Barry's Bay

Former railway station, now a tourist information office at Barry's Bay.
Żurakowski Park

Barry's Bay is a community in the township of Madawaska Valley, Ontario, Canada, located two hours west of Ottawa on the shores of Kamaniskeg Lake, with a population of approximately 1,300 people.[1] Originally named 'Kuaenash Ne-ishing' (Algonquin for 'beautiful bay') Barry's Bay was later named after James Barry, a foreman for McLaughlin's Lumber in Arnprior who constructed a cabin as his headquarters in the area where St. Hedwig's Church currently stands.[2] The town was officially incorporated in 1933.

Barry's Bay can be visited from Ottawa by heading west, on the Trans-Canada Highway route #17, then turning onto route #60 at Renfrew.

The historic Train Station is home of the South of 60 Arts' Centre, a host of a variety of Art & Craft Shows, Musical events & festivals. In 2008, the town re-opened the Radcliffe Hills Ski Area for snowboarding and downhill skiing. Barry's Bay was the Central Canada finalist in the 2006 CBC Hockeyville competition.

In 2000, Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy, a Catholic liberal arts post-secondary institution was established in the town. In 2011, the Academy had a student body of 81 full-time students. It is located in Karol Wojtyla Square, occupying two buildings near St. Hedwig's Roman Catholic Parish.[3]

History

This area of Renfrew County was first settled over a hundred years ago,[4] along with other communities on the Opeongo Line. The town also served as a standby base for the Canadian Military during the war years. Local workers and lumbermen were formed into units to contribute to the Canadian war effort in World War II.

The community dedicated a park, including a monument, to honour the chief test pilot, a local resident, named Janusz Żurakowski along with the construction of the Canadian Avro CF-105 Arrow and . The CF-105 was an advanced, Canadian-designed and -built interceptor that was instrumental in the advancement of aviation technology in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Statistics Canada. 2006. Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and urban areas, 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data (table). Populations and dwelling counts. Barry's Bay. November 5, 2008. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/popdwell/Table.cfm (accessed May 3, 2009).
  2. ↑ "A Short History of Barry's Bay". Barry's Bay Public Library. http://www.library.barrys-bay.ca/historytext-villagehistory.php (accessed Nov 18, 2011).
  3. ↑ http://www.sainthedwigchurch.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=120:patron-st-hedwig&catid=52:spotlight-news-2
  4. ↑ "Township of Madawaska Valley". County of Renfrew. http://www.countyofrenfrew.on.ca/municipalities/madawaska_valley.htm (accessed May 4, 2009).

External links

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Coordinates: 45°28′59″N 77°40′59″W / 45.483°N 77.683°W