Kenora District

Last updated

Kenora District
Map of Ontario KENORA.svg
Location of Kenora District in Ontario
Coordinates: 49°46′N94°29′W / 49.767°N 94.483°W / 49.767; -94.483
CountryFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Province Flag of Ontario.svg  Ontario
Region Northwestern Ontario
Created1907
Government
   MPs Eric Melillo (CPC), Charlie Angus (NDP)
   MPPs Greg Rickford (PC), Guy Bourgouin (NDP), Sol Mamakwa (NDP)
Area
[1]
  Land395,432.07 km2 (152,677.18 sq mi)
Highest elevation
505 m (1,657 ft)
Lowest elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (2021) [1]
  Total
66,000
  Density0.2/km2 (0.5/sq mi)
Time zones
West of 90° west UTC-6 (Central (CST))
  Summer (DST) UTC-5 (Central Daylight (CDT))
East of 90° west UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
  Summer (DST) UTC-4 (Eastern Daylight (EDT))
Pickle Lake/ Mishkeegogamang UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
Postal Code FSA
Area code 807
Largest communities [2] Kenora (15,177)
Dryden (8,195)
Sioux Lookout (5,183)

Kenora District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. The district seat is the City of Kenora.

Contents

It is geographically the largest division in Ontario: at 407,213.01 square kilometres (157,225.82 sq mi), it covers 38 percent of the province's area, making it larger than Newfoundland and Labrador, and slightly smaller than Sweden or roughly the land size of California. Kenora District also has the lowest population density of any of Ontario's census divisions (it ranks 37th out of 50 by total population).

The district was created in 1907 from parts of Rainy River District. The northern part (north of the Albany River) only became part of Ontario in 1912 (transferred from the Northwest Territories). [3] The separate Patricia District upon transfer, it was in 1937 annexed to Kenora District and known sometimes as the Patricia Portion. [4]

Politics

As with the other districts of Northern Ontario, the Kenora District does not have an organized government like those of counties or regional municipalities in Southern Ontario. All government services in the district are instead provided by the local municipalities, by local services boards in some unincorporated communities, or directly by the provincial government.

Geography

The climate is very harsh because of the influence of the cold waters of Hudson and James Bays: most of the region is taiga characterized by discontinuous permafrost, but on the extreme northern coast there are – remarkably for a latitude of only 54°N – patches of true Arctic tundra and continuous permafrost. This is the southernmost point in the Northern Hemisphere reached by the circumpolar line of continuous permafrost on any continent.

Kenora District is geographically extensive enough to share borders with both the contiguous United States (the boundary between it and the Northwest Angle is located in the Lake of the Woods) and the Canadian Arctic waters (Hudson Bay), the only district in Canada to do so.

The District contains the Sturgeon Lake Caldera, which is one of the world's best preserved Neoarchean caldera complexes and is some 2.7 billion years old. [5]

Subdivisions

Cities:

Red Lake, Ontario Red Lake ON 1.JPG
Red Lake, Ontario

Towns:

Townships:

Unorganized areas:

First Nations reserves

Patricia Portion

Provincial boundaries of Canada prior to 1912. The portion of Ontario's modern boundaries which is not represented as part of Ontario in this map constitutes the "Patricia Portion" of Kenora District. Canada provinces 1905-1912.png
Provincial boundaries of Canada prior to 1912. The portion of Ontario's modern boundaries which is not represented as part of Ontario in this map constitutes the "Patricia Portion" of Kenora District.

The Patricia Portion is the part of the Kenora District lying north of the Albany River, which was transferred from the Northwest Territories to Ontario on May 15, 1912, in The Ontario Boundaries Extension Act. [3] This area was originally a separate division, Patricia District, but became part of Kenora District in 1937. [4]

With the exception of a few communities along the northernmost ends of Highway 599 and the Highway 105/Highway 125 corridor, the Patricia Portion consists almost entirely of remote First Nations communities that are only accessible by float plane or winter road. Accordingly, the term "Patricia Portion" is still sometimes used to distinguish the region from the relatively more populated and road-accessible southern portion.

Demographics

As a census division in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Kenora District had a population of 66,000 living in 24,818 of its 32,914 total private dwellings, a change of 0.7% from its 2016 population of 65,533. With a land area of 395,432.07 km2 (152,677.18 sq mi), it had a population density of 0.2/km2 (0.4/sq mi) in 2021. [1]

Canada census – Kenora District community profile
2021 2016 2011
Population66,000 (+0.7% from 2016)65,533 (+13.8% from 2011)57,607 (−10.6% from 2006)
Land area395,432.07 km2 (152,677.18 sq mi)407,268.65 km2 (157,247.30 sq mi)407,213.01 km2 (157,225.82 sq mi)
Population density0.2/km2 (0.52/sq mi)0.2/km2 (0.52/sq mi)0.1/km2 (0.26/sq mi)
Median age37.6 (M: 36.8, F: 38.4)36.5 (M: 35.8, F: 37.1)
Private dwellings32,914 (total)  24,818 (occupied)31,191 (total)  23,931 (occupied)29,606 (total) 
Median household income$78,500$66,198
Notes: Excludes census data for one or more incompletely enumerated Indian reserves.
References: 2021 [6] 2016 [7] 2011 [8] earlier [9] [10]
Historical census populations – Kenora District
YearPop.±%
1921 19,139    
1931 25,919+35.4%
1941 33,372+28.8%
1951 39,212+17.5%
1956 47,156+20.3%
1961 51,474+9.2%
YearPop.±%
1966 53,995+4.9%
1971 53,230−1.4%
1976 57,980+8.9%
1981 59,421+2.5%
1986 52,834−11.1%
1991 58,748+11.2%
YearPop.±%
1996 63,335+7.8%
2001 61,802−2.4%
2006 64,419+4.2%
2011 57,607−10.6%
2016 65,533+13.8%
2021 66,000+0.7%
Excludes census data for one or more incompletely enumerated Indian reserves. Population counts are not adjusted for boundary changes.
Source: Statistics Canada [1] [11]

Economy

Most of the population is concentrated in the district's extreme south where some agriculture is possible: the main crop is barley. Traditional native activities such as hunting and fishing dominate the north of the district outside of mining settlements.

Mining

The area near Lake Minnehaha saw a gold rush between 1902 and 1909. The settlement of Gold Rock served 14 area mines, which included the Big Master, Laurentian, Detola and Elora. According to Barnes, "Approximately 180,000 ounces of gold was won from 27 mines in the Kenora district from 1880 to 1976," with "over 331 known gold occurrences." The more successful mines included the Bully Boy, Cameron Island, Champion, Combined, Cornucopia, Gold Hill, Golden Horn, Kenricia, Mikado, Oliver, Olympia, Ophyr, Regina, Scramble, Severn, Stella, Sultana, Treasure and Wendigo. [12]

Mining is currently extremely extensive in northern Kenora District, which contains some of the world's largest and highest-grade reserves of uranium and some of the world's major producers of nickel. A major mining exploration project is currently underway in the Ring of Fire region, centred on the district's isolated McFaulds Lake.

Transportation

Highway 599, longest secondary highway in Ontario Hwy 599 ON.JPG
Highway 599, longest secondary highway in Ontario

Permanent roads (Highway 599) only reach about halfway to the northernmost point of Kenora district, with the provincial highway network ending at Pickle Lake. Some more northerly communities connect seasonally through an ice/winter road network to the Northern Ontario Resource Trail.

Year-round air and summertime river transport are the only means of reaching the most remote parts of the district.

The major railroad lines between Toronto and British Columbia pass through the south of the district. The district is served by Via Rail's Canadian at Rice Lake, [13] Copelands Landing, [14] Malachi, Ottermere, Minaki, Redditt, Farlane station, Canyon, Red Lake Road, Richan, and Sioux Lookout stations.

Current services at Rice Lake station
Preceding station VIA Rail Canada simplified.svg Via Rail Following station
Winnitoba
toward Vancouver
The Canadian Copelands Landing
toward Toronto
Former services at Rice Lake station
Preceding station Canadian National Railway Following station
Winnitoba
toward Vancouver
Main Line Malachi
toward Montreal
Current services at Copelands Landing
Preceding station VIA Rail Canada simplified.svg Via Rail Following station
Rice Lake
toward Vancouver
The Canadian Malachi
toward Toronto
Former services at Copelands Landing
Preceding station Canadian National Railway Following station
Rice Lake
toward Vancouver
Main Line Malachi
toward Montreal
Current services at Malachi station
Preceding station VIA Rail Canada simplified.svg Via Rail Following station
Copelands Landing
toward Vancouver
The Canadian Ottermere
toward Toronto
Former services at Malachi station
Preceding station Canadian National Railway Following station
Copelands Landing
toward Vancouver
Main Line Ottermere
toward Montreal

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dryden, Ontario</span> City in Ontario, Canada

Dryden is the second-largest city in the Kenora District of Northwestern Ontario, Canada, located on Wabigoon Lake. It is the least populous community in Ontario incorporated as a city. The City of Dryden had a population of 7,749 and its population centre had a population of 5,586 in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenora</span> City in Ontario, Canada

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 210 km (130 mi) east of Winnipeg by road. It is the seat of Kenora District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sudbury District</span> District in Ontario, Canada

The Sudbury District is a district in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1894 from townships of eastern Algoma District and west Nipissing District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">English River (Ontario)</span> River in Ontario, Canada

The English River is a river in Kenora District and Thunder Bay District in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. It flows through Lac Seul to join the Winnipeg River at Tetu Lake as a right tributary. The river is in the Hudson Bay drainage basin, is 615 kilometres (382 mi) long and has a drainage basin of 52,300 square kilometres (20,200 sq mi). Although there are several hydroelectric plants on this river, the English River upstream of Minnitaki Lake is notable as one of the few large river systems in northwestern Ontario with a natural flow and without any upstream source of pollution. It is the fourth longest river entirely in Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sioux Lookout</span> Municipality in Ontario, Canada

Sioux Lookout is a town in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. Located approximately 350 km (220 mi) northwest of Thunder Bay, it has a population of 5,838 people, an elevation of 383 m (1,257 ft), and its boundaries cover an area of 536 km2 (207 sq mi), of which 157 km2 (61 sq mi) is lake and wetlands. Known locally as the "Hub of the North", it is serviced by the Sioux Lookout Airport, Highway 72, and the Sioux Lookout railway station. According to a 2011 study commissioned by the municipality, health care and social services ranked as the largest sources of employment, followed by the retail trade, public administration, transportation and warehousing, manufacturing, accommodation and food services, and education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unorganized Kenora District</span> Unorganized area in Ontario, Canada

Unorganized Kenora District is an unorganized area in northwestern Ontario, Canada, in Kenora District. Constituting 98.39 percent of the district's land area, yet only 10.93 percent of its population, it is essentially the remainder of the district's territory after all incorporated cities, municipalities, townships, Indian reserves, and Indian settlements have been excluded. It is by far the largest municipal-equivalent level census division in Ontario, covering over 35 percent of the entire provincial land area, yet only about 0.05 percent of the population of Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unorganized Thunder Bay District</span> Unorganized area in Ontario, Canada

Unorganized Thunder Bay District is an unorganized area in northwestern Ontario, Canada in Thunder Bay District. It comprises all parts of the district that are not part of an incorporated municipality or a First Nations reserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ignace</span> Township in Ontario, Canada

Ignace is a township in the Kenora District of Northwestern Ontario, Canada, located at Highway 17 and Secondary Highway 599, and on the Canadian Pacific Railway between Thunder Bay and Dryden, Ontario. It is on the shore of Agimak Lake, and as of 2016, the population of Ignace was 1,202.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minaki</span> Place in Ontario, Canada

Minaki is an unincorporated area and community in Unorganized Kenora District in northwestern Ontario, Canada. It is located at the point where the Canadian National Railways transcontinental main line crosses the Winnipeg River, between Wade to the west and Ena Lake at the east, and was accessible only by rail until about 1960. It was a fuelling and watering point in the days of steam locomotives; now few trains stop in Minaki, though the thrice-weekly Via Rail transcontinental Canadian passenger trains will stop on request at the Minaki railway station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Lake, Ontario</span> Municipality in Ontario, Canada

Red Lake is a municipality with town status in the Canadian province of Ontario, located 535 km (332 mi) northwest of Thunder Bay and less than 100 km (62 mi) from the Manitoba border. The municipality consists of six small communities—Balmertown, Cochenour, Madsen, McKenzie Island, Red Lake and Starratt-Olsen—and had a population of 4,107 people in the Canada 2016 Census.

Area code 807 is a telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the Canadian province of Ontario. The numbering plan area (NPA), comprising only Northwestern Ontario, was created in early 1962 in an area code split of NPA 705. The main reason for the split was not central office prefix exhaustion, but routing efficiency for calls from Western Canada to northwestern Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ontario Highway 71</span> Ontario provincial highway

King's Highway 71, commonly referred to as Highway 71, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. The 194-kilometre-long (121 mi) route begins at the Fort Frances–International Falls International Bridge in Fort Frances, continuing from US Highway 53 (US 53) and US 71 in Minnesota, and travels west concurrently with Highway 11 for 40 kilometres (25 mi) to Chapple. At that point, Highway 11 continues west while Highway 71 branches north and travels 154 kilometres (96 mi) to a junction with Highway 17 just east of Kenora. Highway 71 forms a branch of the Trans-Canada Highway for its entire length, with the exception of the extremely short segment south of Highway 11 in Fort Frances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ear Falls</span> Township in Ontario, Canada

Ear Falls is a township located in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, on the banks of the English River, Lac Seul, Pakwash Lake and Wenesaga Lake. It is located along Highway 105, 100 kilometres (62 mi) north of Highway 17 and Vermilion Bay, about halfway between Highway 17 and Red Lake, or about 480 kilometres (300 mi) northwest of Thunder Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls</span> Township in Ontario, Canada

Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Kenora District. It is located on the eastern shores of Lake of the Woods along Ontario Highway 71.

Lac Seul First Nation is an Ojibwe First Nation band government located on the southeastern shores of Lac Seul, 56 kilometres (35 mi) northeast of the city of Dryden, Ontario. Though Lac Seul First Nation is a treaty signatory to Treaty 3, the First Nation is a member of the Independent First Nations Alliance, a regional tribal council and a member of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation.

Redditt is an unincorporated community in Unorganized Kenora District in northwestern Ontario, Canada. It is on the MacFarlane River, and located at the northern terminus of Ontario Highway 658, 27 kilometres (17 mi) north of Kenora. Redditt is also the name of the surrounding geographic township that includes the community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ontario Highway 658</span> Ontario provincial highway

Secondary Highway 658, commonly referred to as Highway 658, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Kenora District. The highway extends 25.3 kilometres (15.7 mi) between the city of Kenora and the community of Redditt. For a decade, Highway 658 was numbered as Highway 666, leading to numerous sign thefts and a petition by members of a church on the route. This petition eventually led to the route being renumbered in late 1985.

Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation, commonly known as Wabigoon First Nation, is a Saulteaux First Nation band government who inhabit the Kenora District in northwestern Ontario, Canada. It is approximately 19 km southeast of Dryden, Ontario. As of January 2008, the First Nation had a registered population of 533 people, of which their on-Reserve population was 175.

Ena Lake is the name of a lake and an adjacent unincorporated area and railway point in Unorganized Kenora District in northwestern Ontario, Canada, about 23 kilometres (14 mi) north of the city of Kenora. Formerly a stop on the Canadian National Railway, it is now a small cottage community of approximately 50 seasonal residents and 11 year round residents.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Kenora, District (DIS) Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Government of Canada - Statistics Canada. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  2. Compilation of Northwestern Ontario's 2006 census data
  3. 1 2 The Ontario Boundaries Extension Act, S.C. 1912 (CA), 2 Geo. V, c. 40.
  4. 1 2 Patricia Act, RSO 1937, c 5 (retrieved March 26, 2016).
  5. Caldera Volcanoes Retrieved on July 20, 2007
  6. "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian census . Statistics Canada. February 4, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  7. "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian census . Statistics Canada. August 12, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2024.
  8. "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian census . Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2012.
  9. "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian census . Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
  10. "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian census . Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
  11. "1971 Census of Canada - Population Census Subdivisions (Historical)". Catalogue 92-702 Vol I, part 1 (Bulletin 1.1-2). Statistics Canada: 76, 139. July 1973.
  12. Barnes, Michael (1995). Gold in Ontario. Erin: The Boston Mills Press. pp. 23–26. ISBN   155046146X.
  13. "Rice Lake train station | VIA Rail". Via Rail . Retrieved March 29, 2024.
  14. "Copelands Landing train station | VIA Rail". www.viarail.ca. Via Rail . Retrieved March 29, 2024.