McGarry, Ontario explained

McGarry
Official Name:Township of McGarry
Canton de McGarry
Settlement Type:Township
Pushpin Map:Canada Ontario
Coordinates:48.1464°N -79.5706°W
Coordinates Footnotes:[1]
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Canada
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:Ontario
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Timiskaming
Established Title:Established
Government Type:Township
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Bonita Culhane[2]
Leader Title1:Federal riding
Leader Name1:Timmins-James Bay
Leader Title2:Prov. riding
Leader Name2:Timiskaming—Cochrane
Area Footnotes:[3]
Area Land Km2:86.67
Elevation Footnotes:[4]
Elevation M:327
Population Total:579
Population As Of:2021
Population Density Km2:6.8
Timezone:EST
Utc Offset:-5
Timezone Dst:EDT
Utc Offset Dst:-4
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:P0K 1X0
Area Code:705, 249
Population Density Sq Mi:17.5

McGarry is an incorporated township in Timiskaming District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It includes the communities of Virginiatown and Kearns. The township borders with Quebec to the east, along Highway 66 between Kirkland Lake and Rouyn-Noranda. The northern border of the township forms part of the border between Timiskaming District and Cochrane District. Highway 66 was rerouted in 2017 because of concerns that aging mine shafts under the road could cause it to collapse.[5]

J. T. Kearns (after whom one of the communities was named)[6] staked a claim in 1906, which became the Chesterville gold mine (1938–1952).[7] An 854m (2,802feet) shaft connected 20 levels, and its 500-ton stamp mill produced a total of 458,880 ounces of gold. The Kerr-Addison Gold mine started in 1936, and employed 1,456 people by 1959. In 1960, the mine produced the most gold in the Western Hemisphere, and the 10 millionth ounce of gold was produced in 1982.

History

See also: Virginiatown bank robbery. Gold in the area was originally reported in the late 1800s by Chief Ignace Tonené of the Temagami First Nation. He staked a claim near the north arm of Larder Lake but claimed it was stolen.[8] He reported it, but Indian Affairs was unable to help.[9] Tonené's claim was jumped by European settlers and later developed into the Kerr-Addison Mine.[10] [11] Adjacent to the Kerr-Addison Mine, the Chesterville gold mine was developed, operating from 1939 until 1952.[12]

Virginiatown was built to house the Kerr Addison workers.

On December 21, 1972, masked thieves successfully robbed the Virginiatown Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce on the Kerr Addison miners' payday. The robbers were never captured.[13] In 2016, the nearby Tournene Lake (or Lac Tournene in French), was officially re-named as Chief Tonene Lake.[14] [15] [16]

Beaverhouse First Nation

In 2018, Beaverhouse First Nation submitted a claim to the Government of Ontario, asserting the community is a distinct First Nation and did not sign Treaty 9, or any other treaty.[17] On April 19, 2022, Beaverhouse First Nation was officially recognized as a First Nation under Section 35 of Canada’s Constitution.[18]

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, McGarry had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of 85.62km2, it had a population density of in 2021.[19]

Mother tongue languages from 2006 census[20] !Language!% spoken
English as first language30.5%
French as first language 63%
English and French as first language1.5%
Other as first language5%

Economy

McGarry's economy has historically been supported by the mining industry, and struggled when the mines were not producing.

The Armistice Gold mine was purchased by Bonterra Resources from Kerr Resources in 2016,[21] and gold exploration and modelling was done to update the resource to a National Instrument 43-101 Compliant Resource.[22]

Gold Candle Ltd. and investors purchased the historic Chesterville Gold Mines and Kerr Addison Gold Mines property in 2016,[23] and conducted a feasibility study and gold exploration with Canadian Exploration Services Limited[24] on the old Chesterville Gold Mines and Kerr Addison Gold Mines property.

See main article: Kerr Addison Mines Ltd..

Tourism

McGarry hosts several events, including an annual fish derby at Larder Lake, and a Labour Day weekend music event at the McGarry community centre.[25] Gem Lake Maple Bedrock Provincial Park is located in McGarry Township. Sport fishing is permitted within Gem Lake Maple Bedrock Provincial Park.[26] McGarry Township Forest Conservation Reserve, shared with McFadden Township, is located in McGarry Township.[27]

Notable people and companies

People

Companies

See also

Notes and References

  1. FDNRR. McGarry. May 19, 2014.
  2. Web site: Council Members and Mayor . September 8, 2023 . mcgarray.ca . September 24, 2023.
  3. Web site: Census Profile, 2016 Census: McGarry, Township . February 8, 2017 . Statistics Canada . July 14, 2019 . August 24, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230824221701/https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3554058&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&SearchText=mcgarry&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&TABID=1&type=0 . live .
  4. Elevation taken from Google Earth at geographical coordinates, accessed May 20, 2014.
  5. News: Ontario investing in Highway 66 at Virginiatown . October 2, 2015 . Northern News . https://web.archive.org/web/20151016182714/http://www.northernnews.ca/2015/10/02/ontario-investing-in-highway-66-at-virginiatown . October 16, 2015.
  6. News: McEachern . Ronald A. . 24 June 1939 . Chesterville Mine Fulfils a 33-year-old Dream . 28 . National Post.
  7. News: 22 April 1950 . Chesterville District Farmer Almost Found Pot of Gold . 12 . The Ottawa Journal.
  8. Angus, C. (2022). Cobalt: The Making of a Mining Superpower. Canada: House of Anansi Press Incorporated. p23-24
  9. Web site: Hodgins . Bruce . Morrison . James . TONENÉ, IGNACE . Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 14 . University of Toronto/Université Laval . January 8, 2022 . May 17, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220517004421/http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/tonene_ignace_14E.html . live .
  10. [Charlie Angus]
  11. Web site: Hodgins . Bruce W. . Morison . James . Biography – TONENÉ, IGNACE – Volume XIV (1911-1920) – Dictionary of Canadian Biography . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220517004421/http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/tonene_ignace_14E.html . 2022-05-17 . 2022-04-26 . www.biographi.ca.
  12. A Chronology of Minerals Development in Canada, Government of Canada, p36 & 47
  13. Web site: The Virginiatown Bank Robbery – Michael Barnes. March 14, 2008. Republic of Mining. en-US. November 22, 2019. August 9, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200809055723/https://republicofmining.com/2008/03/14/the-virginiatown-bank-robbery-michael-barnes/. live.
  14. Chief Tonene Lake , Canadian Geographical Names Database, Government of Canada, accessed 1 March 2022
  15. https://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/search-place-names/unique?id=0c5258d7849c20c33345630cad47791b Chief Tonene Lake (Formerly Tournene Lake / lac Tournene)
  16. Web site: Hodgins . Bruce W. . Morrison . James . 1998 . Biography – Tonené, Ignace . 2022-04-26 . . . May 17, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220517004421/http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/tonene_ignace_14E.html . live .
  17. Web site: Current land claims . May 4, 2022 . ontario.ca . en . May 2, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220502194245/https://www.ontario.ca/page/current-land-claims . live .
  18. News: Beaverhouse First Nation achieves historic recognition. Kataquapit. Xavier. May 24, 2022. Toronto Star. May 30, 2022. May 26, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220526130355/https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2022/05/24/beaverhouse-first-nation-achieves-historic-recognition.html. live.
  19. Web site: Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Ontario . . February 9, 2022 . April 2, 2022 . May 12, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220512141434/https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000203&geocode=A000235 . live .
  20. Web site: 2006 Community Profile . July 29, 2009 . June 5, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110605002536/http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=3554058&Geo2=PR&Code2=35&Data=Count&SearchText=mcgarry&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom= . live .
  21. Web site: Bonterra Resources Acquires Larder Project from Kerr Mines Consisting of Two Gold Deposits and 9 km of Cadillac-Larder Break . Kerr Mines, Inc. . July 16, 2019 . July 19, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180719204916/https://kerrmines.com/bonterra-resources-acquires-larder-project-kerr-mines-consisting-two-gold-deposits-9-km-cadillac-larder-break/ . live .
  22. Web site: Larder Project . Bonterra Resources . https://web.archive.org/web/20180601190508/http://www.bonterraresources.com/projects/larder-project/ . June 1, 2018.
  23. Web site: Supplementary Application Record between Gold Candle Ltd. and GSR Mining Corp. and AJ Perron Gold Corp. . July 16, 2019 . June 20, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180620001938/https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/211718/docs/Gold_Candle_-_6-Supplementary_Application_Record_-_June_21_2016.pdf?t=1508443953287 . live .
  24. Web site: Canadian Exploration Services Limited . July 16, 2019 . July 12, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190712043720/http://www.cxsltd.com/ . live .
  25. Web site: July 6, 2021. Events and Attractions. January 9, 2022. www.mcgarry.ca. en. January 18, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220118062933/https://www.mcgarry.ca/en/residents-visitors/events-and-attractions.aspx. live.
  26. Web site: Gem Lake Maple Bedrock Provincial Park Management Statement. January 9, 2022. ontario.ca. en. December 26, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211226141608/https://www.ontario.ca/page/gem-lake-maple-bedrock-provincial-park-management-statement. live.
  27. Web site: McGarry Township Forest Conservation Reserve Management Statement. January 9, 2022. ontario.ca. en. December 20, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211220130129/https://www.ontario.ca/page/mcgarry-township-forest-conservation-reserve-management-statement. live.

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