowForty Words for Sorrow is a crime novel from Canadian novelist Giles Blunt, and the first to feature his protagonists John Cardinal and Lise Delorme. Blunt had previous published one other novel, Cold Eye, but this was his first crime novel, and the first to be a critical and commercial success....
, The Delicate Storm, Blackfly Season, and By the Time You Read This (2000–2006), by Giles BluntGiles BluntGiles Blunt is a Canadian novelist and screenwriter born in in Windsor, Ontario. His first novel, Cold Eye, was a psychological thriller set in the New York art world, which was made into the French movie Les Couleurs du diable .... - Crow LakeCrow Lake (novel)Crow Lake is a 2002 first novel written by Canadian author Mary Lawson. It won the Books in Canada First Novel Award in the same year and won the McKitterick Prize in 2003...
(2002) and The Other Side of the Bridge (2006), by Mary LawsonMary LawsonMary Lawson is a Canadian novelist.Born in southwestern Ontario, she spent her childhood in Blackwell, Ontario and is a distant relative of L. M. Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables. Her father worked as a research chemist... - The Neanderthal Parallax (2002–2003), trilogy by Robert J. SawyerRobert J. SawyerRobert James Sawyer is a Canadian science fiction writer. He has had 20 novels published, and his short fiction has appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Amazing Stories, On Spec, Nature, and many anthologies. Sawyer has won over forty awards for his fiction, including the Nebula Award ,...
- Three Day RoadThree Day RoadThree Day Road is the first novel from Canadian writer Joseph Boyden. Joseph’s maternal grandfather, as well as an uncle on his father’s side, served as soldiers during the First World War, and Boyden draws upon a wealth of family narratives...
(2005), by Joseph BoydenJoseph BoydenJoseph Boyden is a Canadian novelist and short story writer. His first novel, Three Day Road won the Amazon/Books in Canada First Novel Award and the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize... - Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves TownSomeone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves TownSomeone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town is a contemporary fantasy novel by Canadian author Cory Doctorow. It was published in June, 2005, concurrently released on the Internet under a Creative Commons license, free for download in several formats including ASCII and PDF...
(2005), by Cory DoctorowCory DoctorowCory Efram Doctorow is a Canadian-British blogger, journalist, and science fiction author who serves as co-editor of the blog Boing Boing. He is an activist in favour of liberalising copyright laws and a proponent of the Creative Commons organization, using some of their licences for his books... - VoyageursVoyageurs (novel)Voyageurs is the title of the 2003 novel by Scottish writer Margaret Elphinstone. It sets a young Quaker farmer from rural England in search of his missing missionary sister; he must work as a voyageur to have any hope of finding her.- References :...
(2003), by Margaret ElphinstoneMargaret ElphinstoneMargaret Elphinstone is a Scottish novelist.-Biography:Margaret Elphinstone was born in Kent. She studied at Queen's College in London and Durham University. She was until recently, Professor of Writing in the Department of English Studies at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, now retired...
Plays
- 1932, la ville du nickel by Jean-Marc DalpéJean-Marc DalpéJean Marc Dalpé is a Canadian playwright and poet. He is one of the most important figures in Franco-Ontarian literature....
and Brigitte HaentjensBrigitte HaentjensBrigitte Haentjens is a Canadian theatre director and president of her own company, Sybillines, which she founded in 1997.-Biography:Born in France, she studied theatre in Paris before moving to Ontario in Canada at the age of 25.-Career:...
(1984) - Le Chien by Jean-Marc Dalpé (1987)
- The Rez SistersThe Rez SistersThe Rez Sisters is a two act play by Cree Canadian writer Tomson Highway, first performed on November 26, 1986 by Act IV Theatre Company and Native Earth Performing Arts....
by Tomson HighwayTomson HighwayTomson Highway, CM is a celebrated Canadian and Cree playwright, novelist, and children's author. He is the author of the plays The Rez Sisters and Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing, both of which won him the Dora Mavor Moore Award and the Floyd S...
(1988) - Dry Lips Oughta Move to KapuskasingDry Lips Oughta Move to KapuskasingDry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing is a play by Tomson Highway, which premiered in 1989 at Theatre Passe-Muraille in Toronto.Set in the fictional Wasaychigan Hill reserve in Northern Ontario, Dry Lips is a companion piece to Highway's earlier play The Rez Sisters...
by Tomson HighwayTomson HighwayTomson Highway, CM is a celebrated Canadian and Cree playwright, novelist, and children's author. He is the author of the plays The Rez Sisters and Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing, both of which won him the Dora Mavor Moore Award and the Floyd S...
(1989) - Wildcat (musical play) by Charlie AngusCharlie AngusCharles Joseph Angus MP is a Canadian writer, broadcaster, musician, and politician. Angus entered electoral politics in 2004 as the successful New Democratic Party candidate in the Ontario riding of Timmins—James Bay. He was the NDP parliamentary critic for Canadian Heritage from 2004 to 2007,...
and Brit GriffinBrit GriffinBrit Griffin is a Canadian journalist. She is best known as the publisher of HighGrader, a magazine she cofounded with her husband, musician and politician Charlie Angus....
(1998)
Films
- Captains of the CloudsCaptains of the CloudsCaptains of the Clouds is a 1942 Warner Bros. war film in Technicolor, directed by Michael Curtiz and starring James Cagney. It was produced by William Cagney , with Hal B. Wallis as executive producer. The screenplay was written by Arthur T. Horman, Richard Macaulay and Norman Reilly Raine,...
(1942) - Roadkill (1989)
- Termini StationTermini 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...
(1989) - Highway 61 (1991)
- South of WawaSouth of WawaSouth of Wawa is a Canadian comedy film, which was released in 1991. It was written by Lori Lansens, and directed by Robert Boyd.The film stars Rebecca Jenkins as Lizette, a woman stuck in an unhappy marriage who organizes a road trip with her coworker Cheryl Ann to see Dan Hill in concert.The...
(1991) - Dance Me OutsideDance Me OutsideDance Me Outside is a 1995 drama film directed and co-written by Bruce McDonald. It was based on a book by W.P. Kinsella,-Plot:Set on the Kidabanesee reserve in Northern Ontario. Silas Crow is a young man confused about his direction in life; he wants to take an automobile mechanic's course in...
(1994) - Men With BroomsMen with BroomsMen with Brooms is a 2002 Canadian romantic comedy film, starring and directed by Paul Gross. Centred on the sport of curling, the offbeat comedy tells the story of a reunited curling team from a small Canadian town as they work through their respective life issues and struggle to win the...
(2002) - Looking for AngelinaLooking for AngelinaLooking for Angelina was a 2005 Canadian drama film based on the murder case involving Angelina Napolitano. Napolitano allegedly murdered her husband with an axe and was sentenced to be executed....
(2002) - Phil the AlienPhil the AlienPhil the Alien is a Canadian comedy film, released in 2004. It was written and directed by Rob Stefaniuk, who also starred as the titular Phil.Phil is an extraterrestrial who crash-lands in a small town in Northern Ontario...
(2003) - Shania: A Life in Eight AlbumsShania: A Life in Eight AlbumsShania: A Life in Eight Albums is a Canadian television movie, which aired on CBC Television on 8pm on November 7, 2005. It is a biopic of Canadian country star Shania Twain, that was originally scheduled to air in October, but was delayed by the CBC labour dispute...
(2005) - That Beautiful SomewhereThat Beautiful SomewhereThat Beautiful Somewhere is a Canadian feature film written, directed and produced by Robert Budreau, produced by Ian Murray and executive produced by Bill Plumstead for Loon Film Inc. and Lumanity Productions. The film stars Roy Dupuis and Jane McGregor. The screenplay was based on the novel Loon,...
(2006) - Snow CakeSnow CakeSnow Cake is a 2006 independent drama film directed by Marc Evans and starring Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver, Carrie-Anne Moss, Emily Hampshire, and Callum Keith Rennie...
(2006)
North Bay inventor Troy Hurtubise
Troy Hurtubise
Troy James Hurtubise is an inventor and conservationist from North Bay, Ontario, Canada noted for his often bizarre creations that he tests on himself in spectacular ways...
was the subject of the documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
Project Grizzly
Project Grizzly
Project Grizzly is a 1996 National Film Board of Canada documentary about the lifelong project of Troy Hurtubise, a man who has been obsessed with researching the Canadian grizzly bear up close, ever since surviving an early encounter with such a bear....
(1996).
Television series
- The Forest RangersThe Forest RangersThe Forest Rangers was a Canadian television series that ran from 1963 to 1965. It was a co-production between CBC Television and ITC Entertainment and was Canada's first television show produced in colour...
(1963–1965, CBCCBC TelevisionCBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
) - Adventures in Rainbow CountryAdventures in Rainbow CountryAdventures in Rainbow Country was a Canadian television series, which aired on CBC Television in 1970 and 1971.A half hour family drama, the show starred Lois Maxwell as Nancy Williams, a widow raising her children Billy and Hannah in rural Northern Ontario...
(filmed 1969, first aired 1970–1971, CBCCBC TelevisionCBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
) - Spirit BaySpirit BaySpirit Bay was an aboriginal family television show of 14 half-hour episodes that aired on CBC and TV Ontario from 1980 to 1986. The show focuses on the lives of townsfolk on an Ojibwe reservation town in MacDiarmid, Ontario. Here, the residents have adapted to white society while retaining...
(1984–1987, CBCCBC TelevisionCBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
) - The RezThe RezThe Rez was a first nations, Canadian television series, which aired on CBC Television from 1996 to 1998. Most of the characters were based on W.P...
(1995–1998, CBCCBC TelevisionCBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
) - Wind at My BackWind at My BackWind at My Back is a television series which aired in Canada on CBC Television between 1996 and 2001. It was created and produced by Kevin Sullivan, best known for his adaptation of Anne of Green Gables and Road to Avonlea...
(1996–2001, CBCCBC TelevisionCBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
) - Total Drama IslandTotal Drama IslandTotal Drama Island is a Canadian animated television series which lampoons the conventions commonly found in reality shows. The show and its sequel seasons are collectively referred to as the Total Drama series. It premiered on the Canadian cable television specialty channel Teletoon on July 8, 2007...
(2007–2008, TeletoonTélétoon (Canadian TV channel)Télétoon is a Canadian French language Category A specialty channel that specializes in animation programming. Télétoon is owned by Teletoon Canada Inc; a 50/50 partnership between Astral Media and Corus Entertainment...
) - Météo+Météo+Météo+ is a Canadian television sitcom which began airing on TFO, the French language public broadcaster in Ontario, on February 14, 2008.-Overview:...
(2008-, TFOTFOTFO is a Canadian French language educational public television network in the province of Ontario. It is the only French-language television network in Canada whose operations are based entirely outside of Quebec....
)
Television series The Red Green Show
The Red Green Show
The Red Green Show is a Canadian television comedy that aired on various channels in Canada, with its ultimate home at CBC Television, and on Public Broadcasting Service stations in the United States, from 1991 until the series finale April 7, 2006 on CBC...
(1991–2005) and its spinoff theatrical film Duct Tape Forever
Duct Tape Forever
Duct Tape Forever is a 2002 comedy film based on The Red Green Show. It was written by Steve Smith, the actor who plays Red Green.-Plot:...
(2002) are set in the fictional town of Possum Lake
Possum Lake
Possum Lake is a fictional town in Northwestern Ontario, Canada which is the setting for The Red Green Show. Although Dalton Humphrey, portrayed by actor Bob Bainborough, refers to the "county of Possum Lake" when he introduces Harold Green as the new Public Relations person when McKenna returned...
. The animated sitcom Chilly Beach
Chilly Beach
Chilly Beach is a Canadian animated series, which airs on CBC Television in Canada and The Comedy Channel in Australia. The series is a comedic depiction of life in the fictional Canadian town of Chilly Beach, described by the producers as "a bunch of Canadians doing the stuff that Canadians do,...
(2003–, 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...
), set in a fictional town of unspecified location in Northern Canada, is produced in Sudbury.
Comics
In the comic strip For Better or For WorseFor Better or For Worse
For Better or For Worse is a comic strip by Lynn Johnston that ran for 30 years, chronicling the lives of a Canadian family, The Pattersons, and their friends. The story is set in the fictitious Toronto-area suburban town of Milborough, Ontario. Johnston's strip began in September 1979, and ended...
, Elizabeth Patterson attended North Bay's Nipissing University
Nipissing University
Nipissing University is a public liberal arts university located in North Bay, Ontario, Canada, on a site overlooking Lake Nipissing. The university's unique character is defined by its location in Northern Ontario, and a large and highly respected faculty of education...
, and subsequently taught school in the fictional reserve
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
of Mtigwaki on Lake Nipigon
Lake Nipigon
Lake Nipigon is the largest lake entirely within the boundaries of the Canadian province of Ontario . It is sometimes described as the sixth Great Lake. Lying 260 metres above sea level, the lake drains into the Nipigon River and thence into Nipigon Bay of Lake Superior...
. Lynn Johnston
Lynn Johnston
Lynn Johnston, CM, OM is a Canadian cartoonist, well known for her comic strip For Better or For Worse, and was the first woman and first Canadian to win the National Cartoonist Society's Reuben Award.-Early life:...
, the strip's cartoonist, lives in Corbeil, near North Bay in real life, although the strip is set primarily in Southern Ontario.
The first part of Scott Pilgrim vs the World is set in Northern Ontario.