| Municipality of Killarney | |
|---|---|
| — Township — | |
| George Lake in Killarney | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| District | Sudbury |
| Incorporated | January 1, 1999 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Town |
| • Mayor | Morgan Pitfield |
| • Governing Body | Killarney Municipal Council |
| • MP | Claude Gravelle (NDP) |
| • MPP | France Gélinas (NDP) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,513.58 km2 (584.4 sq mi) |
| Population (2006)[1] | |
| • Total | 454 |
| • Density | 0.3/km2 (0.8/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Area code(s) | 705 |
| Website | Municipality of Killarney |
Killarney is a municipality located on the northern shore of Georgian Bay in the Sudbury District of Ontario. It is also the name of the largest community within the municipality. Killarney is commonly associated with Killarney Provincial Park, which is a large wilderness park located to the east of the townsite which occupies much of the municipality's expanded boundary.
The eastern end of the La Cloche Mountain Range is also located within the municipality of Killarney.
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The area was named after the town of Killarney in Ireland.
The area was first settled in 1820 by French Canadian fur trader Étienne Augustin de Lamorandière and his Anishinaabe wife Josephte Saisaigonokwe, who established a trading post named Shebahonaning (canoe passage) at the townsite.
Highway 637, connecting Killarney to Highway 69, was constructed in 1962.[1] Prior to its construction, the community relied primarily on water transport via Georgian Bay and the North Channel.
The current municipality was incorporated on January 1, 1999, when the Ontario provincial government expanded the boundaries of the township of Rutherford and George Island, the former governing body of the community of Killarney. The municipality was also transferred from the Manitoulin District to the Sudbury District at that time.
The larger municipality of Killarney now encompasses virtually all of Killarney Provincial Park and the French River delta, and in fact extends all the way to Highway 69, over 70 kilometres from the townsite. Despite the municipality's geographic size, however, most of its population continues to reside in the community of Killarney itself, although smaller settlements also exist at Hartley Bay and Bigwood.
The ghost towns of French River and Key Harbour are also located within the municipal boundaries of Killarney.
The municipal boundaries of Killarney encompass the geographic townships of Rutherford and George Island, Hansen, Goschen, Sale, Attlee, Kilpatrick, Travers, Struthers, Allen and Bigwood in the District of Sudbury, Killarney and part of Carlyle in Manitoulin District and the northern part of Henvey in Parry Sound
The township of Hansen was originally named Stalin after Joseph Stalin, but was renamed in 1986 when Ontario MPP Yuri Shymko successfully had a private member's bill passed through the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to rename the township in honour of athlete Rick Hansen, who was embarking on his international Man in Motion tour at the time.
The Killarney area's economy is based primarily on tourism, consisting mainly of wilderness lodges, campgrounds and retail services geared toward campers and other visitors to Killarney Provincial Park.
A community museum, the Killarney Centennial Museum, is located in Killarney adjacent to the municipal government offices.
Although not officially part of the Sudbury East region, Killarney participates in the regional Sudbury East Planning Board with the municipalities of French River, St. Charles and Markstay-Warren.
Killarney Provincial Park is also home to the Killarney Provincial Park Observatory.
The primary road access to Killarney is via Highway 637. The town is also served by the small Killarney Airport.
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