History

Beardmore

Sometime after 1914 the Canadian Northern Ontario Railway (CNOR) established Beardmore as a flag station. A flag station is a place where trains had to be flagged down before they stopped and small settlement developed around this site. The community got a real boost during the Sturgeon River gold rush in 1934 and 1935.

On July 6 1936, Beardmore received a post office. After several producing mines closed in the 1950s and 1960s, commercial fishing, charter boat operations, and tourism helped sustain the local economy.

Caramat

Caramat began as a flag station on the Canadian Northern Ontario Railway, its only communication with the outside world was through trains, the telegraph, and the Royal Mail. Today a paved road links it to the rest of the Municipality.

Geraldton

The discovery of gold on the shores of Kenogamisis Lake in the early 1930s led to the founding of Geraldton. A historical marker is located on the west side of Main Street in the downtown area.

The discovery of the Little Long Lac mine in 1932 meant that the Canadian National Railway line (formerly the CNOR) was soon delivering carloads of supplies and equipment to Kenogamisiss. Main Street developed between the mine and the tracks, crossing Barton Bay and a townsite developed on both sides of the road and railway.

By 1947, Geraldton had benefited from ten gold producers within a 10-mile radius. As the mines closed down, Geraldton came to depend on forestry as the main resource industry. Today, there are no operating mines, but mineral exploration activity continues.

Geraldton was incorporated as a Town in 1937. In 1939, a highway link was established with points west and south, including Thunder Bay. According to Statistics Canada, the population was 1,828 in 2016.

Jellicoe

In 1914, the CNOR created a divisional point named Hector. It had the usual roundhouse, shops, station, and section house. In 1916, the station was renamed Jellicoe in honour of the British Admiral John Rushworth Jellicoe, who had distinguished himself at the Battle of Jutland in the First World War.

The community grew during the Sturgeon River gold rush of 1934 and 1935. However, no big producers established in the immediate vicinity, and after a devastating fire that swept the community in 1939, the village never recovered its former size.

Private homes are spread over a large area. Most have backyard access to fishing and hunting opportunities. Many of the residents are employed in the forest industry.

Longlac

The region's recorded history begins with the fur trade in the late 1600s. In 1921, the Hudson's Bay Company post moved to the railway at Calong, near the centre of today's town. The completion of the Nakina cut-off in 1923 increased local railway operations.

The arrival of Pulpwood Supply Co. in 1937 gave a major stimulus to the economy. The company floated pulpwood through lakes and rivers south to Lake Superior. In 1942, the highway arrived from the direction of Geraldton.

In 1947, the company, operating as Longlac Pulp and Paper Co. Ltd., began shipping wood to its new Terrace Bay mill. The company also operated a local sawmill. In 1957, the company name changed to Kimberly-Clark Pulp and Paper Co. Ltd.

According to Statistics Canada, the population was 1,434 in 2016.

Nakina

In 1914, Nakina was a flag station on the newly completed railway line between Cochrane and Winnipeg. In 1923, the Canadian National Railway constructed the Nakina cut-off, joining its most northerly line with the one through Longlac.

In 1957, Highway 584 linked Nakina with Geraldton, the CNR began cutting back operations in Nakina.

In the 1970s, Kimberly-Clark of Canada Ltd. began permanent harvesting operations in the area, an event which somewhat offset the decline in railway employment. In 1978, the community incorporated itself as a Township.

The Nakina Museum is run by a dedicated group of volunteers and has been a popular site for residents and visitors to familiarize themselves with Nakina's history. The community offers visitors such conveniences as campgrounds, boat launches, and a public beach.