Matachewan, Ontario
| Matachewan | |
|---|---|
| Township (single-tier) | |
| Township of Matachewan | |
 | |
| Motto: Where the highway ends... the adventure begins! | |
  Matachewan | |
| Coordinates: 48°00′N 80°39′W / 48.000°N 80.650°WCoordinates: 48°00′N 80°39′W / 48.000°N 80.650°W | |
| Country |
 Canada |
| Province |
 Ontario |
| District | Timiskaming |
| Incorporated | 1995 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Township |
| • Reeve | Cheryl Drummond |
| • Federal riding | Timmins—James Bay |
| • Prov. riding | Timiskaming—Cochrane |
| Area[1] | |
| • Land | 543.63 km2 (209.90 sq mi) |
| Population (2011)[2] | |
| • Total | 409 |
| • Density | 0.75/km2 (1.9/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Postal Code | P0K 1M0 |
| Area code(s) | 705 |
| Website | www.matachewan.com |
Matachewan is a small township in Timiskaming, Northeastern Ontario, Canada, located at the end of Ontario Highway 66 along the Montreal River.
The town's main economy is based on mineral mining, mainly gold mining, with some tourism.
History
Matachewan began as a trading post of the Hudson's Bay Company, called Fort Matachewan, located about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) north of the present town site. It consisted only of a large depot and stores, with a church added later on. The local First Nations, who traded their furs here, would camp along the Montreal River but not settle permanently.[3]
The impetus to the town's growth came in the 1920s when mineral deposits, such as gold, copper, and molybdenite, were found in the area. From then on it experienced boom and bust cycles of typical mining towns, depending on the swings in commodity prices, but its economy has gradually shifted to forestry and tourism.[3]
In January 1976, the Improvement District of Matachewan was formed, and in 1995, it was incorporated as a township.
In 2006, a medivac helipad was built to help accommodate the possibility of injuries that may occur at the Young-Davidson mine site. In 2008, an old and worn out wooden bridge over the Montreal River which was built in 1937 was replaced with a new steel-concrete reinforced structure for safety reasons regarding the heavy traffic to/from the mine.[4]
Demographics
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1991 | 453 | — |
| 1996 | 402 | −11.3% |
| 2001 | 308 | −23.4% |
| 2006 | 375 | +21.8% |
| 2011 | 409 | +9.1% |
| Statistics Canada[2][5] | ||
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Culture
Matachewan is known for celebrating local cultures every July during the Matachewan Villages Festival event.
Transportation
Provincial highways
- Highway 65
- Highway 66
See also
References
- 1 2 "Matachewan census profile". 2011 Census of Population. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
- 1 2 3 "Corrections and updates". Statistics Canada. 2012-10-24. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
- 1 2 "About Matachewan". Township of Matachewan. Archived from the original on January 7, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-31.
- ↑ Perry Kong (April 30, 2007). "The Community Where Adventure Begins" (PDF). Northern News. Retrieved February 9, 2012.
- ↑ 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
- ↑ "2006 Community Profiles". Canada 2006 Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
- ↑ "2001 Community Profiles". Canada 2001 Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
External links
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Unorganized West Timiskaming, Matachewan 72 | | ||
| Unorganized North Sudbury |  |
Unorganized West Timiskaming | ||
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| Unorganized West Timiskaming |
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