Nipissing is an incorporated (political) township in

Parry Sound District Parry Sound District is a census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its boundaries are District of Muskoka to the south, the Sudbury District to the north-northwest, the French River and Lake Nipissing in the north, Nipissing Distri ...

Central Ontario Central Ontario is a secondary region of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario that lies between Georgian Bay and the eastern end of Lake Ontario. The population of the region was 1,123,307 in 2016; however, this number does not in ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. It is on

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 ...

and is part of the

Almaguin Highlands The Almaguin Highlands Region (colloquially known as Almaguin, also referred to as 'the Highlands') in Ontario, Canada, covers approximately comprising the eastern half of Parry Sound District. It is bounded by Muskoka in the south, and by Lake ...

region. Nipissing was surveyed between 1874 and 1881, and was incorporated in 1888. Among the first settlers in the area were the Chapman and Beatty families. Nipissing Township annexed Gurd Township in 1970. The township also contains a community named Nipissing, which is located on the South River near Chapman's Landing, on the South Bay of Lake Nipissing. The township administrative offices are located in Nipissing. The township includes the communities of Alsace, Christian Valley, Commanda, Hotham, Nipissing and Wade's Landing.

History

The founder of Nipissing, John Beattie (John Beatty) arrived by canoe from

Eganville Eganville is a community occupying a deep limestone valley carved at the Fifth Chute of the Bonnechere River in Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada. Eganville lies within the township of Bonnechere Valley. Eganville is also known as the Ordovician ...

in 1862. He was looking for land suitable for settlement. To lay claim to the property, he made brush piles, and was granted free land by the

Government of Ontario The government of Ontario (french: Gouvernement de l'Ontario) is the body responsible for the administration of the Canadian province of Ontario. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown—represented in the province by the lieutenant governor� ...

. Around 1869 James Chapman and his wife, Phoebe Edwards, built their first house and barn at the top of the chutes that later took their name. The family farmed the area and James carried the mail by canoe, dog team and later horse on a route stretching between the villages of

Magnetawan Magnetawan is a township in the Almaguin Highlands region of the Parry Sound District in the Canadian province of Ontario, as well as the name of the primary population centre in the township. The Township of Magnetawan was formed in 1998 thro ...

and Mattawa. The Chapman Valley and Chapman Township near Magnetawan are named after the family. James and Phoebe are among the pioneers buried in the Nipissing village cemetery. The Chapman family donated the land to the municipal government, and the landing became a municipal boat launch, public dock and swimming hole for village children. Originally supplies were brought into Nipissing from Pembroke by canoe over the Champlain Trail, as well as the South River. Nipissing village became the main route for shipping supplies. Around 1875 a colonization road was completed which connected tiny Nipissing village to Rosseau near

Parry Sound Parry Sound is a sound or bay of Georgian Bay on Lake Huron, in Ontario, Canada. It is highly irregularly shaped with many deep bays and islands. Killbear Provincial Park is located on the large peninsula that separates the sound from Georgian B ...

in the south and this created road travel and another route for shipment of supplies. An Ontario Historical Plaque was erected at the Nipissing Township Museum by the province to commemorate the Rosseau-Nipissing Road's role in Ontario's heritage. However, in 1886 the

Northern and Pacific Junction Railway The Northern and Pacific Junction Railway (N&PJ) is a historic railway located in northern Ontario, Canada. It connected the Northern Railway of Canada's endpoint in Gravenhurst to the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) at Nipissing Junction, near No ...

connected Gravenhurst to

Callander Callander (; gd, Calasraid) is a small town in the council area of Stirling, Scotland, situated on the River Teith. The town is located in the historic county of Perthshire and is a popular tourist stop to and from the Highlands. The town ser ...

cutting out Nipissing village from its main route and the life of the village as a key port began to fade.

Etymology

Named in 1879 after the lake, on whose south shore it is located. The community of Nipissing in the township, 25 km south of North Bay, was called ''Nipissingan'' in 1870, but its name was changed to Nipissing in 1881.

Transportation

The township is served in its northern part by Ontario Highway 534 and

Ontario Highway 654 Secondary Highway 654, commonly referred to as Highway 654, is a secondary highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The highway is in length, connecting Highway 534 south of Nipissing with Highway 11 in Callander. The route was ...

, which connect east to

Ontario Highway 11 King's Highway 11, commonly referred to as Highway 11, is a Ontario Provincial Highway Network, provincially maintained highway in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. At , it is the second longest highway in the ...

at the communities of Powassan and

respectively; Ontario Highway 534 also connects west to Restoule Provincial Park, and via Ontario Highway 524 to Ontario Highway 522. The township is served across its southern part by Ontario Highway 522, which connects east to Highway 11 at Trout Creek, Ontario, Trout Creek and west to Ontario Highway 69 at the community of Cranberry, Ontario, Cranberry.

Demographics

In the 2021 Canadian census, 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Nipissing 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.

References

Other map sources: * * *

External links