Deep River, Ontario

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search
Town Hall in Deep River.
Town Hall in Deep River.

Deep River (2006 population: 4216[1]) is a town in Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada. It is located along the Ottawa River, about 200 kilometres north-west of Ottawa on the Trans-Canada Highway . Deep River is opposite the Laurentian Mountains.

The primary industry centres around research at Atomic Energy of Canada Limited in nearby Chalk River, Ontario. Technically, the plant belongs to the municipality of Deep River. The property taxes account for the majority of Deep River's budget.

Contents

[edit] History

A planned community laid out by McGill University, Deep River was constructed in 1944 as part of the Manhattan Project by the federal government for employees at the nearby nuclear research site at Chalk River. Along with Los Alamos, New Mexico and Oak Ridge, Tennessee, was an integral part of the war effort for the allies and scientists, engineers, and tradesmen from around the world came to work on the Manhattan project. After WWII Canada continued on with research into the atom, and dedicated the country to the peaceful uses that could be derived from putting the atom to use.

At the same time, its economy was also boosted by the construction of the hydroelectric generating station and dam on the Ottawa River at Rolphton.

The town was the subject of a famous Maclean's Magazine article in 1958 by the noted Canadian journalist, editor, and author Peter C. Newman. Entitled, "Deep River: Almost the Perfect Place to Live,[2]" the article took a sardonic take on the town as a very odd and isolated place populated by mostly young, highly educated and bored scientists and technicians struggling to find things to do with their time: "The Utopian town where our atomic scientists live and play has no crime, no slums, no unemployment and few mothers-in-law."

It remains a residential community whose economy is still rooted in the Canadian nuclear industry.

[edit] Geography

Marina on the Ottawa River.
Marina on the Ottawa River.

Deep River is located at a Latitude of 46°06' North and Longitude 77°30' West. The area of the town is 50.87 square kilometres. The town sits on the section of the Ottawa River referred to as La Rivière Creuse (the Deep River) by 17th-century French explorers (which is why its name is Deep River), and which later was at the heart of Canada's 19th-century timber trade.

[edit] Recreation, Arts & Culture

Deep River boasts many active clubs[3]. Among the numerous community accomplishments is the creation of the Deep River Symphony Orchestra, formed in 1951, making Deep River one of the smallest towns (pop. 4200 as of 2006) to have a Symphony Orchestra. Another popular event is Summerfest, a good-sized celebration held once every two years, hosting many local and famous artists including the Joe Louis', Sloan, The Terridactyls, s.c.a.m., Wide Mouth Mason, Amanda Wilkinson, Chalk River's Common Ground and Daniel Lanois. Deep River is generally known to have picturesque scenery and good hiking in the hills across the Ottawa River. Deep River also has a community pool, fire department, ski hill and a library, as well as the Canadian Clock Museum.

[edit] Education

Deep River is home to four schools, for students from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 12:

  • T.W. Morison Public School - for students JK to grade 6
  • Keys Public School - no longer "exists", used to house students grade 5 to grade 8. At the end of the 2004-2005 school year, Keys Public School was officially closed down due to budget cuts in the school board. The Junior half of Keys (grades 5 and 6) was moved to Morison Public School, and the Intermediate half (grades 7 and 8) joined Mackenzie, separated by name only (though Mackenzie students are not allowed in the Keys Wing). It was predicted Morison would close down at the end of the 2006-2007 school year (for same above mentioned reasons) and would join Mackenzie High School as well, but is now open indefinitely for an unspecified length of time. Now Keys Public School is now officially bought by A.E.C.L. (Atomic Energy Canada Limited) for use as an office building, small changes to the building, such as new fences, change in parking, security cameras and codes and badge scanners for doors.
  • Mackenzie High School - for students grades 9 to 12 (now houses Keys Public School)
  • St. Mary's Catholic School - for students JK to grade 8

[edit] Media

Deep River's weekly, The North Renfrew Times[4], has been published by the Deep River Community Association[5] since the Town's earliest days.

[edit] Radio

[edit] Movie Trivia

Deep River has achieved a degree of notoriety at least in the films of David Lynch. As well as being referenced in Blue Velvet, the town is specifically mentioned in Mulholland Drive, Lynch's surreal film about a young actress struggling to cope in Hollywood. Naomi Watts plays a character named Betty at the beginning of the film.

“ Betty: "I just came here from Deep River, Ontario, and now I'm in this ... dream place. You can imagine how I feel." ”

[edit] Neighbouring municipalities

  North: Laurentian Hills  
West: Laurentian Hills Deep River East: Chalk River
  South: Laurentian Hills  

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Statistics Canada
  2. ^ Peter C. Newman. "Deep River: Almost the Perfect Place to Live", Macleans, 1958-09-15. 
  3. ^ Deep River Community Association. DRCA Member Clubs.
  4. ^ The North Renfrew Times
  5. ^ The Deep River Community Association

[edit] External links

Schools

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_River%2C_Ontario"
Personal tools
Languages