White River, Ontario

White River
Township (single-tier)
Township of White River
White River
Coordinates: 48°35′N 85°17′W / 48.583°N 85.283°W / 48.583; -85.283Coordinates: 48°35′N 85°17′W / 48.583°N 85.283°W / 48.583; -85.283
Country  Canada
Province  Ontario
District Algoma
Established 1885
Government
 • Type Township
 • Mayor Angelo Bazzoni
 • Federal riding Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing
 • Prov. riding Algoma—Manitoulin
Area[1]
 • Land 96.94 km2 (37.43 sq mi)
Population (2011)[1]
 • Total 607
 • Density 6.3/km2 (16/sq mi)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
Postal Code P0M
Area code(s) 807
Website www.whiteriver.ca

White River is a township located in Ontario, Canada, on the intersection of Highway 17 and Highway 631. It was originally set up as a rail town on the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885. In 1961, it was finally made accessible by car via Highway 17 of the Trans-Canada Highway.

The forest industry was the largest employer until 2007, when the Domtar mill shut down.

The township is perhaps best known for being the home of Winnie the Pooh. In August 1914, a trapped black bear cub was sold to Captain Harry Colebourn in White River, and Colebourn named it Winnipeg, or Winnie, after his hometown of Winnipeg. Over the years, the animal became the basis for the popular literary character. The town celebrates "Winnie's Hometown Festival" every third week in August.

The White River railway station is the western terminus of the Sudbury – White River train.

Climate

A highway sign in 1973 promoting White River as the "Coldest Spot in Canada".

White River advertises itself as "The Coldest Spot in Canada" with recorded temperatures as low as −58 °C (−72 °F). However, this is a myth, as the coldest temperature in Canada was recorded in Snag, Yukon, at −62.8 °C (−81.0 °F) on 3 February 1947.[2] Even in Ontario, the coldest recorded temperature was in Iroquois Falls on 23 January 1935 [−58.3 °C (−72.9 °F)], which is also the lowest temperature ever recorded in Eastern Canada.[2] White River's reputation for being the "coldest spot" is probably based on the fact that for many years, its reported temperature was deemed "the coldest in the nation today" from the handful of stations reporting daily temperature extremes in newspapers and on radio, with most stations' data being available only on a monthly basis to Environment Canada at the time.

Its official weather station (which closed in 1976) was located in a frost hollow, but most residential areas have good air drainage and do not see temperatures far below −40 °C (−40 °F). Gardeners can keep their flowers alive into October and grow non-boreal species such as silver maple.

White River is referenced by the Canadian singer/songwriter Christine Fellows in her song "Migrations".

Demographics

The train station in White River.
Canada census – White River, Ontario community profile
2011 2006 2001
Population: 607 (-27.8% from 2006) 841 (-15.3% from 2001) 993 (-2.8% from 1996)
Land area: 96.94 km2 (37.43 sq mi) 96.94 km2 (37.43 sq mi) 96.94 km2 (37.43 sq mi)
Population density: 6.3/km2 (16/sq mi) 8.7/km2 (23/sq mi) 10.2/km2 (26/sq mi)
Median age: 42.2 (M: 42.6, F: 41.9) 34.1 (M: 34.8, F: 33.6)
Total private dwellings: 435 443 468
Median household income: $57,297 $59,803
References: 2011[3] 2006[4] 2001[5]

Population:[6]

Mother tongue:[7]

In 2006, the township was 61% White, 26% Metis, and 13% First Nations.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "White River census profile". 2011 Census of Population. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
  2. 1 2 David Phillips. "Cold Places in Canada". Histor!ca The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2008-06-20.
  3. ↑ "2011 Community Profiles". Canada 2011 Census. Statistics Canada. July 5, 2013. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
  4. ↑ "2006 Community Profiles". Canada 2006 Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
  5. ↑ "2001 Community Profiles". Canada 2001 Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-17.
  6. ↑ Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census
  7. ↑ "White River, Ontario - 2006", Community Profiles, Statistics Canada, retrieved 31 January 2016
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