Northern Ontario

Introducing Northern Ontario

Northern Ontario is big. Real big. So big, in fact, that the locals measure distances in hours rather than kilometers. It’s so big that six Englands could fit inside the entire region, and there would still be room for a Scotland or two.

The region’s bigness extends way beyond land size. The mining and logging industries operate on a global scale. Local mines produce over 99% of the world’s silver and nickel ore, with shafts extending 25km below the earth’s surface. The infinite expanses of forest have made Canada the number one provider of timber in the world.

Even the area’s animals are big: bear are grizzlier, fox are foxier, and the mosquitoes are so big, you could use their stinger to pierce your ears.

There’s only thing in northern Ontario that’s small: its population. About 750, 000 people live in the entire region, and only two towns have over 100, 000 citizens (Sudbury and Thunder Bay). Most people who inhabit the north come from mining or logging families. Recent years have seen a surge in nature enthusiasts, although the population continues to dwindle as jobs become scarce.

Northern Ontario’s attractions are accessed from the two main highways (Hwy 17 and Hwy 11) as they weave an intersecting course like a shoelace. The oft-traveled Hwy 17 unveils northern Ontario’s pièce de résistance, the northern crest over Lake Superior. The drive between Sault Ste Marie and Thunder Bay offers some of the most dramatic scenery in the country. Misty fjord-like passages hide isolated beaches amongst dense thickets of pine, cedar and birch. Prevailing mists cast a primeval haze over the churning waters.

Just when you thought things couldn’t get more remote, the arcing path of Hwy 11 stretches deep into the north before linking back up to Hwy 17. This far-flung area offers access to the isolated James Bay. From Cochrane, a whistle-stop train shuttles passengers to Moose Factory, an aboriginal reservation and former trading hub of the legendary Hudson’s Bay Company.

Canada’s version of the outback is a stunning, silent expanse where ancient aboriginal canoe routes ignite under the ethereal evening lightshow of aurora borealis. If you’re traveling to Ontario and you don’t plan a visit, you’ll regret it, big-time.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009