White River, Ontario
White River | |
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Highway 631 |
White River is a township located in Northeastern Ontario, Canada, at the western end of the District of Algoma. It sits along the namesake White River and the junction of Highway 17 of the Trans-Canada Highway, and Highway 631. It was originally a railway town on the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885, and is still served by a passenger rail service to Sudbury, the Budd Car managed by Via Rail.
Its main employers include White River Forest Products (a softwood lumber mill), Albert Bazzoni Ltd., A&W Restaurant, Tri Timber, NCCP, CP Rail, Home Hardware, and Primary Power.[2]
History
In the early 1880s, White River started as a workcamp along the Canadian Pacific Railway, then under construction, but grew into a town when this site was selected by
In 1961, Highway 17 reached White River, making it accessible by car. This brought new industries and businesses, particularly tourism-related, to the town, ending its existence as an exclusive railway town.
Geography
White River is located north of Lake Superior, on White River and halfway along Highway 17 between Marathon and Wawa. This is also roughly halfway between Toronto and Winnipeg.[2]
Climate
White River advertises itself as "The Coldest Spot in Canada" with recorded temperatures as low as −58 °C (−72 °F). However, this is a myth, as the coldest temperature in Canada was recorded in
Its official weather station (which closed in 1976) was located in a
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, White River had a population of 557 living in 270 of its 333 total private dwellings, a change of -13.6% from its 2016 population of 645. With a land area of 95.55 km2 (36.89 sq mi), it had a population density of 5.8/km2 (15.1/sq mi) in 2021.[1]
2021 | 2016 | 2011 | |
---|---|---|---|
Population | 557 (-13.6% from 2016) | 645 (+6.3% from 2011) | 607 (-27.8% from 2006) |
Land area | 95.55 km2 (36.89 sq mi) | 96.78 km2 (37.37 sq mi) | 96.94 km2 (37.43 sq mi) |
Population density | 5.8/km2 (15/sq mi) | 6.3/km2 (16/sq mi) | 6.3/km2 (16/sq mi) |
Median age | 50.0 (M: 52.8, F: 47.2) | 48.0 (M: 48.8, F: 47.3) | 46.9 (M: 46.8, F: 47.1) |
Private dwellings | 333 (total) 270 (occupied) | 411 (total) | 435 (total) |
Median household income | $80,000 | $74,752 | $58,732 |
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Source: Statistics Canada[12][13] |
Mother tongue:[14]
- English as first language: 78%
- French as first language: 16%
- English and French as first language: 1%
- Other as first language: 5%
Tourism
The township is perhaps best known for being the home of
Being surrounded by wilderness, White River has a lot of outdoor recreation opportunities. Summer activities include hiking, biking, fishing, hunting, boating and canoeing. In the winter the town offers cross-country skiing and snowmobiling.[2]
Other attractions include:[15]
- Heritage Museum - documents the history of White River and includes Canadian Pacific Railway artifacts, rare Winnie the Pooh artifacts, displays White River in the early 1900s, as well as some artwork by the Group of Seven.
- Authentic Canadian Pacific Railway caboose
- Picnic Lake - with an unsupervised sandy beach, picnic tables, and boat launch.
- Tukanee Lake - nature area with rocks, water, and trails.
Transportation
White River is located at the intersection of
In popular culture
White River is referenced by the Canadian singer/songwriter Christine Fellows in her song "Migrations".
See also
- List of townships in Ontario
- List of francophone communities in Ontario
References
- ^ a b c "White River, Ontario (Code 3557091) Census Profile". 2021 census. Government of Canada - Statistics Canada. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
- ^ a b c "About". www.whiteriverlibrary.com. White River Public Library. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
- ^ a b c "History". www.whiteriverlibrary.com. White River Public Library. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
- ^ "2017-2021 Strategic Plan" (PDF). www.whiteriver.ca. The Corporation of the Township of White River. 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
- ^ "White River Forest Products Ltd. Fact Sheet" (PDF). Pic Mobert First Nation. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
- ^ a b David Phillips. "Cold Places in Canada". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historca Canada. Archived from the original on 13 November 2006. Retrieved 20 June 2008.
- 2021 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. 4 February 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
- 2016 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
- 2011 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. 21 March 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
- 2006 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. 20 August 2019.
- 2001 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. 18 July 2021.
- 2006census
- 2011 Census of Population. Statistics Canada. Archived from the originalon 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
- ^ "White River, Ontario - 2006", Community Profiles, Statistics Canada, retrieved 31 January 2016
- ^ "Things to Do". www.whiteriver.ca. The Corporation of the Township of White River. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
- ^ Walters, Jeff (26 September 2018). "Going without Greyhound: Travellers to end up stranded with loss of connections". CBC. Retrieved 1 February 2019.