Cochrane, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Cochrane is a town in northern Ontario
, Canada
. It is located east of Kapuskasing, northeast of Timmins
, south of Moosonee
, and north of Iroquois Falls
. It is about a one-hour drive from Timmins, the major city of the region. It is the seat of Cochrane District
. The town's population is made up of approximately half anglophone and half francophone residents.
The town contains many references to polar bears. Its mascot is a large polar bear statue known as Chimo. There are also live polar bears at the new "Polar Bear Conservation and Educational Habitat and Heritage Village" which opened in the summer of 2004. Polar bears from the Metro Toronto Zoo were relocated to Cochrane while a new pavilion was being constructed. Those two polar bears were returned to the Toronto Zoo in the summer of 2009.
. In the early 20th century, the National Transcontinental Railway
was built through the area, and in 1907, the place was selected as the junction point with the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway. In November 1908, the lots were sold by auction and a railway town
formed. It was incorporated on January 1, 1910, and named for politician and merchant Frank Cochrane
, a former mayor of Sudbury. He was Ontario minister of Lands & Forests and federal minister of Railways and Canals in the cabinet of Robert Borden
.
The settlement was devastated by fire in 1910, 1911, and 1916, but rebuilt each time and became a transportation hub for northern Ontario.
After the Reesor Siding 1963 Strike, Cochrane was the site of the trial for 20 Reesor Siding farmers charged with the killing of 3 union employees.
The Town of Cochrane amalgamated with the surrounding townships of Glackmeyer and Lamarche to create a newly expanded Town of Cochrane in 2000.
Cochrane is situated along Ontario Highway 11, which is a major east-west trucking route part of the Trans-Canada Highway
system. The town is close to the northern end of the road system in the area. The last roads in this part of Ontario end about halfway between Cochrane and Moosonee at Otter Rapids
.
The Cochrane railway station
is operated by the Ontario Northland Railway
and serves as the northern terminus of the Northlander
which runs six days per week to and from Toronto
. It also serves as the southern terminus of the Polar Bear Express
which operates five days per week to and from Moosonee
.
The town is served by the Cochrane Airport
, but has no scheduled flights.
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 2281 (total dwellings: 2492)
Mother tongue:
, a hockey player who founded the Tim Hortons
doughnut and coffee shop chain in Hamilton, Ontario
, in 1964. A new multi-purpose arena and events centre, the Tim Horton Events Centre, built in honour of him, was officially opened in the fall of 2006. Numerous construction delays hindered its official opening, but it is now fully operational. The Tim Horton Museum is also situated in the facility containing hockey memorabilia.
Cochrane is also the birth place of Tim Horton classmate Donald McKinnon (born 1929). McKinnon was first in forestry but later became a prospector. He is most famous as the co-discoverer of the goldfields at Hemlo on Lake Superior, resulting in three great gold mines. He lives and works out of Timmins under McKinnon Prospecting and was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 1996. A book, The Scholarly Prospector — Don MacKinnon, was published by Michael Barnes in 2007.
(born March 25, 1927 in Timmins
, Ontario
– died August 26, 1951 near Cochrane), was a Canadian hockey player of Ukrainian
descent who played his entire National Hockey League
career for the Toronto Maple Leafs
.
The Tragically Hip's song titled "Fifty Mission Cap" describes Barilko's mysterious disappearance. Barilko, who donned the blue and white Maple Leaf sweater for five seasons, scored the Stanley Cup
clinching goal for the Leafs over their rivals the Montreal Canadiens
in the 1951 cup finals. Four months and five days later, Barilko climbed into a small, single-engine airplane with friend and dentist, Henry Hudson. The plane disappeared between Rupert House and Timmins
, Ontario
, leaving no trace of Barilko or Hudson.
Eleven years later, on June 7, 1962, helicopter pilot Ron Boyd discovered the plane wreckage roughly 100 kilometres (62.1 mi) north of Cochrane, Ontario (about 35 miles off-course). Barilko was finally laid to rest in his home town of Timmins, the same year that the Maple Leafs won their next Stanley Cup.
The song's lyrics also reference the WWII style U.S. Army officer's cap, mentioned in the song's title. The fifty mission cap was a cloth cap with visor issued to U.S. Army officers in World War II. Over time its folded and creased look would signify their participation in 50 aerial missions.
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
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located east of Kapuskasing, northeast of Timmins
Timmins
Timmins is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada on the Mattagami River. At the time of the Canada 2006 Census, Timmins' population was 42,997...
, south of Moosonee
Moosonee, Ontario
Moosonee is a town in northern Ontario, Canada, on the Moose River approximately south of James Bay. It is considered as "the Gateway to the Arctic" and has Ontario's only saltwater port...
, and north of Iroquois Falls
Iroquois Falls, Ontario
Iroquois Falls is a small town in Northern Ontario, Canada, with a population of 4,729 in the Canada 2006 Census.The town centre lies just off of Hwy 11 on the banks the Abitibi River, west of Lake Abitibi. Timmins, one of the largest cities in northern Ontario is approximately to the west...
. It is about a one-hour drive from Timmins, the major city of the region. It is the seat of Cochrane District
Cochrane District, Ontario
Cochrane District, Ontario is a district and census division in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1921 from parts of Timiskaming and Thunder Bay districts....
. The town's population is made up of approximately half anglophone and half francophone residents.
The town contains many references to polar bears. Its mascot is a large polar bear statue known as Chimo. There are also live polar bears at the new "Polar Bear Conservation and Educational Habitat and Heritage Village" which opened in the summer of 2004. Polar bears from the Metro Toronto Zoo were relocated to Cochrane while a new pavilion was being constructed. Those two polar bears were returned to the Toronto Zoo in the summer of 2009.
History
Before Cochrane was founded, it was already used as a summer camp ground by the indigenous people, and a stopping place for fur traders traveling to Moose FactoryMoose Factory, Ontario
Moose Factory is a community in the Cochrane District, Ontario, Canada. It is on Moose Factory Island, near the mouth of the Moose River, which is at the southern end of James Bay. It was the first English-speaking settlement in Ontario and the second Hudson's Bay Company post to be set up in North...
. In the early 20th century, the National Transcontinental Railway
National Transcontinental Railway
The National Transcontinental Railway was a historic Canadian railway between Winnipeg and Moncton. Much of the line is now operated by the Canadian National Railway.-The Grand Trunk partnership:...
was built through the area, and in 1907, the place was selected as the junction point with the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway. In November 1908, the lots were sold by auction and a railway town
Railway town
A railway town is a settlement that originated or was greatly developed because of a railway station or junction at its site.In Victorian Britain, the spread of railways greatly affected the fate of many small towns...
formed. It was incorporated on January 1, 1910, and named for politician and merchant Frank Cochrane
Francis Cochrane
Francis Cochrane, PC was a Canadian politician.-Municipal career:A prosperous hardware merchant in Sudbury, Ontario, he was the first president of the town's board of trade and later served as mayor of the town in 1897, 1898 and 1902 after winning a council seat in 1896.Along with local...
, a former mayor of Sudbury. He was Ontario minister of Lands & Forests and federal minister of Railways and Canals in the cabinet of Robert Borden
Robert Borden
Sir Robert Laird Borden, PC, GCMG, KC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as the eighth Prime Minister of Canada from October 10, 1911 to July 10, 1920, and was the third Nova Scotian to hold this office...
.
The settlement was devastated by fire in 1910, 1911, and 1916, but rebuilt each time and became a transportation hub for northern Ontario.
After the Reesor Siding 1963 Strike, Cochrane was the site of the trial for 20 Reesor Siding farmers charged with the killing of 3 union employees.
The Town of Cochrane amalgamated with the surrounding townships of Glackmeyer and Lamarche to create a newly expanded Town of Cochrane in 2000.
Economy
In the 2006 Census, Cochrane had a population of 5,487, a 3.6 percent decrease from the 2001 Census. Like many northern Ontario communities, the population is declining due to lack of employment. The main industries in Cochrane are the railway, tourism and lumber industries. Marginal farming also exists around Cochrane. Though the soil is considered to be of good quality, the growing season is too short to have substantial crop production.Transportation
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...
system. The town is close to the northern end of the road system in the area. The last roads in this part of Ontario end about halfway between Cochrane and Moosonee at Otter Rapids
Otter Rapids, Ontario
Otter Rapids, also known as White Otter Rapids is an unincorporated place and dispersed rural community in geographic Pitt Township in the Unorganized North Part of Cochrane District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada...
.
The Cochrane railway station
Cochrane railway station
The Cochrane Railway Station is located in the town of Cochrane in Ontario.It is northernmost stop for Northlander trains of Ontario Northland and southernmost stop for Polar Bear Express trains.-External links:*...
is operated by the Ontario Northland Railway
Ontario Northland Railway
The Ontario Northland Railway is a Canadian railway operated by the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission, a provincial Crown agency of the government of Ontario....
and serves as the northern terminus of the Northlander
Northlander
The Northlander is a Canadian passenger train operated by the Ontario Northland Railway in Ontario.It operates 6 days per week year-round in both directions and connects Cochrane with Toronto...
which runs six days per week to and from Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. It also serves as the southern terminus of the Polar Bear Express
Polar Bear Express
The Polar Bear Express is a Canadian passenger train operated by the Ontario Northland Railway in Northern Ontario. Service was introduced in 1964...
which operates five days per week to and from Moosonee
Moosonee, Ontario
Moosonee is a town in northern Ontario, Canada, on the Moose River approximately south of James Bay. It is considered as "the Gateway to the Arctic" and has Ontario's only saltwater port...
.
The town is served by the Cochrane Airport
Cochrane Airport
Cochrane Airport, , is located north of Cochrane, Ontario. Canada.-External links:* on COPA's Places to Fly airport directory...
, but has no scheduled flights.
Demographics
Population trend:- Population in 2006: 5487 (2001 to 2006 population change: -3.6 %)
- Population in 2001: 5690
- Population total in 1996: 5955
- Cochrane (town): 4443
- Glackmeyer (township): 1092
- Population in 1991:
- Cochrane (town): 4585
- Glackmeyer (township): 1068
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 2281 (total dwellings: 2492)
Mother tongue:
- English as first language: 50.6 %
- French as first language: 43.8 %
- English and French as first language: 1.5 %
- Other as first language: 4.1 %
Climate
Born in Cochrane
Cochrane is the birthplace of Tim HortonTim Horton
Myles Gilbert "Tim" Horton was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He played in 24 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Buffalo Sabres. He was also a businessman and a co-founder of Tim Hortons. He died in an...
, a hockey player who founded the Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons Inc. is a Canadian fast casual restaurant known for its coffee and doughnuts. It is also Canada's largest fast food service with over 3000 stores nationwide. It was founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton and Jim Charade, after an initial venture in...
doughnut and coffee shop chain in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, in 1964. A new multi-purpose arena and events centre, the Tim Horton Events Centre, built in honour of him, was officially opened in the fall of 2006. Numerous construction delays hindered its official opening, but it is now fully operational. The Tim Horton Museum is also situated in the facility containing hockey memorabilia.
Cochrane is also the birth place of Tim Horton classmate Donald McKinnon (born 1929). McKinnon was first in forestry but later became a prospector. He is most famous as the co-discoverer of the goldfields at Hemlo on Lake Superior, resulting in three great gold mines. He lives and works out of Timmins under McKinnon Prospecting and was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 1996. A book, The Scholarly Prospector — Don MacKinnon, was published by Michael Barnes in 2007.
Died in/near Cochrane
William "Bashin' Bill" BarilkoBill Barilko
William "Bashin' Bill" Barilko was a Canadian ice hockey player who played his entire National Hockey League career for the Toronto Maple Leafs.- Personal life :Barilko was of Ukrainian descent and had a brother, Alex, and sister, Anne....
(born March 25, 1927 in Timmins
Timmins
Timmins is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada on the Mattagami River. At the time of the Canada 2006 Census, Timmins' population was 42,997...
, 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....
– died August 26, 1951 near Cochrane), was a Canadian hockey player of Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
descent who played his entire National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
career for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
The Tragically Hip's song titled "Fifty Mission Cap" describes Barilko's mysterious disappearance. Barilko, who donned the blue and white Maple Leaf sweater for five seasons, scored the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
clinching goal for the Leafs over their rivals the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
in the 1951 cup finals. Four months and five days later, Barilko climbed into a small, single-engine airplane with friend and dentist, Henry Hudson. The plane disappeared between Rupert House and Timmins
Timmins
Timmins is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada on the Mattagami River. At the time of the Canada 2006 Census, Timmins' population was 42,997...
, 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....
, leaving no trace of Barilko or Hudson.
Eleven years later, on June 7, 1962, helicopter pilot Ron Boyd discovered the plane wreckage roughly 100 kilometres (62.1 mi) north of Cochrane, Ontario (about 35 miles off-course). Barilko was finally laid to rest in his home town of Timmins, the same year that the Maple Leafs won their next Stanley Cup.
The song's lyrics also reference the WWII style U.S. Army officer's cap, mentioned in the song's title. The fifty mission cap was a cloth cap with visor issued to U.S. Army officers in World War II. Over time its folded and creased look would signify their participation in 50 aerial missions.