Barry's Bay, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Township (Canada)
The term township generally means the district or area associated with a town. However in some systems no town needs to be involved. The specific use of the term to describe political subdivisions has varied by country, usually to describe a local rural or semi-rural government within the county...
of Madawaska Valley
Madawaska Valley, Ontario
Madawaska Valley is a township in Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada. It was formed on January 1, 2001, through the amalgamation of the village of Barry's Bay and the townships of Radcliffe and Sherwood Jones & Burns....
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada, located two hours west of Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
on the shores of Kamaniskeg Lake
Kamaniskeg Lake
Kamaniskeg Lake is a lake of Ontario, Canada.Lake Kamaniskeg is located in the Madawaska Valley, with the town of Barry's Bay at its northern end, and Combermere at the south. The Madawaska River, famous for its rapids, runs through the lake's southern end. The lake is known for its simple...
, with a population of approximately 1,300 people. Originally named 'Kuaenash Ne-ishing' (Algonquin for 'beautiful bay') Barry's Bay was later named after James Barry, a foreman for McLaughlin's Lumber in Arnprior who constructed a cabin as his headquarters in the area where St. Hedwick's Church currently stands. The town was officially incorporated in 1933, and is considered a centre of Kashubian
Kashubians
Kashubians/Kaszubians , also called Kashubs, Kashubes, Kaszubians, Kassubians or Cassubians, are a West Slavic ethnic group in Pomerelia, north-central Poland. Their settlement area is referred to as Kashubia ....
culture in Canada.
Barry's Bay can be visited from Ottawa by heading west, on the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
route #17 , then turning onto route #60 at Renfrew
Renfrew, Ontario
Renfrew, Ontario, Canada, is a town on the Bonnechere River in Renfrew County. Located one hour west of Ottawa in Eastern Ontario, Renfrew is the third largest town in the county after Petawawa and Pembroke. The town is a small transportation hub connecting Ontario Highway 60 and Highway 132 with...
.
The historic Train Station is home of the South of 60 Arts' Centre
South of 60 Arts' Centre
Established in 2003, the South of 60 Arts' Centre first opened its doors in Killaloe, Ontario. Currently occupying the historic train station in Barry's Bay, the Centre is dedicated to providing a variety of art experiences, for the residents of and visitors to the Madawaska Valley. ....
, a host of a variety of Art & Craft Shows, Musical events & festivals. In 2008, the town re-opened the Radcliffe Hills Ski Area for snowboarding and downhill skiing. Barry's Bay was the Central Canada finalist in the 2006 CBC Hockeyville
Hockeyville
Kraft Hockeyville is a Gemini Award-winning Canadian reality television series developed by CBC Sports and sponsored by Kraft Foods, the NHL and the NHL Players' Association in which communities across Canada compete to demonstrate their commitment to the sport of ice hockey...
competition.
In 2000, Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy
Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy
Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy is a Catholic liberal arts college founded in the year 2000 in Barry's Bay, Ontario, situated in the Madawaska valley, on the shores of Kamaniskeg Lake...
, a Catholic liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
post-secondary institution was established in the town. In 2011, the Academy had a student body of 81 full-time students. It is located in Karol Wojtyla Square, occupying two buildings near St. Hedwig's
Hedwig of Andechs
Saint Hedwig of Silesia , also Saint Hedwig of Andechs from the comital House of Andechs was Duchess of Silesia from 1201 and of Greater Poland from 1231 as well as High Duchess consort of Poland from 1232 until 1238.-Life:...
Roman Catholic Parish.
History
This area of Renfrew County , was first settled over a hundred years ago, along with other communities on the Opeongo Line. The town also served as a standby base for the Canadian Military during the war years. Local workers and lumbermen were reformed into soldiers to help contribute to the war efforts of Canada in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The community dedicated a park, including a monument, to honour the construction of the Canadian Avro CF-105 Arrow
CF-105 Arrow
The Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow was a delta-winged interceptor aircraft, designed and built by Avro Aircraft Limited in Malton, Ontario, Canada, as the culmination of a design study that began in 1953...
and the chief test pilot, a local resident, named Janusz Żurakowski
Janusz Zurakowski
Janusz Żurakowski was a renowned Polish fighter and test pilot, who, at various times, lived and worked in Poland, the United Kingdom, and Canada.-Early life:...
. The CF-105 was an advanced, Canadian-designed and -built interceptor that was instrumental in the advancement of aviation technology in the late 1950s and early 1960s.