Swastika, Ontario

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Lucky Cross Mill in Swastika, Ontario (1918)

Swastika is a small community founded in 1908 around a mining site in northern Ontario, Canada, and today within the municipal boundaries of Kirkland Lake, Ontario.

Swastika is a junction on the Ontario Northland Railway [1], where a branch to Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec leaves the ONR's main line from North Bay, Ontario to Moosonee. The Northlander passenger railway service between Toronto and Cochrane serves a station at Swastika, with connecting bus service along Highway 66 into downtown Kirkland Lake.

The town's other claim to fame is its association with the Mitford family, who owned the Swastika Mine for which the town was named. In particular, Nazi sympathizer Unity Mitford's association with the town — she was supposedly conceived there — impressed the superstitious Nazis,^{[citation needed]} to whom the swastika was an important symbol.

During World War II, the provincial government sought to change the town's name to Winston, in honour of Winston Churchill, but the town refused, insisting that the town had held the name long before the Nazis co-opted the symbol.

An important figure was Christopher Macaulay, direct descendant of Thomas Babbington Macaulay, who fought to keep the name as Swastika.

Swastika Public School serves local students from grades 1 through 6.

[edit] History

Swastika, Ontario was named after the Swastika Gold Mine staked in the fall of 1907 and incorporated on January 6, 1908. James and William Dusty staked the claims alongside Otto Lake for the Tavistock Mining Partnership. The Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway had an engineers camp nearby as they had to construct two railway bridges as they advanced Northward. They first used the name Swastika in their 1907 Annual Report to indicate a water tank was located at this site to meet the needs of the mighty steam trains that opened up Northern Ontario. Prospectors and miners flooded to the area and after viewing the find at the Swastika Gold Mine they advanced throughout the area. In 1909 the Lucky Cross Mine adjacent to the T&NO railway tracks began producing gold. A Mr. Morrisson started a farm and lodging alongside the tracks as early as 1907 and from there the community developed. By 1911 a hotel, businesses, etc. were flourishing and the area to the East was heavily staked and the major gold mines of Kirkland Lake were found and developed. Swastika was the main transportation link with the railway and communications centre. Churches, school classes, community groups and organizations continued to provide the needs of the residents of the area. In 2008 the small community of Swastika will be celebrating its Centennial and welcome all to participate. People have indicated Lord Redesdale's daughter was conceived in this area, which is false as she was born in 1914 long before her father came to the area in the twenties. People state they gave Hitler the concept of the swastika sympol which is also false as the symbol is one of the oldest symbols in mankind. Hitler grew up with it as a student and was known to first use it in 1920 (Unity was six years old). The residents of the community served in both world wars and even today one of our young men recently returned from serving in Afganistan. The symbol and name was given to the first producing gold mine in 1907/08 because it was a good luck symbol used at that time. During WWII the Provincial Government attempted to rename the community Winston in honour of Winston Churchill's valient effort to fight the Nazis. The residents objected as they were not asked for a choice in name or even a say in the change - it was done from Toronto without consultation. The people were against the dictatorial manner in which the change was made. The symbol is a major religious symbol in addition to its general good luck use. The community was proud of its heritage, as it is today, and wanted the right to keep the name of their village. In 2008 we hope to let others know that our village is a small, safe, clean, and beautiful community with its rivers and lake that allows many peaceful activities. Canada is a free country with the right of its citizens to honour and preserve the heritage of the men and women that built this nation.