North 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 Lake Nipissing (; french: lac Nipissing, oj, Gichi-nibiinsing-zaaga’igan) is a lake in the Canadian province Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under ...

. North Bay developed as a railroad centre, and its airport was an important military location during the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

History

Portage at Lake Nippising, 1821, by John Elliott Woolford

The site of North Bay is part of a historic canoe route where

Samuel de Champlain Samuel de Champlain (; Fichier OrigineFor a detailed analysis of his baptismal record, see RitchThe baptism act does not contain information about the age of Samuel, neither his birth date nor his place of birth. – 25 December 1635) was a Fre ...

took a party up the

Ottawa River The Ottawa River (french: Rivière des Outaouais, Algonquin: ''Kichi-Sìbì/Kitchissippi'') is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is named after the Algonquin word 'to trade', as it was the major trade route of Eastern ...

, through present-day Mattawa, on to Trout Lake and via the La Vase Creek to Lake Nipissing. Apart from Indigenous people, voyageurs and surveyors, there was little activity in the Lake Nipissing area until the arrival of the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

(CPR) in 1882. That was the point where the Canada Central Railway (CCR) extension ended. The CCR was owned by

Duncan McIntyre Duncan MacIntyre or Duncan McIntyre may refer to: * Duncan Ban MacIntyre (1724–1812), Scottish Gaelic poet * Duncan MacIntyre (New Zealand politician) (1915–2001), New Zealand politician * Duncan McIntyre (businessman) (1834–1894), Canadian b ...

who amalgamated it with the CPR and became one of the handful of officers of the newly formed CPR. The CCR started in Brockville and extended to Pembroke. It then followed a westward route along the

passing through places like Cobden, Deux-Rivières, and eventually to Mattawa at the confluence of the Mattawa and Ottawa Rivers. It then proceeded cross-country towards its final destination, Bonfield. Duncan McIntyre and his contractor James Worthington piloted the CCR expansion. Worthington continued on as the construction superintendent for the CPR past Bonfield. He remained with the CPR for about a year until he left the company. McIntyre was uncle to John Ferguson, who staked out future North Bay after getting assurance from his uncle and Worthington that it would be the divisional headquarters and a location of some importance. In 1882, John Ferguson decided that the north bay of

was a promising spot for settlement. North Bay was incorporated as a town in 1891. The first mayor was John Bourke. More importantly, Bourke developed the western portion of North Bay after purchasing the interest of the Murray Brothers from Pembroke, who were large landholders in the new community. The land west of Klock Avenue (Algonquin Avenue) was known as the Murray block. Bourke Street is named after John Bourke. Murray Street is named after the Murrays. North Bay was selected as the southern terminus of the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway (T&NO) in 1902, when the

Ross Ross or ROSS may refer to: People * Clan Ross, a Highland Scottish clan * Ross (name), including a list of people with the surname or given name Ross, as well as the meaning * Earl of Ross, a peerage of Scotland Places * RoSS, the Republic of Sou ...

government took the bold move to establish a development road to serve the Haileybury settlement. During construction of the T&NO,

silver Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...

was discovered at

Cobalt Cobalt is a chemical element with the symbol Co and atomic number 27. As with nickel, cobalt is found in the Earth's crust only in a chemically combined form, save for small deposits found in alloys of natural meteoric iron. The free element, pr ...

and started a mining frenzy in the northern part of the province that continued for many years. The Canadian Northern Railway was subsequently built to North Bay in 1913. In July 1894, an Act to Charter the Montreal, Ottawa and Georgian Bay Canal passed without a ripple of concern in North Bay. The Georgian Bay Canal was a mammoth transportation system that proposed to connect the Great Lakes with the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. The entire passageway from the Ottawa River to Lake Nipissing and down the French River to

Georgian Bay Georgian Bay (french: Baie Georgienne) is a large bay of Lake Huron, in the Laurentia bioregion. It is located entirely within the borders of Ontario, Canada. The main body of the bay lies east of the Bruce Peninsula and Manitoulin Island. To ...

was surveyed in the first decade of the 20th century. Financing was a large obstacle and, as time passed, transportation patterns changed and interfered with the earlier practicality of the giant venture. Despite this, there were groups who still hoped it would happen as late as 1930. North Bay grew through a strong

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...

ing sector,

mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...

and the three railways in the early days. The town benefited from strong community leadership and people like Richardson, Milne, McNamara, Englands, Browning, McDougal, Carruthers, McGaughey, George W. Lee, Senator Gordon, T. J. Patton, Charlie Harrison and many others are responsible for its development. In 1919, John Ferguson was elected mayor of North Bay and continued to serve as mayor until 1922. North Bay was incorporated as a city in August 1925. The

Dionne Quintuplets The Dionne quintuplets (; born May 28, 1934) are the first quintuplets known to have survived their infancy. The identical girls were born just outside Callander, Ontario, near the village of Corbeil. All five survived to adulthood. The Dionn ...

were born in Corbeil, Ontario, on the southern outskirts of North Bay in 1934. Their births had a tremendous impact on tourism in the area. For a province struggling against economic strangulation they were as valuable a resource as gold,

nickel Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive but large pieces are slow to ...

, pulpwood or hydro power. They saved an entire region from bankruptcy. They launched Northern Ontario's flourishing tourist industry. At their peak they represented a $500 million asset. North Bay and the surrounding area lived off this legacy well into the 1960s. Many visitors to the area discovered lakes and summer retreats that were easily accessible, and the businesses thrived on the tourist dollars. In January 1968, the City of North Bay amalgamated with West Ferris and Widdifield townships. In 1951, as a result of rising tensions in the

, the Royal Canadian Air Force established an air base at North Bay, part of an expanding national air defence network to counter the threat of nuclear attack against North America by Soviet bombers. Construction of RCAF Station North Bay (in 1966 retitled "Canadian Forces Base North Bay" and in 1993 as "22 Wing/Canadian Forces Base North Bay") took three years, during which it became the largest industry in the community: a status it held for more than four decades. In October 1963, the North American Air Defence Command (NORAD) opened its Canadian operations centre at the base. Manned by American as well as Canadian military personnel, the centre, situated 60 storeys underground to withstand a nuclear strike, monitored Canada's northern, east-central and Atlantic airspace, identifying and tracking all air traffic in this airspace, and responding to airborne emergencies, crime, and suspicious, unknown and potentially hostile aircraft. In 1983 this responsibility was expanded to all of Canada, and in October 2006 the base's NORAD operations (as of 1981, called

North American Aerospace Defence Command North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD ), known until March 1981 as the North American Air Defense Command, is a combined organization of the United States and Canada that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and protection ...

) moved into a new, state-of-the-art facility above ground, where it continues to provide surveillance, identification and tracking of aircraft, and warning and response to emergencies, attacks and other crises, for the air sovereignty of Canada and North America. In summer of 2013, the base commenced surveillance of space via SAPPHIRE, Canada's first military satellite, that was launched into orbit from India in February.22 Wing/Canadian Forces Base North Bay historical archives and active files Beginning in the 1990s, the base weathered a series of massive cuts by the federal government, and at one point was earmarked to close. Subsequently, a large portion of its infrastructure, including all of its airfield assets, such as hangars, fuel depot and control tower, were sold or demolished. By the 21st century, the base was no longer the city's top industry. One by-product of the air base's creation in 1951 was the extension of the existing airport's runways to handle the largest military aircraft. The long runways at North Bay have been maintained as an alternate landing site for Toronto's Pearson International Airport and were used during the September 11 crisis as an emergency landing site for several international aircraft. It was also a designated emergency field for NASA's Space Transportation System, better known as the Space Shuttle. On March 17, 2007, North Bay was announced as the winner of 2007 Kraft Hockeyville contest. North Bay received $50,000 to upgrade their local arena, Memorial Gardens, and also hosted an NHL pre-season game between the

New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ( ...

and the

Atlanta Thrashers The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 seaso ...

Geography

North Bay is located approximately north of

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, and differs in geography from Southern Ontario in that North Bay is situated on the

Canadian Shield The Canadian Shield (french: Bouclier canadien ), also called the Laurentian Plateau, is a geologic shield, a large area of exposed Precambrian igneous and high-grade metamorphic rocks. It forms the North American Craton (or Laurentia), the anc ...

. This gives rise to a different and more rugged landscape. North Bay is geographically unique in that it straddles both the

watershed to the east and the Great Lakes Basin to the west. The city's urban core is located between Lake Nipissing and the smaller Trout Lake. North Bay, critically situated at the junctions of Highway 11 and

Highway 17 Route 17, or Highway 17 can refer to the following roads: For the roads named "A17", see list of A17 roads. International * European route E17 * European route E017 Australia * Brisbane Valley Highway, Queensland * D'Aguilar Highway, Queenslan ...

, remains a major transportation centre for

Northern Ontario Northern Ontario is a primary geographic and quasi-administrative region of the Canadian province of Ontario, the other primary region being Southern Ontario. Most of the core geographic region is located on part of the Superior Geological Provi ...

. It is the southern terminus of the

Ontario Northland Railway The Ontario Northland Railway is a Canadian railway operated by the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission, a provincial Crown agency of the government of Ontario. Originally built to develop the Lake Timiskaming and Lake Nipissing area ...

, and is served by the

Jack Garland Airport North Bay Airport or North Bay/Jack Garland Airport in North Bay, Ontario, Canada is located at Hornell Heights, north-northeast of the city. It is located adjacent to Canadian Forces Base North Bay, operational since 1951 (as RCAF Station Nor ...

. The area of North Bay contains a number of ancient volcanic pipes, including the Manitou Islands and

Callander Bay Callander Bay (french: baie Callander) is a bay at the extreme east of Lake Nipissing in the municipality of Callander, Parry Sound District, Ontario, Canada. It is approximately in diameter. The community of Callander is located on its eas ...

and many exposed dykes and five named

batholith A batholith () is a large mass of intrusive igneous rock (also called plutonic rock), larger than in area, that forms from cooled magma deep in Earth's crust. Batholiths are almost always made mostly of felsic or intermediate rock types, such ...

s ( Timber Lake, Mulock, West Arm, Powassan and Bonfield).

Climate

The climate in North Bay is common to most places in

. North Bay tends to be a less humid climate than that found in Southern Ontario due somewhat to the distance from the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...

and less warm than some other locations in Northern Ontario due to cooling from

. On May 31, 2002, a tornado caused minor damage near the city. Two more tornadoes touched down on Lake Nipissing on August 20, 2009. This storm was a part of a chain of tornadoes that caused large amounts of damage in other parts of Ontario. The weather box below shows climate normals for the airport, at an elevation of 358 m, but the majority of the city, including the downtown core, sits at an elevation of 201 m. The highest temperature ever recorded in North Bay was on 1 July 1931. The coldest temperature ever recorded was on 26 January 1892.

Economy

North Bay is more economically diverse than many other

communities, although a large percentage of the city's jobs are public sector in nature with health, education and government dominating the list of the city's top employers. North Bay is the home of

Nipissing University , mottoeng = Spirit of Integrity , established = , former_names = Northeastern University (1960-1967), Nipissing College (1967-1992) , type = Public University , academic_affiliation = COU, CVU, Universities Canada , endowment ...

, founded in 1992 (previous name North Bay Normal School 1909–1953, North Bay Teachers College 1953–1973, Nipissing University affiliated to Laurentian University 1973–1992, independent public university separated from Laurentian University in 1992), and of

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. Canadore College has three campu ...

, founded in 1967. Approximately 10,000 full-time students (and thousands more part-time students) are enrolled at the two post-secondary institutions, which share a campus in the west end of the city. Between the early 1950s and 1990s 22 Wing/Canadian Forces Base North Bay was the community's leading industry. The cuts to the base by the federal government mentioned above, plus dramatic reductions in the number of its personnel—at one time 2,200 military members and civilian employees; in 2013 about 750—has resulted in a loss of tens of millions of dollars to the community, an impact felt by all North Bay's business sectors. North Bay is also home to

The Algonquin Regiment (Northern Pioneers) The Algonquin Regiment (Northern Pioneers) is a primary reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army comprising two companies. A Company is located in North Bay, Ontario, and B Company is located in Timmins, Ontario. The regiment fall ...

, A Coy, a Canadian Force Army Reserve unit. B Coy of The Algonquin Regiment (Northern Pioneers) is located in Timmins. The service industry, tourism, and transportation also play a significant role in the city's economy, as well as primary industry companies. It is estimated that North Bay has more than 65 companies that offer mining supplies and services, employing almost 3,000 residents. In recent years the city's cultural scene has expanded due to its community of artists, musicians, actors and writers. In 2004, the

TVOntario TVO Media Education Group (often abbreviated as TVO and stylized on-air as tvo) is a publicly funded English-language educational television network and media organization serving the Canadian province of Ontario. It is operated by the Ontario ...

program '' Studio 2'' named North Bay as one of the top three most artistically talented communities in the province.

Film and television

The city has hosted film productions. In 1942 '' Captains of the Clouds'' was filmed in North Bay at the height of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The film starred

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

as a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

bush pilot Bush flying refers to aircraft operations carried out in the bush. Bush flying involves operations in rough terrain where there are often no prepared landing strips or runways, frequently necessitating that bush planes be equipped with abnormally ...

and also featured an appearance of famed fighter pilot

Billy Bishop Air Marshal William Avery Bishop, (8 February 1894 – 11 September 1956) was a Canadian flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial com ...

. The city has continued to host film productions, including the 2013

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

'' The Colony'' starring Laurence Fishburne and Bill Paxton, and the drama '' Still Mine'', featuring

James Cromwell James Oliver Cromwell (born January 27, 1940) is an American actor and activist. Some of his best-known films include ''Babe'' (1995), '' Star Trek: First Contact'' (1996), ''L.A. Confidential'' (1997), '' The Green Mile'' (1999), ''The Queen'' ...

in an award-winning role. Another film production that occurred in North Bay was the 2014

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...

'' Backcountry''. In August 2009, the comedy troupe

The Kids in the Hall The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy troupe formed in 1984, consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson. Their eponymous television show ran from 1989 to 1995, on CBC, in C ...

began filming their mini-series ''

Death Comes to Town ''The Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town'' (or simply ''Death Comes to Town'') is an eight-episode Canadian mini-series that aired on CBC Television on Tuesdays between January 12 and March 16, 2010. The show takes place in a fictional Ontario ...

'' on location in North Bay. More recently, the city hosted production of the third season of '' Hard Rock Medical''. John Doyle
"Hard Rock Medical is us: True North and fun"
''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'', January 6, 2017. The city is fictionalised as "Algonquin Bay" in the mystery novels of North Bay native

Giles Blunt Giles Blunt (born 1952) is a Canadian novelist, poet, and screenwriter. 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'' (Allain Jessua, 199 ...

, beginning with ''

Forty Words for Sorrow ''Forty Words for Sorrow'' is a 2000 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 crim ...

''. The television series adaptation ''

Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

'' was filmed in both North Bay and Sudbury in 2016."CTV and Super Écran Partner on New Serialized Drama"
. ''Broadcaster'', February 11, 2016. In 2017, the crime drama series ''

Carter Carter(s), or Carter's, Tha Carter, or The Carter(s), may refer to: Geography United States * Carter, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Carter, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Carter, Montana, a census-designated place * Carter, ...

'' was filmed in the city. In 2021, the reality series ''

Call Me Mother ''Call Me Mother'' is a Canadian reality television series, which premiered on OutTV in 2021. Hosted by ''Entertainment Tonight Canada'' reporter Dallas Dixon, the series is a drag competition which will see up-and-coming drag performers join o ...

'' was filmed in North Bay. In 2022, North Star Studios announced the acquisition of a building in the West Ferris Industrial Park, which will provide 68,000 square feet of film and television studio space.

Education

North Bay has educational programs ranging from pre-school to university.

Post-secondary schools

*Modern College *Canadian Career College

School boards

Near North District School Board The Near North District School Board (NNDSB; known as English-language Public District School Board No. 4 prior to 1999) administers public education in an area of Ontario that is includes all of Parry Sound District, plus a northerly portion of ...

Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board The Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board (known as English-language Separate District School Board No. 30B prior to 1999) administers separate school Catholic education for an area of in central Ontario, Canada. Its headquarters ...

Conseil scolaire de district catholique Franco-Nord Conseil scolaire de district catholique Franco-Nord is the Roman Catholic separate, French language school board for Ontario District of Nipissing. It is headquartered in North Bay, and serves the communities of Mattawa, Bonfield, Astorville ...

Conseil scolaire de district du Nord-Est de l'Ontario The Conseil scolaire public du Nord-Est de l'Ontario (CSPNE, formerly the Conseil scolaire de district du Nord-Est de l'Ontario or CSDNE), also known as Ontario District School Board #56, manages the French-language schools in the north-east regi ...

Neighbourhoods

The city includes the neighbourhoods of Birchaven, Camp Champlain, Champlain Park, Cooks Mills, Eastview, Feronia, Gateway, Graniteville, Hornell Heights, La Fuente (Lobby Bar), Lounsbury, Kenwood Hills, Marshall Park, P.J. Clowe Rotary Park, Nipissing Junction, Pinewood, Sage, Ski Club, St. John's Village, Sunset Park, Thibeault Terrace, Thorncliff, Trout Mills, Tweedsmuir, Wallace Heights, West Ferris and Widdifield.

Waterfront development

The city has big plans for the waterfront. In the 1980s a mile-long waterfront park/promenade was developed along the

shoreline adjacent to the downtown core. Eventually, such attractions as a mini-train ride and two antique carousels (largely crafted by local artisans) were installed and quickly became very popular with tourists and locals alike. Now, work is beginning on a large new multi-faceted community park that will be developed on the former

yards that separated the downtown core from the existing waterfront park. In August 2009, a new pedestrian underpass opened connecting the downtown core to the waterfront for the first time since the CPR laid down tracks. In 2019 the city constructed a multi-phase community space centering on a Splash Pad behind the CPR museum.

Media

The city's sole local television station is

CKNY-DT CKNY-DT (channel 10) is a television station in North Bay, Ontario, Canada, part of the CTV Television Network. Owned and operated by network parent Bell Media, the station maintains a transmitter adjacent to Ski Hill Road (southwest of Highway ...

, an owned-and-operated station of CTV. Part of the CTV Northern Ontario subsystem, CKNY functions largely as a rebroadcaster of CICI-TV in

Greater Sudbury Sudbury, officially the City of Greater Sudbury is the largest city in Northern Ontario by population, with a population of 166,004 at the 2021 Canadian Census. By land area, it is the largest in Ontario and the List of the largest cities and to ...

, although news reporters in North Bay provide content to CTV Northern Ontario's newscasts. In 2020, the staff was reduced to two reporters and a cameraman/editor, all of whom will work from home. The city also receives Global and

CHCH Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River ...

through rebroadcast transmitters of stations in the

market. In radio, North Bay effectively acts as a single market with the nearby town of

Sturgeon Falls West Nipissing is a municipality 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 town, villages, townships and unorganized communi ...

, with virtually all stations in both communities serving the whole region. The local newspaper is the ''

North Bay Nugget The ''North Bay Nugget'' is a newspaper published in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. The paper is currently owned by Postmedia. The paper was launched in 1907 as the ''Cobalt Nugget'', during the silver boom at Cobalt, Ontario. It was acquired by bus ...

'', which is published in print form from Tuesday through Saturday.

Sports

Local teams

: Canadore College Panthers (Men's & Women's Volleyball/OCAA) : Canadore College Panthers (Men's Basketball/OCAA) : Nipissing University Lakers ( Ringette/CUR) : Nipissing University Lakers (Men's & Woman's Hockey/OUA) : Nipissing University Lakers (Men's & Women's Volleyball/OUA) : Nipissing University Lakers (Men's & Women's Crosscountry Running/OUA) : Nipissing University Lakers (Men's Lacrosse/CUFLA) : Nipissing University Lakers (Men's & Women's Basketball/OUA : Nipissing University Lakers (Dance team) :Nipissing University Lakers (cheerleading team) : North Bay Bulldogs (Football/ Northern Football Conference) : North Bay Trappers Junior "A" (Hockey/Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League) : North Bay Trappers Midget "AAA" (Hockey/Great North Midget AAA League) : North Bay United (U-17 Men's Soccer) : North Bay Stingers Midget Baseball (3 time provincial champions) : Warriors of Hope Competitive Dragon Boat Team : Nipissing Wild (Ontario Football Conference Varsity League) : North Bay Battalion (OHL) : North Bay Junior Varsity Bulldogs (Ontario Varsity Football league)

Kraft Hockeyville 2007

North Bay was crowned the winner of the Kraft

Hockeyville ''Kraft Hockeyville'' is an annual competition sponsored by Kraft Heinz, the National Hockey League and the NHL Players' Association in which communities compete to demonstrate their commitment to the sport of ice hockey. The winning community ...

competition in 2007. The New York Islanders and Atlanta Thrashers played an exhibition game at Memorial Gardens to a near-capacity crowd.

North Bay Battalion

The North Bay Battalion is a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League based in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. The franchise was founded as the Brampton Battalion on December 3, 1996, and began play in 1998. Due to consistently poor attendance, the team relocated to North Bay before the 2013–14 OHL season.

Nipissing Lakers Hockey

The

Nipissing Lakers The Nipissing Lakers are the athletic teams that represent Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario, Canada that compete in U Sports. The Lakers varsity programs compete in men's and women's basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross c ...

are North Bay's newest hockey team. The Lakers are the 19th member of the Ontario University Athletics' Men's Hockey League (founded in 2009 in a partnership with Nipissing University and private investors). The Lakers play in historic Memorial Gardens (circa 1955) and share the building with the North Bay Trappers. Like their Northern Ontario counterparts in Thunder Bay (the Lakehead Thunderwolves), the Lakers attract an impressive number of local hockey supporters for their games in the OUA.

North Bay Trappers Junior "A"

The North Bay Trappers (formerly the North Bay Skyhawks) were relocated from Sturgeon Falls in 2002 (following the departure of the OHL's North Bay Centennials to

Saginaw, Michigan Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...

). The Trappers are members of the 8 team NOJHL Junior "A" circuit ( Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League). The Skyhawks/Trappers franchise has won 3 NOJHL championship titles (2002–03, 2003–04 & 2004–05). In April 2014 the Trappers were sold to become the Mattawa Blackhawks

North Bay Bulldogs

The North Bay Bulldogs compete in the nine-team, Ontario-based NFC ( Northern Football Conference). The Bulldogs were relocated from Brampton in 1991 to the Gateway City. The North Bay Bulldogs were welcomed into the Ontario Varsity Football League while losing all eight games (0–8) in their 2013 inaugural season.

Recreation

North Bay has many areas available for recreation and leisure, including over 72 sports fields and parks, a marina on Lake Nipissing that holds 270 boats, a plethora of trails and 42 beach access points on both Lake Nipissing and Trout Lake.

Recreation and leisure services

*Kate Pace Way *Kinsmen Trail *Nordic Ski Club *Laurentian Ski Hill *North Bay Memorial Gardens Sports Arena *Pete Palangio Arena *West Ferris Community Centre

Transportation

North Bay is located at the easternmost junction of Highway 11 and

, which are both segments of the

Trans-Canada Highway The Trans-Canada Highway ( French: ; abbreviated as the TCH or T-Can) is a transcontinental federal–provincial highway system that travels through all ten provinces of Canada, from the Pacific Ocean on the west coast to the Atlantic Ocean o ...

. The two highways share a single route through the city core, between Algonquin Avenue and an interchange at Twin Lakes, along an urban

limited-access road A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway, expressway, limited access freeway, and partial controlled access highway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which ...

with reduced but not fully controlled access. Major arterial streets intersect directly with the highway, while minor streets end at a network of service roads connecting them to the arterials. At Algonquin Avenue, Highway 17 continues westward to

and

Sudbury Sudbury may refer to: Places Australia * Sudbury Reef, Queensland Canada * Greater Sudbury, Ontario (official name; the city continues to be known simply as Sudbury for most purposes) ** Sudbury (electoral district), one of the city's federal e ...

, while Highway 11 heads north toward Temiskaming Shores. At the eastern interchange, Highway 17 heads eastward toward Mattawa, Pembroke and

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, while Highway 11 widens into a

freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...

and heads southerly toward

Barrie Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, about north of Toronto. The city is within Simcoe County and located along the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, the western arm of Lake Simcoe. Although physically in Simcoe County, Barrie is politically i ...

and

. Highway 11 and Highway 17 both formerly had

business spur A business route (or business loop, business spur, or city route) in the United States is a short special route connected to a ''parent'' numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or ...

routes through downtown North Bay, Highway 11B and Highway 17B, although both have been decommissioned by the province and are now designated only as city streets. North Bay is also served by Highway 63, a route which extends northeasterly from the city toward Thorne, where it crosses the

and becomes

Quebec Route 101 Route 101 is a north-south highway in northwestern Quebec. The highway begins at Route 111 in Macamic and ends at Témiscaming, a town bordering with Thorne, Ontario on the Ottawa River. It continues south as Highway 63 to North Bay, Ontario. ...

. Due to the steep incline of Algonquin Avenue/Highway 11 as it enters North Bay from the north on Thibeault Hill, the southbound lanes are equipped with the only

runaway truck ramp A runaway truck ramp, runaway truck lane, escape lane, emergency escape ramp, or truck arrester bed is a traffic device that enables vehicles which are having braking problems to safely stop. It is typically a long, sand- or gravel-filled lane co ...

on Ontario's provincial highway system. North Bay is served by the North Bay/Jack Garland Airport, which also receives and services military flights on behalf of the adjacent

CFB North Bay Canadian Forces Base North Bay, also CFB North Bay, is an Canadian Forces base, air force base located at the City of North Bay, Ontario, North Bay, Ontario about north of Toronto. The base is subordinate to 1 Canadian Air Division, Winnipeg, ...

, is home to Canadore College Aviation Campus, and site of numerous aviation companies, including Voyageur Airways and the Bombardier Aerospace CL-415 water bomber final assembly and flight testing facility. Intercity bus service in the city operates from the

North Bay railway station North Bay station is an inter-city bus station located in the city of North Bay, Ontario, Canada. The station is located east of downtown near the Trans-Canada Highway ( Ontario Highways 11 & 17) and directly southeast of the Northgate Shoppi ...

on Station Road. The city operates a

public transit Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...

system,

North Bay Transit North Bay Transit provides bus services within the city limits of North Bay, Ontario, Canada. Para-Bus vehicles are also available to serve physically challenged individuals. It operates as a city department, out of the transit terminal on Oak Str ...

Police Service

The North Bay Police Service was founded in 1882, and is overseen by the

North Bay City Council North Bay City Council is the governing body of the city of North Bay, Ontario, Canada. Unlike many Canadian city councils, North Bay does not elect its council on a ward system. Instead, all councillors are elected at-large, and the ten candidate ...

's Police Services Board. In 2018, it had a budge of C$18.6 Million.

Demographics

In the

2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...

conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultur ...

, North Bay had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. North Bay

census agglomeration The census geographic units of Canada are the census subdivisions defined and used by Canada's federal government statistics bureau Statistics Canada to conduct the country's quinquennial census. These areas exist solely for the purposes of st ...

population was 70,378 as of 2016. It had a land area of . ;Mother tongue demographics *Total 105 (100.0%) *English 103 (81.0%) *French 2 (13.0%) *Non-official language 0 (4.2%) *English and French 23 (1.4%) *English and non-official language 140 (0.3%) *French and non-official language 10 (0.0%) *English, French and non-official language 20 (0.0%)

Notable people

Sam Jacks Sam, SAM or variants may refer to: Places * Sam, Benin * Sam, Boulkiemdé, Burkina Faso * Sam, Bourzanga, Burkina Faso * Sam, Kongoussi, Burkina Faso * Sam, Iran * Sam, Teton County, Idaho, United States, a populated place People and fictio ...

, inventor of Ringette and Floor hockey *

, author * Mike Bolan, former Liberal MP, Superior Court judge *

Kirsten Bos Kirsten Bos is a Canadian physical anthropologist. She is Group Leader of Molecular Palaeopathology at Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. Her research focuses on ancient DNA and infectious diseases. Education Bos obtained ...

, researcher of ancient DNA * Gerald Bull, aerospace engineer, expert in ballistics, assassinated *

Amanda Burk Amanda Burk is an artist from Ontario who specializes in drawing. Burk is currently an Associate Professor at Nipissing University in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts. Early life and education Burk grew up in Kitchener-Waterloo, O ...

, artist * Chuck Cadman, politician and member of Parliament *

Jessica Cameron Jessica Cameron is a Canadian horror film actress, director, screenwriter, and producer. Early life Cameron was born in Owen Sound, Ontario where she graduated high school before moving to Toronto to study fashion at Ryerson University. Career C ...

, actress * Harvey Charters, silver medalist at

1936 Olympics 1936 Olympics may refer to: *The 1936 Winter Olympics, which were held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany *The 1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI ...

in canoeing * Mike Conroy, WHA hockey player *

Billy Coutu Wilfrid Arthur "Billy" Coutu (March 1, 1892 – February 25, 1977), nicknamed "Wild Beaver", was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, the Hamilton Tigers, ...

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

hockey player * Ab DeMarco Sr, former NHL hockey player *

Nick Denis Nick Denis (born October 11, 1983) is a retired Canadian professional mixed martial artist. A World Victory Road, Aggression Fighting Championship, King of the Cage and UFC veteran, Denis is best known for being a former KOTC Canada Bantamweight ...

, former

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...

fighter and

biochemist Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. They study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. Biochemists study DNA, proteins and Cell (biology), cell parts. The word "biochemist" is a portmanteau of ...

Kevin Frankish Kevin Earl Frankish is a Canadian television presenter and media personality. He co-hosted '' Breakfast Television Toronto'' on Citytv Toronto from 1991 to 2018 and now teaches journalism at Seneca College. Biography Frankish was born to Allan a ...

-area media personality. He co-hosts

Breakfast Television Breakfast television (Europe, Canada, and Australia) or morning show (United States) is a type of news or infotainment television programme that broadcasts live in the morning (typically scheduled between 5:00 and 10:00a.m., or if it is a ...

City A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

. *

Bobby Gimby Bobby Gimby, OC (October 25, 1918 – June 20, 1998) was a Canadian orchestra leader, trumpeter, and singer-songwriter. Biography He was born Robert Stead Gimby (pronounced Jim-bee) in Cabri, Saskatchewan, a small town of about 300 people. ...

, orchestra leader, singer/songwriter who wrote the Canadian Centennial song * Mike Harris, former

Premier of Ontario The premier of Ontario (french: premier ministre de l'Ontario) is the head of government of Ontario. Under the Westminster system, the premier governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority the elected Legislative Assembly of On ...

Alison Herst Alison Herst (born March 7, 1971) is a Canadian sprint kayaker who competed in the early to mid-1990s. She won two medals in the K-4 200 m event at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships with a gold in 1995 and a bronze in 1994. Herst was ...

, Olympian (Kayak: 1992 Barcelona; 1996 Atlanta) * High Holy Days,

rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...

group *

Bill Houlder William K. Houlder (born March 11, 1967) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. In his NHL career, Houlder appeared in 846 games. He tallied 59 goals and added 191 assists. Playing career He was drafted by the Washington Capit ...

, former NHL player *

Troy Hurtubise Troy James Hurtubise (November 23, 1963 – June 17, 2018) was a Canadian inventor and conservationist, noted for self-testing his often bizarre creations. These inventions included various ray generators, firepaste (an ablative heatproofing m ...

, inventor *

Byron M. Jones Byron M. Jones is a Christian film producer and managing partner of Pure Flix Entertainment. Cloud Ten Jones started his career as Cloud Ten's VP of Entertainment, bringing movies such as ''Left Behind'' to the forefront of the industry. ''Left ...

, Christian movie producer and managing partner of Pure Flix Entertainment *

Gordon Kannegiesser Gordon Cameron Kannegiesser, Jr. (December 21, 1945 – March 1, 2022) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. Kannegiesser played 23 games in the National Hockey League for the St. Louis Blues and 127 games in the World Hockey Associa ...

, former NHL player *

Sheldon Kannegiesser Sheldon Bruce Kannegiesser (born August 15, 1947) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 366 games in the National Hockey League. He played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, and Vancouver C ...

, former NHL player *

Larry Keenan Christopher Lawrence Keenan (born October 1, 1940) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left wing. He played in the National Hockey League with the Toronto Maple Leafs, St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres, and Philadelphia Flyers between 196 ...

, former NHL player * Sean Kelly, glam-rock guitarist and vocalist *

Pierre LeBrun Pierre LeBrun is a Canadian sportscaster and writer working for TSN, where he is a TSN Hockey Insider, and regularly appears on hockey-related broadcasts. He is also a senior NHL columnist for the American-based Internet outlet ''The Athletic'', an ...

, hockey journalist * Cory Marks, country rock singer *

Steve McLaren Steve McLaren (born February 3, 1975) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger who played primarily as an enforcer and was a member of the St. Louis Blues in the National Hockey League. He last played for the Springfield Falcons of t ...

, former NHL/AHL player *

Lise Meloche Lise Meloche was born in Ottawa in 1960 and began her athletic career in alpine skiing and sprint kayaking. She won the junior national championships K2 in 1979. Soon after she became more active in cross-country skiing and competed for Canada ...

, Olympian (Biathlon: 1992 Albertville; 1994 Lillehammer) *

Gerry Mendicino Gennaro "Gerry" Mendicino (born May 18, 1950) is a Canadian actor. Mendicino was born in North Bay, Ontario, and graduated from the University of Windsor Drama School in 1973. Throughout his career he has been able to play a wide range of versa ...

, actor *

Keke Mortson Cleland Lindsay "Keke" Mortson (March 29, 1934 – December 8, 1995) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 73 games in the World Hockey Association for the Houston Aeros (WHA), Houston Aeros. Mortson's hockey career spanned 27 ...

, WHA hockey player, North Bay Sports Hall of Fame inductee *

Claude Noël Claude Noël (born October 31, 1955) is a Canadian professional scout with the New Jersey Devils, former National Hockey League, NHL player and head coach. Noël has close to 30 years experience coaching with his most recent coaching position be ...

, former NHL

head coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...

for the

Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, pl ...

* Bryan Lee O'Malley, cartoonist, creator and author of the Scott Pilgrim series of graphic novels * Mike O'Shea,

CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

head coach for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and former CFL

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...

Barbara Olmsted Barbara Olmsted (born August 17, 1959) is a Canadian sprint kayaker who competed in the 1980s. Competing in two Summer Olympics (1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul), she won a bronze medal in the K-4 500 m event at Los Angeles in 1984. Olmsted w ...

, Olympian (Canoeing: 1984 Los Angeles (Bronze); 1988 Seoul) *

Nancy Olmsted Nancy Olmsted (born February 25, 1966, in North Bay, Ontario) is a Canadian kayaker, she is the youngest of four children of Charlie and the late Joan Olmsted. Nancy competed in the Sport of Canoeing during the 1980s and during that time, represent ...

, Olympian (Canoeing: 1984 Los Angeles; 1988 Seoul) * Steve Omischl, world champion, freestyle skiing aerials * Kate Pace, world downhill alpine ski champion *

Pete Palangio Peter Albert Palangio (September 10, 1908 – December 24, 2004) was a Canadian ice hockey player who played 70 games in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Cougars and Chicago Black Hawks between 1926 and 1938. Born i ...

, former NHL player *

Tony Poeta Anthony Joseph Poeta (March 4, 1933 – May 2, 2004) was a professional ice hockey player from 1950 to 1960. Poeta played for teams in the National Hockey League, Ontario Hockey Association, American Hockey League, International Hockey League, ...

, former NHL player *

Denis Rancourt Denis Rancourt is a former professor of physics at the University of Ottawa. Rancourt is widely known for his confrontations with his former employer, the University of Ottawa, over issues involving his grade inflation and "academic squatting," ...

, scientist, educational reform activist, former physics professor at the University of Ottawa *

Julia Rivard Julia (Rivard) Dexter (born September 17, 1976) is a Canadian sprint canoer who competed in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Rivard and her teammates finished ninth in the K-4 500 m event at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. She has since become ...

, Olympic athlete (canoe/kayak), business leader *

Craig Rivet Anthony Craig Rivet (; born September 13, 1974) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played 16 seasons in the NHL, including 12 with the Montreal Canadiens. He later played for the San Jose Sharks, Buffalo Sabres, and Colum ...

, former NHL player *

Anthony Rota Anthony Michael Gerard Rota (born May 15, 1961) is a Canadian politician who is the 37th and current speaker of the House of Commons of Canada since 2019. A member of the Liberal Party, he currently serves as the member of Parliament (MP) for ...

, MP and

Speaker of the House of Commons Speaker of the House of Commons is a political leadership position found in countries that have a House of Commons, where the membership of the body elects a speaker to lead its proceedings. Systems that have such a position include: * Speaker of ...

* Steve Shields, former NHL goalie * Colin Simpson, author *

Katherine E. Stange Katherine E. Stange is a Canadian-American mathematician and an associate professor of mathematics at the University of Colorado Boulder. She is a number theorist specializing in topics in arithmetic geometry. Education and career Stange earned h ...

, mathematician *

Lance Storm Lance Timothy Evers (; born April 3, 1969), known professionally by his ring name Lance Storm, is a Canadian retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Extreme Championship Wrestling (EC ...

, professional wrestler * Scott Thompson, comedic actor * Kenneth Thomson, 2nd Baron Thomson of Fleet *

Darren Turcotte Darren Turcotte (born March 2, 1968) is an American former professional Ice hockey player. Early life Turcotte's family moved to North Bay, Ontario where he spent most of his childhood. After his family returned to northern Ontario, he began pla ...

, former NHL player * Jim Watson, actor *

Mike Yeo Michael Yeo (born July 31, 1973) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach, currently serving as an assistant coach for the Vancouver Canucks. He is the former head coach of the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues of the Nation ...

, former St. Louis Blues Head Coach

Sister cities

* Moncton, New Brunswick

Notes

References

External links

*
Police service
{{Authority control Cities in Ontario Single-tier municipalities in Ontario Lake Nipissing

History

Geography

Climate

Economy

Film and television

Education

Post-secondary schools

School boards

Neighbourhoods

Waterfront development

Media

Sports

Local teams

Kraft Hockeyville 2007

North Bay Battalion

Nipissing Lakers Hockey

North Bay Trappers Junior "A"

North Bay Bulldogs

Recreation

Recreation and leisure services

Transportation

Police Service

Demographics

Notable people

Sister cities

See also

Notes

References

External links