Spanish, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Spanish is a town
in the Canadian
province of Ontario
, located on Trans-Canada
Highway 17
in the Algoma District
near the border of the Sudbury District
. Formerly known as the Township of Shedden, the municipality adopted its current name in 2004 after the name of its largest community.
The Town of Spanish is situated at the mouth of the Spanish River
where it empties into the North Channel of Lake Huron
. The Spanish River
and its ecologically rich delta have had a positive impact on the development of the community of Spanish. The river has played an important and continuous role in the local economy from the days of the fur trade, through the timbering era, and now contributes to the tourism industry.
y warriors penetrated the South-West to Spanish-occupied territories, and on their return to the North Channel
, they brought with them a ravishing señorita who married a local chief and bore him a large family. It has been speculated then that the señorita named the village, the town and a river after her homeland.
Early settlement of the area gained momentum in the latter part of the 1800's with the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway
in February 1884, between Lake Nipissing
and Algoma, now known as Algoma Mills. According to an article in the Ontario Gazetteer, by 1903–1904, the Spanish River Station (the railway designation for Spanish) had a population of approximately 200 with two timber companies operating in the vicinity: Huron Lumber Co. and Spanish River Co. W. H. Graham operated a general store, William Coget ran the hotel and the local blacksmith as well as the Postmaster was Gustavo Hamilton.
During the same year (1903-1904), the community of Spanish Mills, located on Aird Island in the North Channel
just south of the Town of Spanish, also had a thriving timber industry complete with a sawmill, schoolhouse, and general store. The Sable and Spanish River Boom and Dam Co. and the Spanish River Lumber Company.
, Manitoulin Island
from 1850–1911. It was a day school for Native boys. Father Proulx was the first priest. In 1860 the Jesuit
Priests managed the school. The old school burned down and a new site was chosen, 1000 acres (4 km²) were purchased at the mouth of the Spanish River
. Reverend Joseph Sauve and Father Paquin undertook to build, design and supervise construction. In the fall of 1913 the school commenced. Boys from as far as Manitoba
and as close as Cutler (Serpent River First Nations) attended the school.
A shoe-maker shop and a pump house were built. Self sufficient dormitories, classrooms, several lavatories, kitchen, a scullery, pantry, refrigerated area, corridors, offices, cloistered area, laundry room, infirmary, bakery and tailor shop were housed in the school. In 1981 a chapel was added. Near the school stood a wind mill powerhouse and shoe shop, a mill and a storage for milled products, a huge barn which held cows, several horse teams, a bull, a dairy operation and a blacksmith shop, a piggery and sheepery, a chicken coop and a garden. At the wharf was a 30 feet (9.1 m) cruiser named the Garnier and a vessel called Red Bug were tied up.
Likewise in Wikwemikong
a Native School for girls was located. It was run by the Daughters of the Heart of Mary from 1862–1914. The log cabin burned down in 1916 and was relocated opposite the boy’s school in Spanish. Both schools were funded by the Federal Government. The Indian Act stated that “Indians can attend a residential school if an Indian Day School is not available to them within a three mile (5 km) radius.” Children from broken homes and where home conditions were not the best were also sent to be enrolled into the schools.
The Daughters of the Heart of Saint Mary was an organization formed by and idea from a young French woman who hoped for a life of religion to a woman whose responsibilities kept them in the world. This idea occurred to a Jesuit
priest when the woman approached him during the French Revolution
. The Society was founded in 1790 and was forced to go underground. The society came to Canada 100 years ago to work among the natives in Ontario.
Until 1951 the school had only elementary grade classes. The entire school consisted of classrooms, dining rooms, chapel, dormitory, play rooms and other necessary accommodations. Their education consisted of all the elementary schooling as well as home economics, cooking, sewing and personal hygiene.
Enrollment for the school started to decrease due to the government legislation which encouraged the natives to integrate with the town’s children by attending their co-existing schools. The residential schools also allowed the children from town to attend the school, as the area around Spanish was expanding.
In 1981 the building which was the former “Girls School” burned down and the “Boys School” was demolished in 2004. The shell of the “Girls School” still remains as a witness to history.
A book entitled Indian School Days was published in 1988 by Ojibwa
y writer Basil H. Johnston
chronicalling his experiences as a student at Garnier College.
Spanish has two schools; Spanish Public School, located on the north side of town and École Ste-Anne located on the South.
The Spanish Public Library offers a variety of services for the local community and travelling tourists. The library has an extensive children's section, access to high speed internet, fax machine, photocopier, and a wide range of books and magazines. The Spanish Public Library also sponsors the annual Spanish Easter egg hunt, which takes place on the Saturday before Easter.
The town is served by Highway 17, a branch of the Trans-Canada Highway
.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, located on Trans-Canada
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
Highway 17
Highway 17 (Ontario)
King's Highway 17, more commonly known as Highway 17, is a provincially maintained highway and the primary route of the Trans-Canada Highway through the Canadian province of Ontario. It begins at the Manitoba border west of Kenora and ends south of Arnprior at the western terminus of Highway 417, ...
in the 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...
near the border of the Sudbury District
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....
. Formerly known as the Township of Shedden, the municipality adopted its current name in 2004 after the name of its largest community.
The Town of Spanish is situated at the mouth of the Spanish River
Spanish River (Ontario)
The Spanish River is a river in Algoma District, Sudbury District and Greater Sudbury in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. It flows in a southerly direction from its headwaters at Spanish Lake and Duke Lake to its mouth at the North Channel on Georgian Bay, Lake Huron just outside of the community...
where it empties into the North Channel 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...
. The Spanish River
Spanish River (Ontario)
The Spanish River is a river in Algoma District, Sudbury District and Greater Sudbury in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. It flows in a southerly direction from its headwaters at Spanish Lake and Duke Lake to its mouth at the North Channel on Georgian Bay, Lake Huron just outside of the community...
and its ecologically rich delta have had a positive impact on the development of the community of Spanish. The river has played an important and continuous role in the local economy from the days of the fur trade, through the timbering era, and now contributes to the tourism industry.
History
According to legend, the Spanish name was derived around the year 1750. As one of the many theories goes, OjibwaOjibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
y warriors penetrated the South-West to Spanish-occupied territories, and on their return to the North Channel
North Channel (Ontario)
The North Channel is the body of water along the north shore of Lake Huron, in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is bordered on the east by Georgian Bay, on the west by the St. Marys River, to the north by the eastern Algoma District and to the south by the islands of Manitoulin, Cockburn,...
, they brought with them a ravishing señorita who married a local chief and bore him a large family. It has been speculated then that the señorita named the village, the town and a river after her homeland.
Early settlement of the area gained momentum in the latter part of the 1800's with the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
in February 1884, between 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...
and Algoma, now known as Algoma Mills. According to an article in the Ontario Gazetteer, by 1903–1904, the Spanish River Station (the railway designation for Spanish) had a population of approximately 200 with two timber companies operating in the vicinity: Huron Lumber Co. and Spanish River Co. W. H. Graham operated a general store, William Coget ran the hotel and the local blacksmith as well as the Postmaster was Gustavo Hamilton.
During the same year (1903-1904), the community of Spanish Mills, located on Aird Island in the North Channel
North Channel (Ontario)
The North Channel is the body of water along the north shore of Lake Huron, in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is bordered on the east by Georgian Bay, on the west by the St. Marys River, to the north by the eastern Algoma District and to the south by the islands of Manitoulin, Cockburn,...
just south of the Town of Spanish, also had a thriving timber industry complete with a sawmill, schoolhouse, and general store. The Sable and Spanish River Boom and Dam Co. and the Spanish River Lumber Company.
Residential Schools
The Garnier School was originally a log cabin in WikwemikongWikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve
Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve is an Indian reserve in the north-eastern section of Manitoulin Island in Manitoulin District, Ontario, Canada...
, Manitoulin Island
Manitoulin Island
Manitoulin Island is a Canadian island in Lake Huron, in the province of Ontario. It is the largest island in a freshwater lake in the world. In addition to the historic Anishinaabe and European settlement of the island, archeological discoveries at Sheguiandah have demonstrated Paleo-Indian and...
from 1850–1911. It was a day school for Native boys. Father Proulx was the first priest. In 1860 the Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
Priests managed the school. The old school burned down and a new site was chosen, 1000 acres (4 km²) were purchased at the mouth of the Spanish River
Spanish River (Ontario)
The Spanish River is a river in Algoma District, Sudbury District and Greater Sudbury in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. It flows in a southerly direction from its headwaters at Spanish Lake and Duke Lake to its mouth at the North Channel on Georgian Bay, Lake Huron just outside of the community...
. Reverend Joseph Sauve and Father Paquin undertook to build, design and supervise construction. In the fall of 1913 the school commenced. Boys from as far as 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...
and as close as Cutler (Serpent River First Nations) attended the school.
A shoe-maker shop and a pump house were built. Self sufficient dormitories, classrooms, several lavatories, kitchen, a scullery, pantry, refrigerated area, corridors, offices, cloistered area, laundry room, infirmary, bakery and tailor shop were housed in the school. In 1981 a chapel was added. Near the school stood a wind mill powerhouse and shoe shop, a mill and a storage for milled products, a huge barn which held cows, several horse teams, a bull, a dairy operation and a blacksmith shop, a piggery and sheepery, a chicken coop and a garden. At the wharf was a 30 feet (9.1 m) cruiser named the Garnier and a vessel called Red Bug were tied up.
Likewise in Wikwemikong
Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve
Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve is an Indian reserve in the north-eastern section of Manitoulin Island in Manitoulin District, Ontario, Canada...
a Native School for girls was located. It was run by the Daughters of the Heart of Mary from 1862–1914. The log cabin burned down in 1916 and was relocated opposite the boy’s school in Spanish. Both schools were funded by the Federal Government. The Indian Act stated that “Indians can attend a residential school if an Indian Day School is not available to them within a three mile (5 km) radius.” Children from broken homes and where home conditions were not the best were also sent to be enrolled into the schools.
The Daughters of the Heart of Saint Mary was an organization formed by and idea from a young French woman who hoped for a life of religion to a woman whose responsibilities kept them in the world. This idea occurred to a Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
priest when the woman approached him during the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
. The Society was founded in 1790 and was forced to go underground. The society came to Canada 100 years ago to work among the natives in Ontario.
Until 1951 the school had only elementary grade classes. The entire school consisted of classrooms, dining rooms, chapel, dormitory, play rooms and other necessary accommodations. Their education consisted of all the elementary schooling as well as home economics, cooking, sewing and personal hygiene.
Enrollment for the school started to decrease due to the government legislation which encouraged the natives to integrate with the town’s children by attending their co-existing schools. The residential schools also allowed the children from town to attend the school, as the area around Spanish was expanding.
In 1981 the building which was the former “Girls School” burned down and the “Boys School” was demolished in 2004. The shell of the “Girls School” still remains as a witness to history.
A book entitled Indian School Days was published in 1988 by Ojibwa
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
y writer Basil H. Johnston
Basil H. Johnston
Basil H. Johnston O.Ont, Anishinaabe writer, storyteller, language teacher and scholar, was born on the Wasauksing First Nation in Ontario, Canada, on July 13, 1929, to Mary and Rufus Johnston...
chronicalling his experiences as a student at Garnier College.
Timeline
- 1902: Railway station is built, the village’s focus shifts to becoming a small service centre for the Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
instead of a lumber village. - 1911: WikwemikongWikwemikong Unceded Indian ReserveWikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve is an Indian reserve in the north-eastern section of Manitoulin Island in Manitoulin District, Ontario, Canada...
's missionary school on Manitoulin IslandManitoulin IslandManitoulin Island is a Canadian island in Lake Huron, in the province of Ontario. It is the largest island in a freshwater lake in the world. In addition to the historic Anishinaabe and European settlement of the island, archeological discoveries at Sheguiandah have demonstrated Paleo-Indian and...
is destroyed by a fire. The church wants to rebuild a new school in Spanish near the rail line away from the WikwemikongWikwemikong Unceded Indian ReserveWikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve is an Indian reserve in the north-eastern section of Manitoulin Island in Manitoulin District, Ontario, Canada...
village and so the JesuitSociety of JesusThe Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
purchase an acre of land at the mouth of the Spanish River and erect St. Peter’s Clavier’s School, later Garnier College, for 180 boys and St. Joseph’s School for 150 girls. - 1913: Garnier School opens.
- 1916: The St. Joseph Residential School is built.
- 1917: A voter's list is created.
- 1918: Flu epidemicSpanish fluThe 1918 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus . It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin...
takes many lives. - 1922: A telephone exchange was installed in the Post Office.
- 1926: Spanish Mills was closed down.
- 1951: Spanish receives electricity.
- 1956: Noranda Inc. opens a Sulphuric Acid Plant on the Serpent River First Nations Reserve. Since only chief officials are allowed to live on the reserve, Noranda purchases land at the east end of Spanish for a residential town site where the employees can live and therefore boosts the population to 12,000. Since Spanish is the nearest community to the mines in Elliot Lake, the town becomes the transportation centre for mail and freight.
- 1957: The North Theatre opens. 42 Homes are constructed. The telephone exchange office is built and a bank is established.
- 1958: Garnier College is closed.
- 1962: St. Joseph’s School is closed.
- 1973: The Township of Shedden experiences its first form of municipal government by joining the Improvement District of the North Shore.
- 1975: First direct distance dialing.
- 1978: The elected council changes the name to The Township of the North Shore. The first library is established where D&D Freshmart now exists.
- 1980: The library is moved to a pre-fab beside the fire hall.
- 1981: The Improvement District of the North Shore and the Township of Shedden separate. The former St. Joseph Residential School building burns down.
- 1985: The Township of Shedden separates from The North Shore and becomes the Improvement District of Shedden with an appointed Board of Trustees.
- 1989: The Township of Shedden is created, electing its own independent council.
- 1992: Township of Shedden and Public Library opens. A medical clinic and farmers market open.
- 1995: A Dental clinic opens.
- 1997: A Municipal Marina opens.
- 1998: Gignac Square opens.
- 1999: Four Season Waterfront Complex opens.
- 2004: Former Garnier residential School is demolished. Lake Huron North Channel Historic Trail is completed. Council gives Third reading to By-Law 2004-39 changing the name of the Community from the Township of Shedden to the Corporation of the Town of Spanish.
Demographics
Population trend:- Population in 2006: 728
- Population in 2001: 816
- Population in 1996: 899
- Population in 1991: 927
Economy
Forestry is the main industry of Spanish, employing 64% of the population.Spanish has two schools; Spanish Public School, located on the north side of town and École Ste-Anne located on the South.
The Spanish Public Library offers a variety of services for the local community and travelling tourists. The library has an extensive children's section, access to high speed internet, fax machine, photocopier, and a wide range of books and magazines. The Spanish Public Library also sponsors the annual Spanish Easter egg hunt, which takes place on the Saturday before Easter.
The town is served by Highway 17, a branch of the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
.