- Red Lake, Ontario
-
Red Lake — Town — 
Red LakeCoordinates: 51°02′N 93°50′W / 51.033°N 93.833°WCoordinates: 51°02′N 93°50′W / 51.033°N 93.833°W Country 
CanadaProvince 
OntarioDistrict Kenora Settled 1926 Formed July 1, 1998 Government – Type Town – Mayor Phil Vinet – MP Greg Rickford (CPC) – MPP Sarah Campbell (NDP) Area[1] – Land 610.38 km2 (235.7 sq mi) Elevation[2] 385.90 m (1,266 ft) Population (2006)[1] – Total 4,526 – Density 7.4/km2 (19.2/sq mi) Time zone CST (UTC-6) – Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5) Postal code FSA P0V Area code(s) 807 Website www.red-lake.com 
Gold in quartz from the Red Lake Mine
Red Lake is a municipality with town status in the Canadian province of Ontario, located 535 kilometres (332 mi) northwest of Thunder Bay and less than 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the Manitoba border. The municipality consists of six small communities — Balmertown, Cochenour, Madsen, McKenzie Island, Red Lake and Starratt-Olsen — and had a population of 4,526 people in the Canada 2006 Census.
The three primary sources of employment in Red Lake are support services for the numerous mines surrounding the town, small scale logging and a tourism sector specializing in hunting and fishing. It is known as the "Norseman Capital of the World", referring to the Noorduyn Norseman aircraft which played a significant role in the development of the area.[3]
Red Lake is an enclave within Unorganized Kenora District. The municipality was formed on July 1, 1998, when the former incorporated townships of Golden and Red Lake were merged along with a small portion of Unorganized Kenora District.
Contents
History
The town experienced a sudden surge of economic, industrial, and population growth with the discovery of gold in 1926. In fact, by 1936, Red Lake's Howey Bay was the busiest airport in the world with more flights landing and taking off per hour than any other.[3]
In 1995 Goldcorp, owners of the Red Lake Mine, discovered that it contains the world's richest grade gold ore (two troy ounces of gold per metric ton). Shortly thereafter, the mine suffered through a four-year long miners' strike. Since then the mine has become one of the richest gold mines in the world.[citation needed]
Demographics
Canada census – Red Lake, Ontario Community Profile 2006 2001 Population:
Land area:
Population density:
Median age:
Total private dwellings:
Mean household income:4526 (6.9% from 2001)
610.38 km2 (235.67 sq mi)
7.4 /km2 (19 /sq mi)
37.9 (males: 38.4, females: 37.4)
2009
$74,6944233 (-11.4% from 1996)
610.30 km2 (235.64 sq mi)
6.9 /km2 (18 /sq mi)
37.0 (males: 37.8, females: 36.4)
1962
$58,524Population trend:[6]
- Population in 2006: 4526
- Population in 2001: 4233
- Population total in 1996: 4778
- Golden (township): 2248
- Red Lake (township): 2277
- Population in 1991:
- Golden (township): 2355
- Red Lake (township): 2268
Climate
The climate of the area is warm-summer continental. In this township, snow usually starts falling around late October / early November, and starts melting around March but doesn't fully melt until late April (and snow in May and even June is not uncommon). This long winter is ideal for the local snowmachiners and for ice fishing though during this period, the wind is often very cold and temperatures may drop to below -35 degrees Celsius. During winter, residents and visitors participate in snow-mobiling, ice fishing, skiing, ice hockey, and downhill sliding.
During the summer, the area experiences a moderate climate with little humidity, which is ideal for camping, boating, canoeing, and hiking.
Climate data for Red Lake Airport Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Humidex 5.2 8.8 15.8 27.6 36.9 42.8 43.9 42.3 38.9 27.9 17.8 6.3 43.9 Record high °C (°F) 14.8
(58.6)9.5
(49.1)17.2
(63.0)30.6
(87.1)32.7
(90.9)37.2
(99.0)35.8
(96.4)36.1
(97.0)33.2
(91.8)27.2
(81.0)18.3
(64.9)8.9
(48.0)37.2
(99.0)Average high °C (°F) −14
(7)−9
(16)−1.1
(30.0)8.2
(46.8)16.6
(61.9)21.2
(70.2)23.8
(74.8)22.4
(72.3)15.3
(59.5)7.7
(45.9)−2.7
(27.1)−11.3
(11.7)6.4 Daily mean °C (°F) −19.6
(−3.3)−15.2
(4.6)−7.7
(18.1)1.9
(35.4)10
(50)15.2
(59.4)18.1
(64.6)16.7
(62.1)10.3
(50.5)3.7
(38.7)−6.4
(20.5)−16.2
(2.8)0.9 Average low °C (°F) −25.1
(−13.2)−21.4
(−6.5)−14.2
(6.4)−4.5
(23.9)3.4
(38.1)9.2
(48.6)12.3
(54.1)11
(52)5.4
(41.7)−0.4
(31.3)−10
(14)−21.1
(−6.0)−4.6 Record low °C (°F) −45.6
(−50.1)−45.7
(−50.3)−39.4
(−38.9)−28.8
(−19.8)−12.2
(10.0)−3
(27)1.5
(34.7)−1.4
(29.5)−7.2
(19.0)−15.8
(3.6)−38.7
(−37.7)−43.9
(−47.0)−45.7
(−50.3)Wind chill −55.5 −54 −44.2 −32.2 −22.2 −5.9 0.2 −2.4 −13.7 −20.5 −39.7 −50.7 −55.5 Precipitation mm (inches) 27.7
(1.091)18.6
(0.732)29
(1.14)35
(1.38)54.6
(2.15)97.7
(3.846)90.8
(3.575)86
(3.39)80.2
(3.157)52.4
(2.063)41.7
(1.642)26.5
(1.043)640
(25.2)Rainfall mm (inches) 0.1
(0.004)1
(0.04)5.8
(0.228)19.5
(0.768)49.3
(1.941)97.3
(3.831)90.8
(3.575)86
(3.39)78.8
(3.102)35.9
(1.413)7.7
(0.303)0.4
(0.016)472.8
(18.614)Snowfall cm (inches) 33.4
(13.15)21.3
(8.39)26.3
(10.35)16.7
(6.57)5.5
(2.17)0.4
(0.16)0
(0)0
(0)1.5
(0.59)17.2
(6.77)39.3
(15.47)31.6
(12.44)193
(76)Sunshine hours 106.5 123.3 173.3 220 252.9 250.8 271.4 247.4 158.5 101.3 67.1 82.1 2,054.5 Source: Environment Canada[2] Transportation
Red Lake is located at the northern terminus of Highway 105, and is the northernmost town in Ontario that is located on a primary King's Highway. A short spur route, Highway 125, extends northerly from Highway 105 to the communities of Balmertown, Cochenour and McKenzie Island, while Highway 618 extends westerly from Highway 105 to the communities of Madsen and Starratt-Olsen. Only one highway in the province, the secondary Highway 599, extends further north than the terminus of Highway 125.
The town acts as a cargo, passenger and tourism hub for Northwestern Ontario. With Pickle Lake, Red Lake services over twenty northern fly-in communities. Today, Red Lake Airport is a "mini-hub" facilitating travel to and from all northern communities in North-western Ontario. Four airway companies take advantage of Red Lakes close proximity to the northern communities. Bearskin Airlines, Superior Airways, and Wasaya Airways all operate out of "YRL".
Attractions
This little bush town has a museum and is close to Woodland Caribou Provincial Park and Pakwash Provincial Park. Some local restaurants are Spud&Dog, the Lakeview, and The Howey. Red Lake is a prime location for summer sports fishing, as the lake contains several types of fish including walleye, northern pike, lake trout, whitefish and sauger. Other popular recreational summer activities include golfing at the Red Lake Golf and Country Club, swimming at Rahill Beach, and even exploring the many bays and arms of Red Lake by boat.
Hunting is another activity in the region that attracts tourism, especially during the fall season. Outdoorsmen know of the abundance of game in the Red Lake District, including moose, ruffed grouse, spruce grouse, duck, and bear. Some citizens even participate in the fur industry with established trapping lines interspersed throughout the local forests. The gray wolf, white-tailed deer, red fox, beaver, and many bird species also inhabit the area.
Notable residents
- Kristen Hager, actress
- Linda Lundstrom, clothing designer
- Peter McLeod, professional aerobatic pilot
- Norval Morrisseau, renowned Anishinabe artist sometimes called the "Father of Woodland Art"
- Brendan Williams, musician
Media
Radio
- FM 97.1 - CKDR-5, adult contemporary
Notes
On September 15, 2000, JR Radio, on behalf of a company to be incorporated received approval by the CRTC for a low-power English-language FM radio programming undertaking at Red Lake. The station would offer a pop, rock and dance music format all locally produced and would broadcast at 95.1 MHz with an effective radiated power of 50 watts. It was never built.
References
- ^ a b "Red Lake community profile". 2006 Census data. Statistics Canada. http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3560042&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&Data=Count&SearchText=Red%20Lake&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
- ^ a b Environment Canada — Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000, accessed 2011-05-24
- ^ a b Richthammer, John. The End of the Road: A History of the Red Lake District (1985)
- ^ "2006 Community Profiles". Statistics Canada. Government of Canada. 2009-02-24. http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/index.cfm?Lang=E. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
- ^ "2001 Community Profiles". Statistics Canada. Government of Canada. 2007-02-01. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/profil01/CP01/Index.cfm?Lang=E. Retrieved 2011-05-24.
- ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census
External links
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- Municipalities in Kenora District, Ontario
- Mining communities in Ontario
- Hudson's Bay Company trading posts
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