Nipigon, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Nipigon is a township
in Thunder Bay District
, Northwestern Ontario
, Canada
, located along the west side of the Nipigon River
and south of the small Lake Helen running between Lake Nipigon
and Lake Superior
. Lake Nipigon is located approximately 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) north of Nipigon.
Nipigon is served by several transportation corridors:
, southwest of Geraldton and Beardmore, west of Marathon
and northwest of Sault Ste. Marie
. The crater on Mars
named Nipigon Crater
or Crater Nipigon is named after this town.
Nipigon is surrounded with pine and other varieties of forests. The power line connecting from Lake Nipigon supplies electricity to Thunder Bay and area. The other power line runs between Thunder Bay and the rest of Ontario. Timbering has been common sporadically to the north, the northwest and further north within Lake Nipigon along with parts of the southwest which formed old forest roads to the northeast and north. The municipality of Greenstone
lies to the north. A manufacturing plant lies to the south. Several other unincorporated municipalities were around Nipigon. A communications tower near Nipigon broadcasts a local radio station and television channels from Thunder Bay including CKPR
(TBT) and CBQT.
There are two bridges at the east end of town spanning the Nipigon River, one a single-line railway bridge, and the other a two-lane road bridge. With the exception of the Canadian National Railway transcontinental rail line, they comprise the narrowest east-west land link in Canada's transportation system. Both Highways 11 and 17, and the Canadian Pacific Railway, route all their traffic across the bridges.
The Ministry of Transportation is currently studying this transportation link, with the possibility of widening the highway bridge over the Nipigon River to four lanes.
Nipigon is a setting off point for fishing excursions onto Lake Superior and the Nipigon River system leading up to Lake Nipigon. Fish varieties common to this area include Atlantic salmon
, lake trout
, speckled trout
(the world's largest speckled trout was caught in the Nipigon River in 1915, weighing in at 14.5 pounds (6.6 kg)), rainbow trout
, walleye
, northern pike
, bass
, and perch
. There are a number of charter companies with skippers who have a knowledge of the waters and can usually land anglers right on top of the fish.
of Portland, Oregon
. At the time of the sale, a $4-million modernization plan for the mill was also announced. More than 100 people were employed at the plant, which produced hardwood underlayment for vinyl, plywood and laminate flooring.
won the Briar in 1982 and 1985.
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 Thunder Bay District
Thunder Bay District
Thunder Bay District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. The district seat is Thunder Bay....
, Northwestern Ontario
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...
, located along the west side of the Nipigon River
Nipigon River
The Nipigon River is about long and 50 to 200 m wide in Ontario, Canada. The river drains Lake Nipigon into Nipigon Bay in Lake Superior, dropping from an elevation of 260 m to 183 m .-History:...
and south of the small Lake Helen running between Lake Nipigon
Lake Nipigon
Lake Nipigon is the largest lake entirely within the boundaries of the Canadian province of Ontario . It is sometimes described as the sixth Great Lake. Lying 260 metres above sea level, the lake drains into the Nipigon River and thence into Nipigon Bay of Lake Superior...
and Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
. Lake Nipigon is located approximately 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) north of Nipigon.
Nipigon is served by several transportation corridors:
- Highway 11
- Highway 17, both part of the Trans-Canada HighwayTrans-Canada HighwayThe 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...
- Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
Geography
For about 15 km, Highway 11 runs within Nipigon River and a lake. Nipigon is located northeast of Thunder BayThunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
, southwest of Geraldton and Beardmore, west of Marathon
Marathon, Ontario
Marathon is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in Thunder Bay District, on the north shore of Lake Superior north of Pukaskwa National Park, in the heart of the Canadian Shield.- History :...
and northwest of Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie is a city on the St. Marys River in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay, with a population of 74,948. The community was founded as a French religious mission: Sault either means "jump" or "rapids" in...
. The crater on Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
named Nipigon Crater
Nipigon (crater)
Nipigon is an impact crater on Mars, located in the Arcadia quadrangle just North-East of the volcano Uranius Patera. The crater is in diameter. The crater was named in 1991 after the Canadian town Nipigon, Ontario...
or Crater Nipigon is named after this town.
Nipigon is surrounded with pine and other varieties of forests. The power line connecting from Lake Nipigon supplies electricity to Thunder Bay and area. The other power line runs between Thunder Bay and the rest of Ontario. Timbering has been common sporadically to the north, the northwest and further north within Lake Nipigon along with parts of the southwest which formed old forest roads to the northeast and north. The municipality of Greenstone
Greenstone, Ontario
Greenstone is an amalgamated town in the Canadian province of Ontario. The area of the town is , stretching along Highway 11 from Lake Nipigon to Longlac; it is one of the largest incorporated towns in Canada....
lies to the north. A manufacturing plant lies to the south. Several other unincorporated municipalities were around Nipigon. A communications tower near Nipigon broadcasts a local radio station and television channels from Thunder Bay including CKPR
CKPR-TV
CKPR-DT is a Canadian English language television station. It is a private affiliate of CBC Television licensed to the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario...
(TBT) and CBQT.
There are two bridges at the east end of town spanning the Nipigon River, one a single-line railway bridge, and the other a two-lane road bridge. With the exception of the Canadian National Railway transcontinental rail line, they comprise the narrowest east-west land link in Canada's transportation system. Both Highways 11 and 17, and the Canadian Pacific Railway, route all their traffic across the bridges.
The Ministry of Transportation is currently studying this transportation link, with the possibility of widening the highway bridge over the Nipigon River to four lanes.
Demographics
Population trend:- Population in 2006: 1752
- Population in 2001: 1964
- Population in 1996: 2210
- Population in 1991: 2338
Economy
The chief industries in Nipigon are forest products, fishing, and tourism.Nipigon is a setting off point for fishing excursions onto Lake Superior and the Nipigon River system leading up to Lake Nipigon. Fish varieties common to this area include Atlantic salmon
Atlantic salmon
The Atlantic salmon is a species of fish in the family Salmonidae, which is found in the northern Atlantic Ocean and in rivers that flow into the north Atlantic and the north Pacific....
, lake trout
Lake trout
Lake trout is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, lake char , touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, they can also be variously known as siscowet, paperbellies and leans...
, speckled trout
Speckled Trout
Speckled trout may refer to:* Brook trout , a freshwater fish in the Salmonidae family* Spotted seatrout , a coastal saltwater or brackish water fish in the Sciaenidae family...
(the world's largest speckled trout was caught in the Nipigon River in 1915, weighing in at 14.5 pounds (6.6 kg)), rainbow trout
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
, walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
, northern pike
Northern Pike
The northern pike , is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus Esox...
, bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
, and perch
Perch
Perch is a common name for fish of the genus Perca, freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning spotted, and the...
. There are a number of charter companies with skippers who have a knowledge of the waters and can usually land anglers right on top of the fish.
Mill fire
On February 6, 2007, a devastating fire ripped through Multiply Forest Products, burning the mill to the ground. The mill was the main employer in the town. Less than a month earlier workers at the mill had purchased it from Columbia Forest ProductsColumbia Forest Products
Columbia Forest Products is the largest manufacturer of hardwood veneer and hardwood plywood in the United States. Founded in 1957, it is headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina. It specializes in decorative, interior veneers and plywood panels that are used in high-end cabinetry, fine...
of Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. At the time of the sale, a $4-million modernization plan for the mill was also announced. More than 100 people were employed at the plant, which produced hardwood underlayment for vinyl, plywood and laminate flooring.
Al Hackner
Nipigon was the birthplace of two time world curling champion Allan A. "Al" (the Iceman) Hackner. Al HacknerAl Hackner
Allan A. "Al" Hackner, nicknamed "the Iceman" is a Canadian Hall of Fame curler from Thunder Bay, Ontario. He was born and raised in Nipigon, Ontario. He is a two-time Brier and World Champion skip...
won the Briar in 1982 and 1985.