Sioux Lookout
Sioux Lookout | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 | |
| Motto: Hub of the North | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Ontario |
| District | Kenora |
| Incorporation | 1912 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Dennis Leney |
| • Council | List of councilors |
| • MP | Greg Rickford |
| • MPPs | Howard Hampton |
| Area | |
| • Land | 378.61 km2 (146.18 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 383.10 m (1,256.89 ft) |
| Population (2006)[1] | |
| • Total | 5,183 |
| • Density | 13.7/km2 (35/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Postal code FSA | P8T |
| Area code | 807 |
| Website | www.siouxlookout.ca |
Sioux Lookout is a town in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. It has a population of 5,336 and an elevation: 1280 ft / 390 m. Known locally as the "Hub of the North", it is serviced by the Sioux Lookout Airport, Highway 72, and the Sioux Lookout railway station. Tourism, lumber, and health care are the primary sources of employment in the town.
There are a number of fishing camps in the area that allow access to an extensive lake system fed by the English River. The town is surrounded by several beaches including the historical site of Umphreville Park, a historical site that predates the town itself. During the summer months, Sioux Lookout's population rises as American and other tourists arrive to take advantage of the multitude of lakes and rivers in the area. Experienced guides, employed by the camps, can locate the best locations and also provide an educated tour of a unique land known affectionately as "sunset country".
In addition to the town of Sioux Lookout itself, the municipal boundaries also include the community of Hudson, located to the west along the Canadian National Railway.
History
The name of Sioux Lookout comes from a nearby mountain and a First Nations story. This mountain was used in the late 18th century by Ojibway Indians to watch for Sioux warriors coming to ambush their camp. A careful eye could see the sun shining off the birch of enemy canoes crossing nearby rapids. Women and children could be led away safely while the warriors could intercept the Sioux in the water. The front page of the local newspaper, The Sioux Lookout Bulletin, features the iconic image of a First Nations man, drawn by local artist Glen Keesic, holding a hand above his eyes and scanning the waters.
Present day Sioux Lookout was incorporated in 1912 and was then a terminal point on the National Transcontinental Railway. For many years, Sioux Lookout was simply a railway town. When gold was discovered in Red Lake, Sioux Lookout became one of the leading aviation centers in Canada during the twenties and thirties. During the Cold War Sioux Lookout operated a radar base to monitor any activity from Russia. Now, the Canadian National Railway is a significant employer, but it is no longer the base of the municipality’s economy. The forest industry is an important part of the economy. Its inherent instability is partly offset by the stability of the service sector. As a result, Sioux Lookout barely felt the effects of the recession in the early 1980s. Urban Sioux Lookout fronts on Pelican Lake, and the municipality undertook a lakefront improvement program to beautify this area. There are now more parks, paths, and other recreational facilities along the lakefront. Numerous other lakes are easily accessible by car or boat from Sioux Lookout. Tourism makes a significant contribution to the local economy, however; there is far more capacity for development and its potential is starting to be recognized.
Geography and climate
The boundaries of Sioux Lookout were significantly expanded on January 1, 1998 to include a number of unorganized geographic townships surrounding the town itself.
Topography
Climate
Sioux Lookout has a continental climate with long cold winters and short warm summers. Average mean January temperature is -18°C, whereas in July it is near to 20°C. The temperature fluctuates wildly throughout the winter, occasionally as low as -40°C (the record being -46°C). Sioux Lookout's record high temperature was 37.8°C.
| Climate data for Sioux Lookout Airport | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high humidex | 5.6 | 9.1 | 17.2 | 29.8 | 37.1 | 44.1 | 43.7 | 42.3 | 38.1 | 28.2 | 18.3 | 8.6 | 44.1 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 6.7 (44.1) |
9.3 (48.7) |
18.3 (64.9) |
30.6 (87.1) |
33.9 (93.0) |
37.8 (100.0) |
36.1 (97.0) |
35.6 (96.1) |
35 (95) |
26.7 (80.1) |
18.9 (66.0) |
8.9 (48.0) |
37.8 (100.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −13.1 (8.4) |
−8.3 (17.1) |
−0.8 (30.6) |
8.4 (47.1) |
17 (63) |
21.5 (70.7) |
24.1 (75.4) |
22.6 (72.7) |
15.7 (60.3) |
8.2 (46.8) |
−2 (28) |
−10.3 (13.5) |
6.9 (44.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −18.6 (−1.5) |
−14.3 (6.3) |
−7 (19) |
2.2 (36.0) |
10.5 (50.9) |
15.7 (60.3) |
18.6 (65.5) |
17.2 (63.0) |
10.9 (51.6) |
4.2 (39.6) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−15 (5) |
1.6 (34.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −24.1 (−11.4) |
−20.2 (−4.4) |
−13.3 (8.1) |
−4 (25) |
4.1 (39.4) |
9.9 (49.8) |
13 (55) |
11.7 (53.1) |
6.1 (43.0) |
0.2 (32.4) |
−9.2 (15.4) |
−19.7 (−3.5) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −45 (−49) |
−46.1 (−51.0) |
−37.8 (−36.0) |
−30 (−22) |
−15.6 (3.9) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
1.1 (34.0) |
0 (32) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−16.1 (3.0) |
−35.4 (−31.7) |
−41.1 (−42.0) |
−46.1 (−51.0) |
| Record low wind chill | −56.9 | −53.8 | −45.2 | −39.9 | −21.6 | −5 | −0.4 | −1.3 | −13.7 | −21 | −46.1 | −50.7 | −56.9 |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 33.1 (1.30) |
25.6 (1.01) |
34.4 (1.35) |
40.9 (1.61) |
64.4 (2.54) |
97.3 (3.83) |
85.3 (3.36) |
88.5 (3.48) |
95.3 (3.75) |
64.8 (2.55) |
53.8 (2.12) |
32.5 (1.28) |
716.1 (28.19) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.5 (0.02) |
0.9 (0.04) |
6.5 (0.26) |
23.2 (0.91) |
59.7 (2.35) |
97.2 (3.83) |
85.3 (3.36) |
88.5 (3.48) |
93.7 (3.69) |
46.9 (1.85) |
14.1 (0.56) |
0.8 (0.03) |
517.2 (20.36) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 34.1 (13.4) |
25.3 (10.0) |
28.3 (11.1) |
17.8 (7.0) |
4.8 (1.9) |
0.2 (0.1) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
2.2 (0.9) |
17.7 (7.0) |
40.8 (16.1) |
32.8 (12.9) |
204 (80) |
| Source: Environment Canada[2] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Racial Groups | Population |
|---|---|
| White | 3,514 |
| Aboriginal | 1,450 |
| Black | 65 |
| Arab | 35 |
| Others | 90 |
Sioux Lookout had a population of 5,182 as of 2006, a 2.9% decrease from 2001. Sioux Lookout is an ethnically diverse community and has a large Aboriginal population, 1,520 people as of 2006. The average household size is 2.7 persons and unemployment rate is 4.2%, below the Ontario average 6.4%. The median household income in 2005 for Sioux Lookout was $71,289, above the provincial average of $60,455.[1]
Population trend:[3]
- Population in 2006: 5183 (2001 to 2006 population change: -2.9 %)
- Population in 2001: 5336
- Population in 1996: 3469 (or 5165 when adjusted to 2001 boundaries)
- Population in 1991: 3311
Government
Sioux Lookout elects one mayor, four "councillors-at-large", one councillor for Ward 1 (Hudson), and one councillor for Ward 2 (Sioux Lookout). Mayor Dennis Leney leads a council of Herb Zettel, Don Fenelon, John Bath, Doug Squires, Joyce Timpson, and Cal Southall.
The town is represented in the Canadian House of Commons by Conservative MP Greg Rickford in the electoral district of Kenora, and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by NDP MPP Howard Hampton in the electoral district of Kenora—Rainy River.
Economy
The main industries of Sioux Lookout are:
- Services (68%)
- Forestry (14%)
- Transportation, (12%)
- Tourism (4%)
The population explodes during the spring and summer when seasonal residents arrive mainly to experience the town's amazing outdoor activities. Fishing is the main tourist attraction during summer because of access to numerous lakes that offer world class fishing such as "Legendary" Lac Seul and Minnitaki Lake.
Education
Schools that are located in the Sioux Lookout area include Queen Elizabeth District High School, Sacred Heart Elementary School, Sioux Mountain Public School, Cornerstone Christian Academy, and Pelican Falls First Nations High School. Hudson Public School closed in 2010.
Culture
The annual Blueberry Festival has been held the first week in August since 1982. 2007 marked the 25th anniversarry of the festival which celebrates the town and its surrounding environment. The most popular events include: the Sioux Mountain Festival, the Bocce Tournament, and a charitable social which incorporates an annual theme. Eco-Tourism is growing rapidly with outfitter's such as Goldwater Expeditions providing Kayaks, Skiing/Snowshoe Rentals, Ecology based Adventures, Cultural Education and Ecological Interpretation.
Sites of interest
- Sioux Mountain
- Cedar Bay Recreational Facilities
- Ojibway Park
Media
Newspaper
Television
- CICA-85 (TVOntario) channel 2
- CBWDT-1 (CBC Television) channel 12
Radio
- AM 1240 - CBLS, CBC Radio One
- FM 89.9 - CKWT, Wawatay Radio Network, First Nations community
- FM 91.9 - CIDE, Wawatay Radio Network, First Nations community
- FM 97.1/AM 1400 - CKDR-2, adult contemporary
- FM 103.3/104.5 - CKQV-FM
Arts
Literature
Peggy Sanders, awarded the Order of Canada in October 2006, is Sioux Lookout's leading literary figure. She was praised by the Governor-General for "bridging cultures...and building relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities for decades". She continued to note that Sanders was: "a founding member of the local anti-racism committee...and has championed literacy by founding the town's first public library." Patricia Ningewance Nadeau, from Lac Seul, Ontario, is on the board of directors at the Indigenous Language Institute. She has published a textbook on language: "Talking Gookom's Language" and five other books. She was the first editor of Wawatay News in Sioux Lookout.
Richard Schwindt, a former resident of Sioux Lookout, published a collection of short stories titled "Dreams and Sioux Nights" in 2003. Most of the characters and settings are based upon Sioux Lookout and the surrounding area.
Phillip Neault-Pioneer is the collected songs and stories told by Mae Carroll to her grandchildren. Her book, edited by James R. Stevens, takes place in the two railroad towns of Fort William and Sioux Lookout in pioneer times. The Sioux Lookout Anti-Racism Committee won the 23rd Annual Media Human Rights Awards Winner for "their web site which deals with the effects and strategies of dealing with issues of racism and resources and strategies to deal with instances of racism".
The town also figures prominently in the novel The Cunning Man by Robertson Davies, as well as the 1952 novel Crazy White Man: Sha-ga-ne-she Wa-du-kee by Richard Morenus.
Music
Lawrence Martin, a Juno Award-winning musician, was the mayor during the nineties. Martin is now mayor of Cochrane, and was once a member of the TVOntario board of directors. Also a concert series called S.L.Y.M (Sioux Lookout Youth Music) Productions supplies the town with local and out of town bands for the town's ear drums featuring local bands such as Red Radio, Double Helix, and The Four Ohms. S.L.Y.M. also regularly hosts open coffee houses to showcase local acoustic talent. The Sioux Lookout Cultural Center for Youth and the Arts is under construction and will include a recording studio for aspiring local artists.
Sports
Hockey is the most prominent sport played in Sioux Lookout. Sioux Lookout hosts an Annual Northern First Nations Hockey Tournament.[4] The town is also home to the Sioux Lookout Flyers, a team in the Superior International Junior Hockey League.
Ryan Parent, first round NHL draft pick and two time World Junior Hockey champion, was raised in Sioux Lookout and returns during the off-season. As a member of the Canadian World Juniors team, Parent won consecutive gold medals in 2006 and 2007. He was a first-round draft pick (18th overall) of the Nashville Predators in the 2005 NHL entry draft and was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers on February 17, 2007. Ryan Parent officially joined the NHL when he was recalled from the Flyer's AHL affiliate team the Philadelphia Phantoms on February 13, 2008 and took a place on the roster.
Infrastructure
New residential zones have been created in response to Sioux Lookout's continued population growth (which is one of the highest in Northern Ontario). In the past decade, Sioux Lookout has built an elementary school, a large grocery store, municipal office, police station, and a clinic.
The Downtown Revitalization project is well underway and the construction of a new youth centre, renovated train station, and upgrades to Centennial Park are planned to be completed by March 2011.
Health and medicine
The New Sioux Lookout Meno-Ya-Win Health Centre is the largest construction project in the town and will open its doors to patients in late 2010. This new 140,000-square-foot (13,000 m2) hospital will bring many health care services together under one roof. The proposed building complex will provide Sioux Lookout and several northern communities with advanced healthcare. Services that had to be outsourced to larger cities, forcing patients to travel or wait longer periods for results, will now be available locally. The three municipalities and twenty-nine northern communities that will be serviced by the medical centre cover an area larger than that of France. The health centre including a hospital, long term care, community services, patient hostel and other related services is characterized by its unique blending of mainstream and traditional Aboriginal care. It has been designated Ontario's centre of excellence for First Nations' healthcare.
Transportation
Sioux Lookout Airport was opened in 1933; at the time it was the second busiest airport in North America next to Chicago. Today, the airport is a "Mini-Hub" facilitating travel to and from all northern communities in Northwestern Ontario. Sioux Lookout's Airport is recognized as the fourth busiest in Ontario. Three airway companies and ORNGE (part of Ontario's largest medical transport providers) take advantage of a large facility that is undergoing further expansion. Bearskin Airlines, Lockhart Air,Skycare air ambulance, and Wasaya Airways all operate out of "YXL".[5]
References
- ^ a b c "Sioux Lookout community profile". 2006 Census data. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2011-05-26.
- ^ a b Environment Canada — Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000, accessed 2011-05-26
- ^ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census
- ^ Northern First Nations Hockey Tournament
- ^ Canada Flight Supplement. Effective 0901Z 16 July 2020 to 0901Z 10 September 2020.
External links
- Town of Sioux Lookout
- Sioux Lookout Chamber of Commerce
- Sioux Lookout Bulletin, newspaper
- Wawatay News
Places adjacent to Sioux Lookout | |
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