Unorganized North Algoma District is an

unorganized area An unorganized area or unorganized territory (french: Territoire non organisé) is any geographic region in Canada that does not form part of a municipality or Indian reserve. In these areas, the lowest level of government is provincial or territ ...

in northeastern

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

, Canada, comprising all areas in

Algoma District Algoma District is a district and census division in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. The name was created by an American ethnologist, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft (1793-1864), who was appointed Indian agent to the Ojibwe in ...

, north of the Sault Ste. Marie to Elliot Lake corridor, which are not part of an incorporated municipality or a

First Nation Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

. It covers of land, and had a population of 6050 in 2021. Many of these communities were/are stations on the

Algoma Central Railway The Algoma Central Railway is a railway in Northern Ontario that operates between Sault Ste. Marie and Hearst. It used to have a branch line to Wawa, Ontario. The area served by the railway is sparsely populated, with few roads. The ra ...

or were logging/mining towns.

Local services boards

* Aweres (includes Heyden and Island Lake) *

Batchawana Bay Batchawana Bay is a small bay in Algoma District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is on the eastern shore of Lake Superior, approximately north of Sault Ste. Marie. The name "Batchawana" is derived from the Ojibwe word ''obatchiwanang'' (o ...

* Goulais and District (includes Bellevue, Bourdage Corner, Goulais Bay, Goulais River, Karalash Corners, Kirby's Corner and Sand Bay) *

Hawk Junction Hawk Junction is a community with a local services board in the Canadian province of Ontario,

* Missanabie * Peace Tree * Searchmont (includes Glendale, Northland and Wabos) * Wharncliffe and Kynoch (includes Kynoch and Wharncliffe)

Communities

Agawa Bay

Agawa Bay () is located along Highway 17 at the southern boundary of

Lake Superior Provincial Park Lake Superior Provincial Park is one of the largest provincial parks in Ontario, covering about along the northeastern shores of Lake Superior between Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Sault Ste. Marie and Wawa, Ontario, Wawa in Algoma District in No ...

. Agawa Bay is a popular tourist destination mainly due to its picturesque landscapes, beautiful fall colours, and because of its close proximity to the Agawa Canyon Tour Train, which runs from Downtown Sault Ste. Marie and makes its longest stop at the

Agawa Canyon The Agawa Canyon is a shallow canyon located deep in the sparsely populated Algoma District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It was created 1.2 billion years ago by faulting along the Canadian Shield and then enlarged by the erosive action of th ...

Amyot

Amyot () is located on the

Canadian Pacific 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 ...

rail line, on the shores of Negwazu Lake, around 10 km east of Highway 17.

Anjigami

Anjigami is located on the

Canadian National The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN ...

rail line, nearby Anjigami Lake. The closest highway is ON-101, the highway is about 6.21 km at its closest to Anjigami. There is also a camp called Camp Anjigami that is located on the shores of Anjigami Lake.

Boon

Dalton

Dalton is an abandoned village in the middle of Highway 651 about 27 km or 30 minutes from Missanabie. There is a small

train station A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing s ...

and some old buildings that serve as summer cottages. The

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

passes through the little town that has some trails to get to the nearby lakes such as Ogasiwi lake.

Dunns Valley

Dunns Valley is located 30 km north of Bruce Mines at the end of Highway 670.

Fire River

Fire River is an uninhabited railway siding located west of the Missinaibi River, between the Dishnish and Argolis stations. It can only be accessed by train as there are no roads leading to it. It is located about halfway between Hearst and Chapleau.

Franz

Franz () is located at the junction of the

and

s near Hobon Lake, north of Sault Ste. Marie and from Chapleau. Franz once had a booming economy in

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. ...

transportation Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, ...

and

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 ...

. The community's original name was Hobon. In 1914, the post office's name was changed to Franz, and the railway station was renamed from Hobon to Franz Station after former

Algoma Steel Algoma Steel Inc. (formerly Algoma Steel; Essar Steel Algoma) is an integrated primary steel producer located on the St. Marys River in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. Its products are sold in Canada and the United States as well as overseas ...

executive William Charles Franz. The station closed in 1991 and the building was moved to Dubreuilville, where it serves as a library and tourist office. Today, Franz is little more than a forgotten ghost town, with many memories of the past either in complete disrepair or torn down.

Frater

Frater is an uninhabited dispersed rural community and unincorporated place with a

railway siding A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line, branch line, or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end. Sidings often have lighte ...

on the

located north of Sault Ste. Marie. It is located on Frater Lake at the boundary with

, from the

Ontario Highway 17 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 boundary, west of Kenora, and the ma ...

(Trans-Canada Highway) and from the shore of

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

, and at geographic coordinates .

Girdwood

Goudreau

Goudreau () was built as a stopping point along the

. When the Cline mine opened, Goudreau sprang to life with some 200 residents coming to the area to work. Not all of the residents worked in the mine; some of them were prospectors in search of the gold, silver, copper and iron pyrite. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the mine was leased to the Nichols Chemicals company for the production of sulphuric acid. After the war ended, the market fell and the mine ceased operations. Other mines soon set up operations in the area. They went by the names of The Emily, Algold, Algoma Summit and The Edward. Each mine had a town site for their employees. The town continued to grow, with the building of a two-storey railway station, workers homes and a movie theatre. A post office was built in 1915 and closed in 1966. 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 opposi ...

ultimately led to Goudreau's demise as the demand for gold came second to iron and steel for the war. The mines eventually closed down as costs increased. Located along Highway 519, Goudreau is now a virtual

ghost town Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to: * Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned Film and television * ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser * ''Ghost Town'' (1956 film), an American Western film by All ...

, still used for logging operations and summer homes.

Goulais Mission

Hale

Harmony Bay

Harmony Bay is a small community built around a beach on Lake Superior.

Havilland Bay

Havilland Bay is a small unincorporated community built around a beach on

Horsey

Island Lake

Island Lake (46.6711° N 84.2687°W) is a rural settlement in the Unorganized North Part of

northeastern The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...

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 part of the Aweres local services board and is about 5 kilometres (3 mi) northeast of the community of Heyden, which sits on

, and is also 21.1 kilometers (13.1 mi) northeast of Sault Ste. Marie, the district seat. The settlement is at the junction of Ontario Highway 552 and Ontario Highway 556, and the

passes through the community. Island Lake was once home to Canadian Military installments—some buildings still remain in the area, however much have been either torn down or completely renovated. Island lake was also once the location of a train station—part of the Algoma Central and Hudson Bay Railway's Main Line. To see the full—main article, click below.

Kennedy

Leeburn

Leeburn () is located along Highway 638. At one time there was a gold mine at Bass Lake, a few kilometres north of Leeburn. The quality of the ore found was not sufficient to make the mine profitable.

Lochalsh

Lochalsh () is a

and

rail siding A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line, branch line, or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end. Sidings often have lighte ...

located at the very south end of Wabatongushi Lake, along the Canadian Pacific Railway between Missanabie and Franz. A

taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choic ...

ran between Lochalsh, Goudreau, and the Cline Mine. When the mine closed in 1946, both towns became ghost towns. There are still active mining operations in the area as well as a few ghost mines. The area around Lochalsh has a population of one.

MacDuff

Montreal River

Montreal River or Montreal River Harbour () is a very small community located at the mouth of the Montreal River just south of

. Immediately north of the community, the

Montreal River Hill Montreal River Hill is a hill in Unorganized North Algoma District, Ontario, Canada, located north of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario near the Montreal River.Ontario Highway 17 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 boundary, west of Kenora, and the ma ...

, simultaneously recognized for both its scenic vistas of the surrounding wilderness and its potential to create a

bottleneck Bottleneck literally refers to the narrowed portion (neck) of a bottle near its opening, which limit the rate of outflow, and may describe any object of a similar shape. The literal neck of a bottle was originally used to play what is now known as ...

in 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 on ...

system because winter storms can render it impassable."The Montreal River hill: Nine years for nothing?"
''

Northern Ontario Business Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ...

'', May 16, 2006.

Northland Lake

The community of Northland Lake () is located near Highway 556 and found by following the Northland Lake Road that intersects it . The community is mostly a collection of summer cottages. The

also operated a train station in the community by the name of Northland Station. The building still stands to this day but has been converted to a private cottage.

Norris

Oba

Oba () is located at the junction of the

and the

s, approximately halfway between Dubreuilville and Hearst, and is a stop for Via Rail's ''

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 ...

''. Oba is 100.92 km² (38.97 mi²) and its population in 2021 was 5, a 66.7% decrease from 2016; 2 out of the 21 dwellings are occupied. The community is accessible by forest roads extending from Highway 583, by train, or by boat; the community is popular with fishers and hunters due to the abundance of forestry and streams or lakes in the area and is the location of a remote Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources, and Forestry office.

Ophir

Ophir () is a sparsely populated farming community located 25 km north of Bruce Mines. It is centered at the intersection of the east–west and north–south portions of Highway 638. Non-native settlers began farming in the area around the time the mines of Bruce Mines closed in 1875. In November, 1889, William Moor, a farmer prospecting after the fall harvest, found ore containing gold atop a ridge overlooking what was then Lake Ickta (now Havilah Lake). After some ownership dispute, American investors organized the Ophir Gold Mining Company (named after the biblical

Ophir Ophir (; ) is a port or region mentioned in the Bible, famous for its wealth. King Solomon received a shipment from Ophir every three years (1 Kings 10:22) which consisted of gold, silver, sandalwood, pearls, ivory, apes, and peacocks. ...

) to purchase the land in 1892. A small mining town was built, and gold mining operations commenced in 1893, producing 2489 tons of ore worth $8459. Operations ceased due to a

financial panic A financial crisis is any of a broad variety of situations in which some financial assets suddenly lose a large part of their nominal value. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many financial crises were associated with banking panics, and man ...

in the United States and a fatal mining accident. The name of the mine and lake were changed to

Havilah Havilah ( ''Ḥăwīlāh'') refers to both a land and people in several books of the Bible; the one mentioned in , while the other is mentioned in . Biblical mentions In one case, Havilah is associated with the Garden of Eden, that mentioned in ...

, another biblical reference, as mining resumed from 1910 to 1911, but the operation and its buildings were subsequently abandoned.Forty-fifth Annual Report of the Ontario Department of Mines
/ref> Ophir and area are still home to abandoned mine shafts and buildings, however much are on private property and have not been maintained in decades—the area has also been referred to as 'Mcphee's Valley', an ode to a former family who settled in the community. Ophir has a

volunteer fire department A volunteer fire department (VFD) is a fire department of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction. Volunteer and retained (on-call) firefighters are expected to be on call to respond ...

and area roads are patrolled by the OPP; major government services are delivered either 25 km south, via Highway 638, in Bruce Mines, or 59 km to the east via

638 __NOTOC__ Year 638 (Roman numerals, DCXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 638 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno ...

& Highway 17, in Sault Ste. Marie. Ophir was the birthplace of the lat
Dr. James McPhee
a veteran of

World War II 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 opposing ...

who was shot down from the sky in Germany, he was imprisoned in a German war camp near Auschwitz, and later escaped—he would ultimately help found the

Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital (formerly York Central Hospital) is a hospital in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada and one of four in York Regional Municipality. Mackenzie Health in Richmond Hill is part of the Local Health Integration Network (LH ...

, where he was chief of staff. McPhee would later serve as president of the Ontario College of Family Physicians in 1970–71, he closed his family practice in 1992 but worked as a surgical assistant until he was 84. McPhee passed away in 2019, at the age of 94, in

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 ...

, at the Royal Victoria Hospital.

Parkinson

Poplar Dale

North of Ophir, this region was settled in the late 19th century for primarily agricultural reasons. The community comprises all peoples living along the Thessalon River and its tributaries. The community's major exports are beef and timber; Poplar Dale is home to the annual Northern Vibe Festival, a

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternative ...

related festival consisting of music, art, and cannabis related festivities.

Ranger Lake

The community of Ranger Lake () is located along Highway 556 at the south end of the lake with the same name. It is mostly a collection of summer cottages and resorts. There is an old fire tower.

Ryerson

Swanson

Wabos

Wabos () is a railway siding along the

located approximately north-west of Searchmont.

Demographics

:::N/A = Data not available

References

External links

Algoma Kinniwabi Travel Association
{{Algoma District Geography of Algoma District Algoma North Populated places on Lake Superior in Canada