Goudreau, Ontario

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Goudreau is another railway town, built in 1912 (as was Franz, Ontario) as a stopping point along the Algoma Central Railway.

When the Cline mine opened, Goudreau sprang to life with some 200 residents coming to the area to work. Not all of the residents worked in the mine, some of them were pospectors in search of the gold, silver, copper and iron pyrit.

During the First World War, the mine was leased to the Nichols Chemicals company for the production of sulphuric acid. After the war ended, the market fell and the mine ceased operations. Other mines soon set up operations in the area. They went by the names of The Emily, Algold, Algoma Summit and The Edward. Each mine had a town site for their employees.

The town continued to grow, with the building of a two-storey railway station, workers homes and even a movie theatre (for which you paid 25 cents). A post office was built in 1915 and closed in 1966.

The Second World War ultimately led to Goudreau's demise as the demand for gold came second to iron and steel for the war. The mines eventually closed down as costs increased.

25 km east of Goudreau was the sister village of Lochalsh. A taxi ran between the two townsites and the mine. When the Cline mine closed in 1946, both towns became ghost towns. There are still active mining operations in the area as well as a few ghost mines.

The train station is no longer standing, only a foundation. The store is used maybe twice a year by a couple from America and the gas pump rusts away in a pile of debris. A handful of old homes are in the area as is the old school house. The area is still used for logging operations and summer homes.

Location: From Highway 17 West turn left on Secondary Highway 519 continue about 32 km to Goudreau Road, continue to a Stop and "T" intersection.