Burk's Falls Explained

Burk's Falls
Official Name:Village of Burk's Falls
Settlement Type:Village (single-tier)
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Canada
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:Ontario
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Parry Sound
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Chris Hope
Leader Title1:Federal riding
Leader Name1:Parry Sound-Muskoka
Leader Title2:Prov. riding
Leader Name2:Parry Sound—Muskoka
Established Title:Settled
Established Date:1860s
Established Title1:Incorporation
Established Date1:1890
Area Land Km2:3.09
Population As Of:2021
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:957
Population Density Km2:310.0
Timezone:Eastern (EST)
Utc Offset:-5
Timezone Dst:EDT
Utc Offset Dst:-4
Pushpin Map:Canada Southern Ontario
Pushpin Mapsize:200
Coordinates:45.6167°N -103°W
Postal Code Type:Postal Code
Postal Code:P0A 1C0
Area Code:705
Website:burksfalls.net

Burk's Falls is an incorporated village in the Almaguin Highlands region of Parry Sound District, Ontario, Canada, located north of Toronto and south of North Bay, Ontario. The village, and the waterfall on the site, were named (for himself) by David Francis Burk of Oshawa, after he selected the land surrounding the waterfall in the Free Land Grant Act.[2] Burk's Falls is part of the Magnetawan River waterway.

Geography

Located about west of Algonquin Provincial Park in picturesque cottage country, Burk's Falls is at the intersection of Ontario Highway 11 and the Magnetawan River.[3] It is an enclave within Armour Township. The area is set amid the fresh-water bodies that make Northern Ontario famous; the largest of which are Horn Lake to the Northwest, Pickerel Lake to the Northeast, Three Mile Lake to the Southeast, and the joined Doe and Little Doe Lakes to the Southwest.

History

The area around Burk's Falls was first settled by loggers during the 1860s. At that time, the only access to the region was via the Magnetawan River from Georgian Bay, or through the forests of the unsurveyed townships, north of Bracebridge. After 1875 the Rosseau-Nipissing Colonization Road allowed access from Muskoka, to the south. In 1879 steamboat service was established to the foot of the falls, from the historic village of Magnetawan. Railway service came to Burk's Falls in 1886, with the opening of Northern and Pacific Junction Railway, absorbed by the Grand Trunk Railway in 1888. The Village of Burk's Falls was incorporated in 1890.

A rare swing bridge was completed over the Magnetawan, just west of Burk's Falls.

Growth of the village

This growth has been limited and Burk's Falls has not amalgamated with any nearby towns such as Katrine. The population has remained steady over the last decades, standing around 1000. Expansion of Highway 11 as a dual carriageway has prompted a new interchange.

Also located in Burk's Falls is the Outward Bound Canadian Base Camp.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Burk's Falls had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 3.09km2, it had a population density of in 2021.[4]

Transportation

The village is served by provincial highways 11 and 520.

Intercity motor coach service to Burk's Falls is provided by Ontario Northland along its Toronto–Barrie–Parry Sound–Sudbury route's local schedule; it is bypassed by express schedules, but still receives twice-daily service northbound and southbound.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Census Profile, 2021 Census: Burk's Falls, Village . Statistics Canada . February 9, 2022.
  2. http://burksfalls.net/ The Municipality of the Village of Burk's Falls Ontario, Canada
  3. http://www.burksfalls.com/ Burks Falls, Ontario, Canada — Welcome to our thought-provoking, exciting Village
  4. Web site: Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Ontario . . February 9, 2022 . March 30, 2022.