Elliot Lake
Elliot Lake (2001 population 11,956) is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada, north of Lake Huron in the Algoma District, midway between the cities of Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie.
The town was established as a planned community for the mining industry in 1955 after the discovery of uranium in the area, and named after the small lake on its northern edge. Geologist Franc Joubin and American financier Joseph Hirshhorn were instrumental in its founding. The principal mining companies were Denison Mines and Rio Algom. The town collapsed to a population of 6,664 but gradually increased during the 1970's because of federal plans for CANDU Reactors and Ontario Hydro's interest in inexpensive energy sources. Anticipating a population of 30,000, the town invested heavily to expand its infrastructure. But by the early 1990s, depleted reserves and low prices caused the last mines in the area to close. In the years since, the city looked elsewhere for its survival, finding some success promoting itself as a retirement community and tourist destination.
Relatively isolated, Elliot Lake is only connected to the south by Highway 108, a 30 km distance to Highway 17 (a branch of the Trans-Canada Highway). There are no paved roads extending more than 20 kilometers north of the city. Elliot Lake Municipal Airport has no regularly scheduled flights.
Situated on the Canadian Shield, the city sits amid a challenging hilly terrain of dense forest, muskeg swamps, numerous lakes, winding rivers, and cliffs of Precambrian bedrock. The local forests are mixed deciduous and coniferous, with colourful displays in the autumn. Local wildlife include moose, white-tailed Deer, American Black Bear, beaver, loon, muskrat, otter, Canada Goose, and lynx, to name but a few. Fish species include lake trout, speckled trout, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, pickerel (walleye), and sturgeon.
Since December 1990 the town has been home to the Elliot Lake Research Field Station, established by Laurentian University to investigate environmental radioactivity.
The well known photographer Edward Burtynsky had taken documentary landscape pictures of Uranium and Nickel Tailings, during the mid-1990's; providing an example of the horrible after effects to the eco-system.
Until the 1870s an Ojibwa village existed near the present hospital site on the lake's shoreline. Elliot Lake is home to a large number of Franco-Ontarians.
Attractions
- Fire Tower Lookout
- Elliot Lake Mining and Nuclear Museum
- Denison House
- Elliot Lake ATV Club
- Stone Ridge Golf & Country Club
- Mount Dufour Ski Area
- Uranium Atom Monument
- Miners Memorial Monument
- Jewel In the Wilderness Festival
- OK Tire North Shore Challenge Drag Race
- Mountain Bike Ontario Cup Race
- The Jewel in the Wilderness Ontario Cup Road Race
- Tri-it in the Wilderness Triathlon
- Bell Ididarace Sled Dog Race
Climate
- Average percipitation - 104.2 mm
Average Minimum Temperature
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0C | -17.7 | -17.6 | -11.1 | -2.6 | 4.0 | 9.5 | 12.2 | 11.4 | 7.7 | 2.9 | -3.9 | -12.3 | -0.8 |
| OF | 1.4 | 0.3 | 12.0 | 27.3 | 39.2 | 49.1 | 54.0 | 52.5 | 45.9 | 37.2 | 25.0 | 9.9 | 30.6 |
Average Maximum Temperature
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0C | -6.4 | -5.2 | 0.8 | 8.2 | 15.9 | 21.5 | 23.6 | 22.3 | 17.7 | 11.9 | 3.0 | -3.7 | 9.8 |
| OF | 20.5 | 22.6 | 33.4 | 46.8 | 60.6 | 70.7 | 74.5 | 72.1 | 63.9 | 53.4 | 37.4 | 25.3 | 49.6 |
Temperature Charts
- Coming Soon
Precipitation Charts
- Coming Soon
Famous people from Elliot Lake
- Rick Brebant, hockey player
- Bob Dillabough, hockey player
- Catharine Dixon, writer
- Alex Henry, hockey player
- Doug McEwen, hockey player
- Dennis McEwen, hockey player
- Celia Sankar, writer
- Jeremy Stevenson, hockey player
- Zack Stortini, hockey player
- Alan Thicke, actor
Trivia
Canadian musician Stompin' Tom Connors recorded "Muckin' Slushers," about the city of Elliot Lake and its mining culture in the 1960s.
Defunct mines
- Denison Mine, Denison Mines Limited
- Panel Mine, Rio Algom Limited
- Quirke Mine 1, Rio Algom Limited
- Quirke Mine 2, Rio Algom Limited
- Milliken Mine, Rio Algom Limited
- Stanleigh Mine, Rio Algom Limited
- Nordic Mine, Denison Mines Limited
- Spanish-American Mine, Rio Algom Limited
- Stanrock Mine, Rio Algom Limited
- Lacnor Mine, Rio Algom Limited
- Pronto Mine, Rio Algom Limited
- Can-Met Mine, Denison Mines Limited
- Algome Mine, Rio Algom Limited
Education
Current Schools
- Elliot Lake Secondary School
- Villa Francaise Des Jeunes
- Our Lady of Fatima
- Our Lady of Lourdes
- École Georges Vanier
- Esten Park Public School
- Central Avenue Public School
Defunct Schools
- Elliot Lake Middle School
- Dieppe Avenue Public School
- Lakeside Avenue Public School
- Stanrock Public School
- Spruce Avenue Public School
- Westhill Avenue Public School
- Bois Jolie de Notre Dame
- Holy Family
- Sault College (Satellite Campus)
- Collège Boréal (Satellite Campus)
Sports
Hockey
- Elliot Lake Vikings (NOJHL) 1981-1998
- Elliot Lake Ice (NOJHL) 1998-1999
- Elliot Lake Contractors (GNML) 1986-1992
- Elliot Lake Minor Hockey Association
- Elliot Lake Major Hockey Association
Fastball
- Elliot Lake Prestige
- Elliot Lake Magnums
- Elliot Lake Minor Fastball Association
Softball
- Elliot Lake Girls Slow-pitch (Youth)
- Elliot Lake Mixed Slow-pitch (Adult)
- Elliot Lake Mixed Slow-pitch (Youth)
Soccer
- Elliot Lake United
Media
Television
Radio
- FM 90.3 - CBEC, CBC Radio One
- FM 92.5 - CHIM-7, Christian
- FM 94.1 - CKNR, Moose FM adult contemporary
- FM 101.7 - CBON-5, La Première Chaîne
Print and web media
- The Elliot Lake Standard is the city's main newspaper, owned by Osprey Media.
- The North Shore Daily is the city's daily newspaper.