| Matachewan | |
|---|---|
| — Township — | |
| Motto: Where the highway ends... the adventure begins! | |
|
Matachewan
|
|
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| District | Timiskaming |
| Established | |
| Incorporated | |
| Government | |
| • Type | Township |
| • Reeve | Beverley Hine |
| • Federal riding | Timmins—James Bay |
| • Prov. riding | Timiskaming—Cochrane |
| Area[1] | |
| • Land | 543.63 km2 (209.9 sq mi) |
| Population (2006)[1] | |
| • Total | 375 |
| • Density | 0.7/km2 (1.8/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Postal Code | P0K 1M0 |
| Area code(s) | 705 |
| Website | www.matachewan.com |
Matachewan is a small township in Timiskaming, Northeastern Ontario, Canada, located at the end of Ontario Highway 66 along the Montreal River.
The town's main economy is based on mineral mining, mainly gold mining, with some tourism.
Contents |
Matachewan began as a trading post of the Hudson's Bay Company, called Fort Matachewan, located about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) north of the present town site. It consisted only of a large depot and stores, with a church added later on. The local First Nations, who traded their furs here, would camp along the Montreal River but not settle permanently.[2]
The impetus to the town's growth came in the 1920s when mineral deposits, such as gold, copper, and molybdenite, were found in the area. From then on it experienced boom and bust cycles of typical mining towns, depending on the swings in commodity prices, but its economy has gradually shifted to forestry and tourism. They have also built a new bridge that goes over the Montreal River in 2008.[2]
Population trend:[3]
Private dwellings, excluding seasonal cottages: 166 (total: 217)
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||