Marmora, Ontario

Marmora
Unincorporated community
Etymology: Latin for "marble"
Marmora Location in southern Ontario
Coordinates: 44°29′00″N77°41′00″W / 44.483333333333°N 77.683333333333°W / 44.483333333333; -77.683333333333
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
County	Hastings
Municipality	Marmora and Lake
Founded	1821
Incorporated	1901 (as Village)
Dissolved	2001 (amalgamated)
Area [1]
• Land	2.15 km2 (0.83 sq mi)
Population  (2021) [1]
• Total	1,499
• Density	697.2/km2 (1,806/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Postal code	K0K 2M0
Area code(s)	613

Marmora is the largest community in the Municipality of Marmora and Lake in Hastings County, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Crowe River and along Highway 7 between Havelock to the west and Madoc to the east, about the halfway point between Ottawa and Toronto.

History

Sketch of first mine in Marmora

The rich history of Marmora Township is the story of mining in Eastern Ontario. Since 1820 this Township has played a leading role in the development of iron mining. In addition, copper, lead, silver, gold and lithographic limestone have been extracted.

Iron mining was an important industry in the area during the 19th century. The village was originally named Marmora Iron Works. Gold and silver were also mined at nearby Cordova Mines. A nearby plant processes talc and dolomite.

In 1821, the newly surveyed townships of Elzevir, Madoc and Marmora were added to Hastings County, ^[2] on the initiative of Charles Hayes, an Irish entrepreneur, in return for his setting up the Marmora Iron Works. ^[3]

The new Township of Marmora took its name from the Latin word for marble because of an "immense rock of most delicate white marble". This giant rock stood on the southeast corner of Crowe Lake, which took its name from the Crowe First Nations that lived along the shore.

Marmora Township was opened for sale in 1821, but there was little settlement outside of the newly created mining village.

The hamlet of Marmora was separated from the Township and incorporated as a village in 1901. It was re-amalgamated with the surrounding townships of Marmora and Lake in 2001 to form a newly expanded Municipality of Marmora and Lake.

Demographics

Historical census populations – Marmora, Ontario

Year Pop. ±% 1921 948 —     1931 996 +5.1% 1941 1,106 +11.0% 1951 1,117 +1.0% 1956 1,428 +27.8% 1961 1,381 −3.3%	Year Pop. ±% 1966 1,331 −3.6% 1971 1,350 +1.4% 1976 1,336 −1.0% 1981 1,304 −2.4% 1986 1,255 −3.8% 1991 1,397 +11.3%	Year Pop. ±% 1996 1,483 +6.2% 2001 1,589 +7.1% 2006 1,482 −6.7% 2011 1,466 −1.1% 2016 1,639 +11.8% 2021 1,499 −8.5%
Population figures prior to 2001 are for the village municipality, and after 2001 for the population centre of Marmora. 2011 and 2016 Population figures based on revised counts. Source: Statistics Canada [1] [4]

Notable residents

• Yaphet Kotto - actor ^[5]
• Sarah and Rob Skinner - Red Dirt Skinners musical group
• Greg Terrion - Toronto Maple Leafs hockey player

References

2. An Act to repeal part of an Act passed in thirty-eighth year of His late Majesty's Reign, intituled, "An act for the better division of this province," and to make further provision for the division of the same into Counties and Districts , S.U.C. 1821, c. 3, s. 5
3. McLeod, Susanna (July 18, 2019). "The noise, the glow, the rush of sparks". Kingston Whig-Standard .
5. Ebden, Theresa (August 25, 2000). "An actor in search of character detail". The Globe and Mail .

External links

• Marmora Historical Foundation
• Municipality of Marmora & Lake