Matachewan, Ontario

Matachewan
—  Township  —
Motto: Where the highway ends... the adventure begins!
Matachewan
Coordinates: 48°00′N 80°39′W / 48°N 80.65°W / 48; -80.65Coordinates: 48°00′N 80°39′W / 48°N 80.65°W / 48; -80.65
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
District	Timiskaming
Established
Incorporated
Government
– Type	Township
– Reeve	Beverley Hine
– Federal riding	Timmins—James Bay
– Prov. riding	Timiskaming—Cochrane
Area[1]
– Land	543.63 km2 (209.9 sq mi)
Population (2006)[1]
– Total	375
– Density	0.7/km2 (1.8/sq mi)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal Code	P0K 1M0
Area code(s)	705
Website	www.matachewan.com

Matachewan is a small township in Timiskaming, northeastern Ontario, Canada, located at the end of Ontario Highway 66 along the Montreal River.

The town's main economy is based on mineral mining, mainly gold mining, with some tourism.

History

Matachewan began as a trading post of the Hudson's Bay Company, called Fort Matachewan, located about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) north of the present town site. It consisted only of a large depot and stores, with a church added later on. The local First Nations, who traded their furs here, would camp along the Montreal River but not settle permanently.^[2]

The impetus to the town's growth came in the 1920s when mineral deposits, such as gold, copper, and molybdenite, were found in the area. From then on it experienced boom and bust cycles of typical mining towns, depending on the swings in commodity prices, but its economy has gradually shifted to forestry and tourism. They have also built a new bridge that goes over the Montreal River in 2008.^[2]

Demographics

Population trend:^[3]

• Population in 2006: 375 (2001 to 2006 population change: 21.8 %)
• Population in 2001: 308
• Population in 1996: 402
• Population in 1991: 453

Private dwellings, excluding seasonal cottages: 166 (total: 217)

Matachewan as seen across the Montreal River.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Statistics Canada 2006 Census
2. ^ ^{a b} "About Matachewan". Township of Matachewan. http://www.matachewan.com/about.html. Retrieved 2009-07-31. ^{[dead link]}
3. ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census

External links

• Township of Matachewan