Manitouwadge is a
township
A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...
in the
Canadian province
Canada has ten provinces and three territories that are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Constitution of Canada, Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North Amer ...
of
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
. It is located in the
Thunder Bay District
Thunder Bay District is a district#Ontario, district and Census divisions of Canada, census division in Northwestern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. The County seat, district seat is Thunder Bay.
Most of the district (93.5%) is uni ...
, at the north end of
Highway 614, east of
Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario. Its population i ...
and north-west of
Sault Ste. Marie.
History
Manitouwadge (''Manidoowaazh'' in
Ojibwe
The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...
, meaning "Cave of the Great Spirit") is part of the wide-ranging territory of the
Ojibwe
The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...
people. The town itself was founded by General Engineering Co Limited (later
Noranda; now part of
Xstrata
Xstrata plc was an Anglo-Swiss Multinational corporation, multinational mining company headquartered in Zug, Switzerland and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It was a major producer of coal (and the world's largest exporter o ...
) after staking claims in 1953 in support of a
copper
Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...
mine.
The other mine in Manitouwadge is the Willroy mine, named after two of the "Weekend Prospectors" William Dawidowich and Roy Barker. Full production at Geco and Willroy began in 1957.
From 1954 to 1974 Manitouwadge was classified as an Improvement District. The community became an incorporated township in 1975.
In the early 1980s,
gold
Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
was discovered at
Hemlo,
near the intersection of
highways 614 and
17, about south of the town. Noranda acquired the mining rights to a significant portion of the ground in that area, and built the
Golden Giant Mine. It offered housing in Manitouwadge to many of the employees of the new mine, and the town boomed.
When the Geco mine closed in 1995, Manitouwadge's population decreased significantly. After peaking at nearly 4000 people in the early 1990s, it decreased to less than 3000 by 2001. With the closing of the Golden Giant Mine in 2006, the population dropped to 2,100 by 2011.
Today
While mining has always been at the forefront of the
economic activity
Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analyse ...
of Manitouwadge, forestry also plays a significant part in the Town's economy. The town is currently seeking new industry and residents and offers some of the lowest housing and commercial property prices in Ontario. The Township boasts year-round outdoor recreation including a 10-run ski hill; snowmobile trails; excellent summer and winter fishing; kilometers of ATV trails, canoe and kayak routes.
Demographics
In the
2021 Census of Population conducted by
Statistics Canada
Statistics Canada (StatCan; ), 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 culture. It is headquartered in ...
, Manitouwadge had a population of , a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021.
Recreation
Hiking and skiing
Trails for hiking in the summer and trails for snowmobilers in the winter are also abundant. Thirteen runs for downhill skiing are present at the Kiwissa Ski Club, as well as two locations with cross country ski trails managed by the Northern Trails Ski Club. From the top of the Kiwissa Ski Hill, the whole town is visible.
Climate
Manitouwadge has a
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
(
Dfb) bordering on a
subarctic climate
The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of ...
(Dfc), typical in
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a primary geographic and quasi-administrative region of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario, the other primary region being Southern Ontario. Most of the core geographic region is located on p ...
. Summers are generally warm and rainy with cool nights. Winters are typically very cold and very snowy. Winter usually begins mid November and lasts into April.
See also
*
List of townships in Ontario
This is a list of township (Canada), townships in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. Townships are listed by List of census divisions of Ontario, census division.
Northern Ontario Northeastern Ontario Algoma D ...
*
List of francophone communities in Ontario
This is a list of francophone communities in Ontario. Municipalities with a high percentage of French-speakers in the Canadian province of Ontario are listed.
The provincial average of Ontarians whose mother tongue is French is 3.3%, with a to ...
References
External links
*
{{Thunder Bay District
Company towns in Canada
Mining communities in Ontario
Municipalities in Thunder Bay District
Single-tier municipalities in Ontario
Township municipalities in Ontario