Vermilion Bay is an unincorporated community on Vermilion Bay on
Eagle Lake in the township of
Machin,
Kenora District in
northwestern 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 ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. It is located on
Ontario Highway 17
King's Highway 17, more commonly known as Highway 17, is a Provincial highways in Ontario, provincially maintained highway and the primary route of the Trans-Canada Highway through the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Onta ...
(
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway (Canadian French, 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 A ...
) between the cities of
Kenora
Kenora (), previously named Rat Portage (), is a city situated on the Lake of the Woods in Ontario, Canada, close to the Manitoba boundary, and about east of Winnipeg by road. It is the seat of Kenora District.
The history of the name exten ...
to the west and
Dryden to the east.
History
Archives of the
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...
, which had a post on Eagle Lake, refer to Vermilion Station on the
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway () , 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 Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...
. In 1881, Vermilion Bay was a construction camp where railway workers were based. In 1902, Vermilion Bay station was used to send material to the ongoing construction of the
Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (later to become part of
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company () is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States.
CN is Canada's largest railway, in terms of both revenue a ...
). In 1903, a one-room school was built, and the township was first surveyed in 1906. The early 1900s also saw gold and soapstone mining taking place on the southwest shore of Eagle Lake, with Vermilion Bay used as a supply centre. The 1930s saw activity with the construction of the Trans-Canada Highway, and the 1940s were busy with activity in the forest industry — again with Vermilion Bay station on the CPR playing a role.
Tourist camps were becoming more prevalent as the 1940s progressed,
with many still in operation. Outfitting the guests of these camps brought economic activity to the area, such as the
Naden Boat factory, in operation from 1974 to 2011. The factory employed approximately 20 people.
Granite
Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...
quarrying began in the 1950s at a site just west of Vermilion Bay and continues to the present day.
Recreation
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...
is a popular activity for visitors to Vermilion Bay. Fishing locations in the area include Eagle Lake, the
Indian Lake Chain, Clay Lake, Canyon Lake, Cedar Lake and Perrault Lake.
Transportation
The community is the southern terminus for both
Ontario Highway 105, which heads north to the town of
Red Lake, and
Ontario Highway 647, which heads northwest to
Blue Lake Provincial Park
Blue Lake Provincial Park is a park in Kenora District, Ontario, Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific O ...
.
Vermilion Bay is served by
Vermilion Bay Airport and
Vermilion Bay Water Aerodrome.
The
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway () , 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 Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...
transcontinental main line passes through the community, and the CPR have a bulk forest products facility in the community.
There is no passenger service.
Media
The community has one licensed radio station,
CKQV-FM, which also focuses on the larger population centers of
Kenora
Kenora (), previously named Rat Portage (), is a city situated on the Lake of the Woods in Ontario, Canada, close to the Manitoba boundary, and about east of Winnipeg by road. It is the seat of Kenora District.
The history of the name exten ...
,
Dryden, and
Sioux Lookout.
See also
*
List of unincorporated communities in Ontario
References
*
{{authority control
Communities in Kenora District