Black River-Matheson, Ontario
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Township of Black River-Matheson | |
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| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Province | Ontario |
| District | Cochrane |
| Established | |
| Government | |
| - Type | Township |
| - Mayor | Mike Milinkovich |
| - Governing Body | Black River-Matheson Township Council |
| - MP | Charlie Angus (NDP) |
| - MPP | Gilles Bisson (NDP) |
| Area | |
| - Total | 1,161.67 km² (448.5 sq mi) |
| Population (2006)[1] | |
| - Total | 2,619 |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Postal code span | P0K |
| Area code(s) | 705 |
| Website: Township of Black River-Matheson | |
Black River-Matheson is a township in the Cochrane District of the Canadian province of Ontario. As of 2006, the township had a population of 2,619 [1]. The area was 1,161.67 square kilometres.
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[edit] Communities
The main communities in the township are Holtyre, Matheson, Ramore, Shillington and Val Gagné.
[edit] Issues
In the initial aftermath of the 2006 Toronto terrorism case arrests, the Toronto Sun reported that the alleged terrorists had staged a test explosion in Matheson as a trial run for their terrorism plan. Both the township's reeve, Gil Hebert, and the local Ontario Provincial Police detachment denied that any such explosion had ever taken place in the township. [2]
The town also has problems related to its economic contraction. A large portion of the community is aged over 60, and its population is in decline (3222 in 1996, 2912 in 2001 [3]). Middle aged adults, families, and high school students are moving to bigger cities, such as Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. Its distance from North Bay (350 km) and Timmins (69 km) keeps Matheson remote and secluded. Most people commute to other communities to work. Many students travel to school in Iroquois Falls (30km); some students travel one hour each way on bus to high school in Timmins.
Matheson had also faced a problem with medical assistance; the town has one hospital and two family doctors to service the entire town. In event of an emergency, patients are sent to either Timmins, or Iroquois Falls via ambulance. Another problem is the lack of governmental assistance for snow removal; this is an issue at times when Matheson receives a large amount of snow. In some cases, schools close due to unsafe road conditions, or temperatures below -40 degrees celcius.
Summers in Matheson generate tourism, especially with the many lakes in the area; cottagers, hunters and fisherman come in the hundreds.
