Sioux Lookout, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Sioux Lookout is a town in Northwestern Ontario
, Canada
. It has a population of 5,336 and an elevation of 1280 ft / 390 m. Known locally as the "Hub of the North", it is serviced by the Sioux Lookout Airport
, Highway 72, and the Sioux Lookout railway station
. Tourism, lumber, and health care are the primary sources of employment in the town.
There are a number of fishing camps in the area that allow access to an extensive lake system fed by the English River. The town is surrounded by several beaches including Umphreville Park, a historical site that predates the town itself. During the summer months, Sioux Lookout's population rises as tourists, most of which are American, arrive to take advantage of the multitude of lakes and rivers in the area. Experienced guides, employed by the camps, can locate the best locations and also provide an educated tour of the unique land known affectionately as "sunset country".
, located west on the Canadian National Railway
(CNR) transcontinental
main line
; the railway point Superior Junction
located on the CNR transcontinental main line to the east; and the railway point Alcona
, located on a CNR branch line to the south east and south of Superior Junction.
Present-day Sioux Lookout was incorporated in 1912 and was then a terminal point on the National Transcontinental Railway
. For many years, Sioux Lookout was simply a railway town
. When gold was discovered in Red Lake, Sioux Lookout became one of the leading aviation centers in Canada during the twenties and thirties. During the Cold War, Sioux Lookout operated a radar base to monitor any activity from Russia. Now, the Canadian National Railway
is a significant employer, but it is no longer the base of the municipality’s economy. Instead, the forest industry is the crux of Sioux Lookout employment. Its inherent instability is partly offset by the stability of the service sector. As a result, Sioux Lookout barely felt the effects of the recession in the early 1980s. Urban Sioux Lookout fronts on Pelican Lake, and the municipality undertook a lakefront improvement program to beautify this area. There are now more parks, paths, and other recreational facilities along the lakefront. Numerous other lakes are easily accessible by car or boat from Sioux Lookout. Tourism makes a significant contribution to the local economy, however, there is far more capacity for development and its potential is starting to be recognized.
The average mean temperature in January is -18°C, and in July, near to 20°C.
The temperature fluctuates wildly throughout the winter, occasionally as low as -40°C (the record being -46°C).
Sioux Lookout's record high temperature was 37.8°C.
Sioux Lookout had a population of 5,182 as of 2006, a 2.9% decrease from 2001. As an ethnically diverse community, Sioux Lookout has a large Aboriginal population--1,520 people, as of 2006. The average household size is 2.7 persons and unemployment rate is 4.2%, below the Ontario average of 6.4%. The median household income in 2005 for Sioux Lookout was $71,289, above the provincial average of $60,455.
Population trend:
The town is represented in the Canadian House of Commons by Conservative
MP Greg Rickford
in the electoral district of Kenora
, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
by NDP MPP Howard Hampton
in the electoral district of Kenora—Rainy River
.
The population explodes during the spring and summer months when seasonal residents arrive. Most of Sioux Lookout's tourism comes from people wanting to experience the town's amazing outdoor activities. Fishing is the main tourist attraction during the summer months due to the easy access of numerous lakes with world-class fishing, such as "Legendary" Lac Seul and Minnitaki Lake.
Sioux Lookout's own annual Blueberry Festival has been held the first week of August since 1982. The year 2007 marked the 25th anniversarry of the festival, which celebrates the town and its surrounding environment. The most popular events include the Sioux Mountain Festival, the Bocce Tournament, and a charitable social which incorporates an annual theme. Eco-Tourism is growing rapidly with outfitter's such as Goldwater Expeditions providing Kayaks, Skiing/Snowshoe Rentals, Ecology based Adventures, Cultural Education and Ecological Interpretation.
Television
Radio
, is on the board of directors at the Indigenous Language Institute. She has published a textbook on language: "Talking Gookom's Language" and five other books. She was the first editor of Wawatay News in Sioux Lookout.
Richard Schwindt, former resident of Sioux Lookout, published a collection of short stories titled "Dreams and Sioux Nights" in 2003. Most of the characters and settings are based upon Sioux Lookout and the surrounding area.
"Phillip Neault-Pioneer" is the collection of songs and stories told by Mae Carroll to her grandchildren. Her book, edited by James R. Stevens, takes place in the two railroad towns of Fort William
and Sioux Lookout in pioneer times. The Sioux Lookout Anti-Racism Committee won the 23rd Annual Media Human Rights Awards Winner for "their web site which deals with the effects and strategies of dealing with issues of racism and resources and strategies to deal with instances of racism".
The town also appears as a prominent figure in the novel, The Cunning Man
by Robertson Davies
, as well as the 1952 novel Crazy White Man: Sha-ga-ne-she Wa-du-kee
by Richard Morenus.
, a Juno Award
-winning musician, was the mayor of Sioux Lookout during the nineties. Martin is now mayor of Cochrane
, and was once a member of the TVOntario
board of directors. Also, a concert series called S.L.Y.M (Sioux Lookout Youth Music) Productions supplies the town with local and out-of- town bands for the town's ear drums. To date, S.L.Y.M has featured the local bands of Red Radio, Double Helix, and The Four Ohms. S.L.Y.M. also regularly hosts open coffee houses to showcase local acoustic talent. The Sioux Lookout Cultural Center for Youth and the Arts is under construction and will include a recording studio for aspiring local artists.
, a Junior A team in the Superior International Junior Hockey League
. Also hosted every year is a First Nations hockey tournament.
Ryan Parent
, first round NHL draft pick and two-time World Junior Hockey champion, was raised in Sioux Lookout. Parent returns to his home town during the off-season. As a member of the Canadian World Juniors team, Parent won two consecutive gold medals in 2006 and 2007. He was a first-round draft pick (18th overall) of the Nashville Predators
in the 2005 NHL entry draft and was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers
on February 17, 2007. Ryan Parent officially joined the NHL when he was recalled from the Flyer's AHL affiliate team the Philadelphia Phantoms on February 13, 2008 and took a place on the roster.
The Downtown Revitalization project is well underway and the construction of a new youth centre, renovated train station, and upgrades to Centennial Park are planned to be completed by March 2011.
was opened in 1933
; at the time it was the second busiest airport in North America next to Chicago
. Today, the airport is a "Mini-Hub" facilitating travel to and from all northern communities in Northwestern Ontario. Sioux Lookout's Airport is the fourth busiest in Ontario. Three airway companies and ORNGE (part of Ontario's largest medical transport providers) take advantage of a large facility that is undergoing further expansion. Bearskin Airlines
, Lockhart Air, Skycare air ambulance, and Wasaya Airways
all operate out of "YXL".
Northwestern Ontario
Northwestern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and west of Lake Superior, and west of Hudson Bay and James Bay. It includes most of subarctic Ontario. Its western boundary is the Canadian province of Manitoba, which disputed Ontario's claim to the...
, 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 has a population of 5,336 and an elevation of 1280 ft / 390 m. Known locally as the "Hub of the North", it is serviced by the Sioux Lookout Airport
Sioux Lookout Airport
Sioux Lookout Airport, , is a regional airport based in Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada. The airport opened in 1933. It was, at the time, the second busiest airport in North America next to Chicago Midway International Airport...
, Highway 72, and the Sioux Lookout railway station
Sioux Lookout railway station
Sioux Lookout railway station is located in the town of Sioux Lookout, Kenora District in northwestern Ontario, Canada. The station is on the Canadian National Railway transcontinental main line; it is used by Via Rail and served by transcontinental Canadian trains....
. Tourism, lumber, and health care are the primary sources of employment in the town.
There are a number of fishing camps in the area that allow access to an extensive lake system fed by the English River. The town is surrounded by several beaches including Umphreville Park, a historical site that predates the town itself. During the summer months, Sioux Lookout's population rises as tourists, most of which are American, arrive to take advantage of the multitude of lakes and rivers in the area. Experienced guides, employed by the camps, can locate the best locations and also provide an educated tour of the unique land known affectionately as "sunset country".
Communities
In addition to the town of Sioux Lookout itself, the municipal boundaries include the community of Hudson and the railway point PelicanPelican, Ontario
Pelican is an unincorporated place and railway point in the municipality of Sioux Lookout, Kenora District in northwestern Ontario, Canada. It is located just south of Pelican Lake on the English River, part of the Nelson River drainage basin....
, located west on the Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
(CNR) transcontinental
Transcontinental railroad
A transcontinental railroad is a contiguous network of railroad trackage that crosses a continental land mass with terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single railroad, or over those owned or controlled by multiple railway companies...
main line
Main line (railway)
The Mainline or Main line of a railway is a track that is used for through trains or is the principal artery of the system from which branch lines, yards, sidings and spurs are connected....
; the railway point Superior Junction
Superior Junction, Ontario
Superior Junction is a community in the town of Sioux Lookout, Kenora District in northwestern Ontario, Canada. It is on the Marchington River downstream of Botsford Lake and upstream of the river's mouth at Abram Lake on the English River.-Transportation:...
located on the CNR transcontinental main line to the east; and the railway point Alcona
Alcona, Ontario
Alcona is a railway point and settlement in the town of Sioux Lookout, Kenora District in northwestern Ontario, Canada.It has a passing track, and is on a branch line of the Canadian National Railway, between Thunder Bay at the southeast and Superior Junction on the transcontinental main line at...
, located on a CNR branch line to the south east and south of Superior Junction.
History
Sioux Lookout's name comes from a local mountain and First Nations story. This mountain, known as Sioux Mountain, was used in the late 18th century by Ojibway Indians to watch for any oncoming Sioux warriors looking to ambush their camp. A careful eye could see the sun shining off the birch of enemy canoes crossing nearby rapids. Women and children could be led away safely while the warriors could intercept the Sioux on the water. Illustrating this old story on the front page of the local newspaper, The Sioux Lookout Bulletin, is an iconic image of a First Nations man, holding a hand above his eyes to scan the waters.Present-day Sioux Lookout was incorporated in 1912 and was then a terminal point on 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:...
. For many years, Sioux Lookout was simply 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...
. When gold was discovered in Red Lake, Sioux Lookout became one of the leading aviation centers in Canada during the twenties and thirties. During the Cold War, Sioux Lookout operated a radar base to monitor any activity from Russia. Now, the Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
is a significant employer, but it is no longer the base of the municipality’s economy. Instead, the forest industry is the crux of Sioux Lookout employment. Its inherent instability is partly offset by the stability of the service sector. As a result, Sioux Lookout barely felt the effects of the recession in the early 1980s. Urban Sioux Lookout fronts on Pelican Lake, and the municipality undertook a lakefront improvement program to beautify this area. There are now more parks, paths, and other recreational facilities along the lakefront. Numerous other lakes are easily accessible by car or boat from Sioux Lookout. Tourism makes a significant contribution to the local economy, however, there is far more capacity for development and its potential is starting to be recognized.
Geography and climate
The boundaries of Sioux Lookout were significantly expanded on January 1, 1998 to include a number of unorganized geographic townships surrounding the town itself.Climate
Sioux Lookout has a continental climate with long cold winters and short warm summers.The average mean temperature in January is -18°C, and in July, near to 20°C.
The temperature fluctuates wildly throughout the winter, occasionally as low as -40°C (the record being -46°C).
Sioux Lookout's record high temperature was 37.8°C.
Demographics
| Racial Groups | Population |
|---|---|
| White White people White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin... |
3,514 |
| Aboriginal Aboriginal peoples in Canada Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative.... |
1,450 |
| Black Black Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light... |
65 |
| Arab Arab Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing... |
35 |
| Others | 90 |
Sioux Lookout had a population of 5,182 as of 2006, a 2.9% decrease from 2001. As an ethnically diverse community, Sioux Lookout has a large Aboriginal population--1,520 people, as of 2006. The average household size is 2.7 persons and unemployment rate is 4.2%, below the Ontario average of 6.4%. The median household income in 2005 for Sioux Lookout was $71,289, above the provincial average of $60,455.
Population trend:
- Population in 2006: 5183 (2001 to 2006 population change: -2.9 %)
- Population in 2001: 5336
- Population in 1996: 3469 (or 5165 when adjusted to 2001 boundaries)
- Population in 1991: 3311
Government
Sioux Lookout elects one mayor, four "councillors-at-large", one councillor for Ward 1 (Hudson), and one councillor for Ward 2 (Sioux Lookout). Mayor Dennis Leney leads a council of Herb Zettel, Don Fenelon, John Bath, Doug Squires, Joyce Timpson, and Cal Southall.The town is represented in the Canadian House of Commons by Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
MP Greg Rickford
Greg Rickford
Greg Rickford is a Canadian politician. Rickford was elected to represent the Ontario electoral district of Kenora in the 2008 Canadian federal election....
in the electoral district of Kenora
Kenora (electoral district)
Kenora is a federal and former provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004, and was represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from the early twentieth century....
, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
by NDP MPP Howard Hampton
Howard Hampton
Howard George Hampton, MPP is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He has served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada, since 1987 as the Member of Provincial Parliament from the northern riding of Kenora—Rainy River. A member of the Ontario New Democratic Party, he was also the party's...
in the electoral district of Kenora—Rainy River
Kenora—Rainy River (provincial electoral district)
Kenora—Rainy River is a provincial electoral district in northwestern Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1999. It was created from Kenora, most of Rainy River and part of Lake Nipigon. The boundaries of the new district corresponded with the...
.
Economy
The main industries of Sioux Lookout are:- Services, (68%)
- Forestry, (14%)
- Transportation, (12%)
- Tourism (4%)k
The population explodes during the spring and summer months when seasonal residents arrive. Most of Sioux Lookout's tourism comes from people wanting to experience the town's amazing outdoor activities. Fishing is the main tourist attraction during the summer months due to the easy access of numerous lakes with world-class fishing, such as "Legendary" Lac Seul and Minnitaki Lake.
Education
Schools located in the Sioux Lookout area include Queen Elizabeth District High School, Sioux Mountain Public School, Sacred Heart Elementary School, Cornerstone Christian Academy, and Pelican Falls First Nations High School. Hudson Public School closed in 2010.Culture
Media
Newspaper- Sioux Lookout Bulletin
Television
- CICA-85TVOntarioTVOntario, often referred to only as TVO , is a publicly funded, educational English-language television station and media organization in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is operated by the Ontario Educational Communications Authority, a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Ontario...
(TVOntarioTVOntarioTVOntario, often referred to only as TVO , is a publicly funded, educational English-language television station and media organization in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is operated by the Ontario Educational Communications Authority, a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Ontario...
) channel 2 - CBWDT-1CBWTCBWT is the CBC's television station in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is the only CBC station in Manitoba, since Brandon's CKX-TV closed on October 2, 2009....
(CBC TelevisionCBC TelevisionCBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
) channel 12
Radio
- AM 1240 - CBLSCBQT-FMCBQT-FM is a Canadian radio station. It is the CBC Radio One station in Thunder Bay, Ontario, broadcasting at 88.3 FM, and serves all of Northwestern Ontario through a network of relay transmitters.-History:...
, CBC Radio OneCBC Radio OneCBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming... - FM 89.9 - CKWTCKWT-FMCKWT-FM is a radio station of Wawatay Radio Network in Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada. The station airs a community programming format for First Nations, and serves much of Northwestern Ontario through a network of rebroadcast transmitters.-Rebroadcasters:...
, Wawatay Radio Network, First NationsFirst NationsFirst Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
communityCommunity radioCommunity radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest... - FM 91.9 - CIDECIDE-FMCIDE-FM is a Canadian First Nations radio station belonging to the Wawatay Native Communications Society, broadcasting at 91.9 FM in Sioux Lookout, Ontario. The station broadcasts distance education and informational programming through the Northern Nishnawbe Education Council...
, Wawatay Radio Network, First NationsFirst NationsFirst Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
communityCommunity radioCommunity radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest... - FM 97.1 - CKDR-2CKDR-FMCKDR-FM is a radio station in Dryden, Ontario, Canada. The station broadcasts an adult contemporary format at 92.7 FMCKDR also has rebroadcasters in Ear Falls, Hudson, Ignace, Red Lake and Sioux Lookout.-History:...
, adult contemporary - FM 103.3/104.5 - CKQV-FMCKQV-FMCKQV-FM is a radio station in Vermilion Bay, Ontario, Canada. The station's main studio and transmitter are located in Vermilion Bay, with repeaters in Kenora, Dryden and Sioux Lookout. Branded as Q104 after its repeaters, the station was locally owned and operated by Norwesto Communications.The...
Literature
Peggy Sanders, awarded the Order of Canada in October 2006, is Sioux Lookout's leading literary figure. She was praised by the Governor-General for "bridging cultures...and building relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities for decades". She continued to note that Sanders was: "a founding member of the local anti-racism committee...and has championed literacy by founding the town's first public library." Patricia Ningewance Nadeau, from Lac Seul, OntarioLac Seul First Nation
Lac Seul First Nation is located on the southeastern shores of Lac Seul, northeast of the city of Dryden, Ontario. Though Lac Seul First Nation is a treaty signatory to Treaty 3, the First Nation is a member of the Independent First Nations Alliance, a regional tribal council and a member of the...
, is on the board of directors at the Indigenous Language Institute. She has published a textbook on language: "Talking Gookom's Language" and five other books. She was the first editor of Wawatay News in Sioux Lookout.
Richard Schwindt, former resident of Sioux Lookout, published a collection of short stories titled "Dreams and Sioux Nights" in 2003. Most of the characters and settings are based upon Sioux Lookout and the surrounding area.
"Phillip Neault-Pioneer" is the collection of songs and stories told by Mae Carroll to her grandchildren. Her book, edited by James R. Stevens, takes place in the two railroad towns of Fort William
Fort William, Ontario
Fort William was a city in Northern Ontario, located on the Kaministiquia River, at its entrance to Lake Superior. It amalgamated with Port Arthur and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Ever since then it has been the largest city in Northwestern...
and Sioux Lookout in pioneer times. The Sioux Lookout Anti-Racism Committee won the 23rd Annual Media Human Rights Awards Winner for "their web site which deals with the effects and strategies of dealing with issues of racism and resources and strategies to deal with instances of racism".
The town also appears as a prominent figure in the novel, The Cunning Man
The Cunning Man
The Cunning Man, published by McClelland and Stewart in 1994, is the last novel written by Canadian novelist Robertson Davies.The Cunning Man is the memoir of the life of a doctor, Dr. Jonathan Hullah, living in Toronto. Hullah is a holistic physician — a cunning diagnostician who can often...
by Robertson Davies
Robertson Davies
William Robertson Davies, CC, OOnt, FRSC, FRSL was a Canadian novelist, playwright, critic, journalist, and professor. He was one of Canada's best-known and most popular authors, and one of its most distinguished "men of letters", a term Davies is variously said to have gladly accepted for himself...
, as well as the 1952 novel Crazy White Man: Sha-ga-ne-she Wa-du-kee
Crazy White Man: Sha-ga-ne-she Wa-du-kee
Crazy White Man:Sha-ga-ne-she Wa-du-ke is a novel written by Richard Morenus in 1952. The novel deals with his transformation from a New York radio and magazine writer to a woodsman...
by Richard Morenus.
Music
Lawrence MartinLawrence Martin (musician)
Lawrence Martin is a Canadian musician and politician. He has used the name Wapistan in his musical work....
, a Juno Award
Juno Award
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music...
-winning musician, was the mayor of Sioux Lookout during the nineties. Martin is now mayor of Cochrane
Cochrane, Ontario
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...
, and was once a member of the TVOntario
TVOntario
TVOntario, often referred to only as TVO , is a publicly funded, educational English-language television station and media organization in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is operated by the Ontario Educational Communications Authority, a Crown corporation owned by the Government of Ontario...
board of directors. Also, a concert series called S.L.Y.M (Sioux Lookout Youth Music) Productions supplies the town with local and out-of- town bands for the town's ear drums. To date, S.L.Y.M has featured the local bands of Red Radio, Double Helix, and The Four Ohms. S.L.Y.M. also regularly hosts open coffee houses to showcase local acoustic talent. The Sioux Lookout Cultural Center for Youth and the Arts is under construction and will include a recording studio for aspiring local artists.
Sports
Sioux Lookout is home to the Sioux Lookout FlyersSioux Lookout Flyers
The Sioux Lookout Flyers are a Junior "A" ice hockey team from Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada. They are a part of the Superior International Junior Hockey League.-History:...
, a Junior A team in the Superior International Junior Hockey League
Superior International Junior Hockey League
The Superior International Junior Hockey League is a Junior A ice hockey league under the supervision of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Hockey Canada. The winner of the SIJHL playoffs competes for the Dudley Hewitt Cup with the winners of the Ontario Junior Hockey League and the Northern...
. Also hosted every year is a First Nations hockey tournament.
Ryan Parent
Ryan Parent
Ryan Parent is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays within the Vancouver Canucks organization of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, first round NHL draft pick and two-time World Junior Hockey champion, was raised in Sioux Lookout. Parent returns to his home town during the off-season. As a member of the Canadian World Juniors team, Parent won two consecutive gold medals in 2006 and 2007. He was a first-round draft pick (18th overall) of the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the 2005 NHL entry draft and was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
on February 17, 2007. Ryan Parent officially joined the NHL when he was recalled from the Flyer's AHL affiliate team the Philadelphia Phantoms on February 13, 2008 and took a place on the roster.
Infrastructure
New residential zones have been created in response to Sioux Lookout's continued population growth (which is one of the highest in Northern Ontario). In the past decade, Sioux Lookout has built an elementary school, a large grocery store, municipal office, police station, and a clinic.The Downtown Revitalization project is well underway and the construction of a new youth centre, renovated train station, and upgrades to Centennial Park are planned to be completed by March 2011.
Health and medicine
The new Sioux Lookout Meno-Ya-Win Health Centre is the largest construction project in the town and will open its doors to patients in late 2010. This new 140000 square feet (13,006.4 m²) hospital will bring many health care services together under one roof. The proposed building complex will provide Sioux Lookout, as well as several northern communities, with advanced healthcare. Services that had to be outsourced to larger cities, forcing patients to travel or wait longer periods for results, will now be available locally. The three municipalities and twenty-nine northern communities that will be serviced by the medical centre cover an area larger than that of France. The health centre including a hospital, long term care, community services, patient hostel and other related services is characterized by its unique blending of mainstream and traditional Aboriginal care. It has been designated as Ontario's centre of excellence for First Nations' healthcare.Transportation
Sioux Lookout AirportSioux Lookout Airport
Sioux Lookout Airport, , is a regional airport based in Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada. The airport opened in 1933. It was, at the time, the second busiest airport in North America next to Chicago Midway International Airport...
was opened in 1933
1933 in Canada
-Events:* April 7 - Raymond Paley becomes the first known skiing fatality in the Canadian Rockies on Fossil Mountain.* August 16 - A race riot occurs at Christie Pits in Toronto.* November 11 - The magnitude 7.3 Baffin Bay earthquake occurs at Baffin Bay, Nunavut....
; at the time it was the second busiest airport in North America next to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Today, the airport is a "Mini-Hub" facilitating travel to and from all northern communities in Northwestern Ontario. Sioux Lookout's Airport is the fourth busiest in Ontario. Three airway companies and ORNGE (part of Ontario's largest medical transport providers) take advantage of a large facility that is undergoing further expansion. Bearskin Airlines
Bearskin Airlines
Bearskin Lake Air Services Ltd., trading as Bearskin Airlines, is a regional airline based in Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada. It operates services in northern Ontario and Manitoba...
, Lockhart Air, Skycare air ambulance, and Wasaya Airways
Wasaya Airways
Wasaya Airways LP is a 100% First Nations owned domestic airline with its headquarters in Thunder Bay, Northern Ontario...
all operate out of "YXL".