Magnetawan, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Magnetawan is a township
in the Canadian
province of Ontario
, as well as the name of a community within the former Township of Chapman.
Located in the Parry Sound District
, the township had a population of 1,610 in the 2006 Canadian census
.
Barbara Hanley
, the first woman ever elected mayor
of a community in Canada, was born in Magnetawan in 1882.
The community of Magnetawan proper holds the status of designated place
in Canadian censuses, separately from the rest of the township. Its population in the Canada 2006 Census
was 265. It is sistered with the city of Baltimore, Maryland.
of Spence
.
in the winter. While some Europeans explored the region in the early 19th century, settlement and colonization by Europeans was hardly taking place, so much so that the government considered turning the entire region into a Indian reserve
.
But when pine stands in southern Ontario became depleted, the area attracted loggers and the government changed its mind and encouraged settlement through free land grants, first offered in 1853. Settlement happened slowly but accelerated when the colonization road from Rosseau
to Nipissing
began being built in 1866. In 1868, the government passed the Free Grand Land and Homestead Act and began advertising this extensively in European countries to attract new immigrants. Croft Township was surveyed in 1869, Chapman Township in 1870, and the village of Magnetawan was mapped out in 1873.
The Township of Magnetawan was formed in 1998 through the amalgamation of the Township of Chapman and the Village of Magnetawan, along with the unincorporated geographic Townships of Croft and Spence.
Mayor Sam Dunnett said the 2 a.m. fire ripped through the wood-framed downtown general store as it neared its 100th anniversary, as well as the nearby restaurant almost as old.
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 703 (total dwellings: 1901)
Mother tongue:
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...
in the Canadian
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...
province of 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....
, as well as the name of a community within the former Township of Chapman.
Located in the Parry Sound District
Parry Sound District, Ontario
Parry Sound District is a census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its seat is Parry Sound. Its boundaries are Muskoka to the south, the Sudbury District, the French River and Lake Nipissing in the north, Nipissing District, Ontario and North Bay in the north and east and parts of...
, the township had a population of 1,610 in the 2006 Canadian census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
.
Barbara Hanley
Barbara Hanley
Barbara McCallum Hanley, née Smith was the first woman to be elected a mayor in Canada....
, the first woman ever elected mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of a community in Canada, was born in Magnetawan in 1882.
The community of Magnetawan proper holds the status of designated place
Designated place
A designated place or DPL is a type of community or populated area identified by Statistics Canada for statistical purposes. DPLs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages.DPLs are communities that lack...
in Canadian censuses, separately from the rest of the township. Its population in the Canada 2006 Census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
was 265. It is sistered with the city of Baltimore, Maryland.
Communities
The township comprises the communities of Ahmic Harbour, Ahmic Lake, Cecebe, Cedar Croft, Chikopi, Dufferin Bridge, Magnetawan, North Seguin, Oranmore, Pearceley, Port Anson and Port Carmen, as well as the ghost townGhost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
of Spence
Spence, Ontario
Spence is a ghost town in the Canadian province of Ontario, at the crossroads of the Nipissing Colonization Road and the Ryerson Road . The name of the village came from Spence Township, named for former Postmaster General, Robert Spence...
.
History
The first people to inhabit the region were the Hurons, Ojibway and Algonquins, who would visit the area in the summer for hunting and fishing but sheltered on Georgian BayGeorgian Bay
Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...
in the winter. While some Europeans explored the region in the early 19th century, settlement and colonization by Europeans was hardly taking place, so much so that the government considered turning the entire region into a Indian reserve
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
.
But when pine stands in southern Ontario became depleted, the area attracted loggers and the government changed its mind and encouraged settlement through free land grants, first offered in 1853. Settlement happened slowly but accelerated when the colonization road from Rosseau
Rosseau, Ontario
Rosseau is a community in the District of Parry Sound in Ontario, Canada, located in the township of Seguin. It is situated on the north shore of Lake Rosseau, a popular vacationing area. It is one of the ends of the Rosseau-Nipissing Road, which stretches all the way up to Lake Nipissing, near...
to Nipissing
Nipissing, Ontario
Nipissing is a township in central Ontario, Canada, on Lake Nipissing in Parry Sound District. Nipissing was surveyed between 1874 and 1881, and was incorporated in 1888. Among the first settlers in the area were the Chapman and Beatty families. Nipissing village annexed Gurd Township in 1970...
began being built in 1866. In 1868, the government passed the Free Grand Land and Homestead Act and began advertising this extensively in European countries to attract new immigrants. Croft Township was surveyed in 1869, Chapman Township in 1870, and the village of Magnetawan was mapped out in 1873.
The Township of Magnetawan was formed in 1998 through the amalgamation of the Township of Chapman and the Village of Magnetawan, along with the unincorporated geographic Townships of Croft and Spence.
Fire of 2011
Two Magnetawan families barely escaped a fire which destroyed major landmarks in this village community west of Highway 11 near Sundridge, Ont.Mayor Sam Dunnett said the 2 a.m. fire ripped through the wood-framed downtown general store as it neared its 100th anniversary, as well as the nearby restaurant almost as old.
Demographics
Population trend:- Population in 2006: 1610 (2001 to 2006 population change: 20.0 %)
- Population in 2001: 1342
- Population total in 1996: 1324
- Magnetawan (village): 241
- Chapman (township): 645
- Population in 1991:
- Magnetawan (village): 267
- Chapman (township): 605
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents: 703 (total dwellings: 1901)
Mother tongue:
- English as first language: 87.2 %
- French as first language: 2.5 %
- English and French as first language: 0 %
- Other as first language: 10.3 %
Local lakes and rivers
- Old Man's LakeOld Man's LakeOld Man's Lake is a small lake near Magnetawan, Ontario, Canada. It is spring fed and hosts a handful of cottages. The lake drains over a small waterfall into Ahmic Lake....
- Ahmic LakeAhmic LakeAhmic Lake is part of the Magnetawan River waterway in Parry Sound District, Ontario, Canada. It is well marked for navigation. There are many spots where rock shoals extend into the lake then plunge to depths of 20 to 25 m . Much of the lake has steep shorelines with overhanging dead wood and...
- Lake CecebeLake CecebeLake Cecebe is a lake in Parry Sound District, Ontario, Canada. Lake Cecebe is part of the Magnetawan River waterway. The lake has over 20 miles of shoreline...
- Magnetawan RiverMagnetawan RiverThe Magnetawan River is a river in Parry Sound District, Ontario, Canada, which flows 175 km from Magnetawan Lake inside Algonquin Provincial Park to empty into Georgian Bay at the community of Britt on Byng Inlet....
External links
- Magnetawan, Ontario's Tourist and Community Information
- Discovery Routes Trails Organization - Magnetawan Area, A system of multi-use trails through the Magnetawan Area
- Magnetawan Ontario, Almaguin Highlands Regional Portal