Northwestern Ontario

Encyclopedia : N : NO : NOR : Northwestern Ontario

Northwestern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and west of Lake Superior, and west of Hudson Bay and James Bay. It includes most of subarctic Ontario. Its western boundary is the Canadian province of Manitoba, which disputed Ontario's claim to the western part of the region. Ontario's right to Northwestern Ontario was determined by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in 1884 and confirmed by the Canada (Ontario Boundary) Act, 1889 of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. In 1912 the Parliament of Canada by the Ontario Boundaries Extension Act gave jurisdiction over the District of Patricia to Ontario, thereby extending the northern boundary of the province to Hudson Bay.

For some purposes, Northwestern Ontario and Northeastern Ontario are treated as separate regions, while for other purposes they are grouped together as Northern Ontario.

Contents

1 Geographic subdivisions
2 Population
3 Political issues
4 See also
5 Notes
6 External links

Geographic subdivisions

Northwestern Ontario is the province's most sparsely populated region. Its only major city is Thunder Bay.

Smaller communities in the region include Kenora, Dryden, Rainy River, Atikokan, Fort Frances, Sioux Lookout, Marathon and Central Patricia. There are also several dozen First Nations in Northwestern Ontario.

Northwestern Ontario consists of the census divisions of Kenora District, Rainy River District and Thunder Bay District.

Population

The region had a population of 234,771 in the 2001 Canadian census.

Kenora District: 61,802
Rainy River District: 22,109
Thunder Bay District: 150,860

Political issues

Recently, some residents of the region have expressed dissatisfaction at the level of attention paid to the region by the provincial government. Some, most notably Kenora mayor Dave Canfield ^{[#endnote_Note1]} and Fort Frances town councillor Tannis Drysdale, have proposed the idea of the region as a whole, or parts of it, seceding from Ontario to join Manitoba, although the campaign has not yet attracted widespread public support. ^{[#endnote_Note2]}

Notes

↑ ["Kenora eyes joining Manitoba"], cbc.ca, August 3, 2005
↑ ["So, how does Kenora, Man., sound to you?"], Toronto Star, April 1, 2006

External links

[Gateway to Northwestern Ontario History]