Elliot Lake

Elliot Lake
—  City  —
The city of Elliot Lake; the lake on the right
Elliot Lake Location in Ontario
Coordinates: 46°23′N 82°39′W
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
District	Algoma
Established	1955
Government
• Mayor	Rick Hamilton
• Governing Body	Elliot Lake City Council
• Federal electoral district	Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing
• Provincial electoral district	Algoma—Manitoulin
Area
• Land	714.56 km2 (275.89 sq mi)
Population (2011)
• Total	11,348
• Density	15.9/km2 (41/sq mi)
Time zone	Eastern Standard Time (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (UTC-4)
Postal Code FSA	P5A
Area code(s)	705
Website	www.cityofelliotlake.com
Municipal rank: 325th in Canada

Elliot Lake is a city in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is north of Lake Huron, midway between the cities of Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie in the Northern Ontario region.

History

Prior to the settlement of the city, an Ojibwa village existed near the present hospital site on the lake's shoreline.^{[citation needed]}

The city 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. By the late 1950s, its population has grown to about 25,000. It was originally incorporated as an improvement district. Geologist Franc Joubin and American financier Joseph Hirshhorn were instrumental in its founding. The principal mining companies were Denison Mines and Rio Algom. The population has varied with several boom-and-bust cycles from the 1950s to the 1990s, from a high of over 26,000 to a low of about 6,600.

In 1959, the United States declared that it would buy no more uranium from Canada after 1962. During the 1970s, federal plans for CANDU Reactors and Ontario Hydro's interest in atomic energy led the town, anticipating a population of 30,000, to expand again. However, by the early 1990s depleted reserves and low prices caused the last mines in the area to close.

Elliot Lake was incorporated as a city in 1990. In the years since, the city looked elsewhere for its survival, finding some success promoting itself as a retirement community and tourist destination. In the late 2000s, mineral exploration has begun taking place in the area, with at least one new mine under preliminary development by start-up miner Pele Mountain Resources.

On Saturday, June 23, 2012, part of a roof collapsed at Algo Centre Mall, sending metal and concrete debris crashing down through two floors of the shopping centre. The accident is confirmed to have killed two people.

See also: Algo Centre Mall#2012 roof collapse

Uranium mining

Area uranium mines

• Stanleigh Mine (1956–1960 and 1982–1996), operated by Rio Algom Ltd., produced 14 million tons of ore.
• Spanish American Mine (1957–1959), operated by Rio Algom Ltd., produced 79,000 tons of ore.
• Can-Met Mine (1957–1960), operated by Denison Mines Ltd., produced 2.6 million tons of ore.
• Milliken Mine (1957–1964), operated by Rio Algom Ltd., produced 6.3 million tons of ore.
• Panel Mine (1957–1961 and 1978–1990), operated by Rio Algom Ltd., produced 15 million tons of ore.
• Denison Mine (1957–1992), operated by Denison Mines Ltd., produced 69 million tons of ore.
• Stanrock Mine (1958–1960 and 1964–1985), operated by Denison Mines Ltd., produced 6.4 million tons of ore.
• Quirke Mine(s) (1955–1961 and 1965–1990), operated by Rio Algom Ltd., produced 44 million tons of ore.
• Pronto Mine (1955–1970), operated by Rio Algom Ltd., produced 2.3 million tons of ore.
• Buckles Mine (1956–1960), operated by Rio Algom Ltd., produced 276,000 tons of ore.
• Lacnor Mine "Lake Nordic" (1956–1960), operated by Rio Algom Ltd., produced 3.4 million tons of ore.
• Nordic Mine (1956–1970), operated by Rio Algom Ltd., produced 13 million tons of ore.

Health concerns

Uranium miners in Elliot Lake became alarmed about the high incidence of lung cancer and silicosis, and they went on strike over health and safety conditions. The government appointed a Royal Commission to investigate health and safety in mines. Chaired by Dr. James Ham, it became known as the Ham Commission.

Geography and environment

Elliot Lake seen from the Fire Tower Lookout

Situated on the Canadian Shield, the city is surrounded by dense forest, muskeg swamps, numerous lakes, winding rivers, and hills 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.

Acclaimed Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky has taken landscape pictures of uranium and nickel tailings during the mid-1990s, providing evidence of the after-effects to the ecosystem.

Climate

• Average precipitation: 1042 mm

Average Minimum Temperature

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
°C	−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
°F	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
°C	−6.4	−5.2	0.8	8.2	15.9	21.5	25.0	22.3	17.7	11.9	3.0	−3.7	9.8
°F	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

Demographics

Historical populations
Year	Pop.	±%
1971	9,093	—
1981	16,723	+83.9%
1991	14,089	−15.8%
1996	13,588	−3.6%
2001	11,956	−12.0%
2006	11,549	−3.4%
2011	11,348	−1.7%

Transportation

Relatively isolated, Elliot Lake is only connected to the south by Highway 108, a 30 km distance to Highway 17, also known as the Trans-Canada Highway. Highway 639 extends for 24 kilometres north of the city to its terminus at Highway 546, although this is an almost entirely unpopulated route used primarily as an access road to Mississagi Provincial Park and a few private wilderness recreation lodges. The Deer Trail Route, a part of the Ontario Tourist Route network, follows a circle consisting of Highways 17, 108, 639 and 546.

Elliot Lake Municipal Airport has no regularly scheduled flights.

Elliot Lake Transit provides daily bus service on an hourly basis, with the exception of Sundays and statutory holidays.

Arts and culture

Local festivals include the Jewel in the Wilderness Festival, Heritage Weekend and the Elliot Lake Arts on the Trail festival.

The city is home to Denison House, a hotel and convention facility located in the former corporate lodge of Denison Mines, and the Elliot Lake Mining and Nuclear Museum. Two community monuments, the Uranium Atom Monument downtown and the Miners Memorial Monument on Horne Lake, are also found in the city, as well as a scenic lookout at the former fire tower.

In 1975, Canadian musician Stompin' Tom Connors recorded "Damn Good Song for a Miner," about the city of Elliot Lake and its mining culture in the 1960s. Elliot Lake is also a prominent setting in Alistair MacLeod's award-winning novel No Great Mischief.

Education

Current schools

• Elliot Lake Secondary School
• Villa Française 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 Senior Public School
• Ecole Notre Dame du Bois Joli
• Holy Family Catholic School
• Roman Avenue Public School

Defunct postsecondary and adult schools

• Sault College (Satellite Campus) - closed
• Collège Boréal (Satellite Campus) - replaced with Access Centre to assist locals in finding employment
• White Mountain Academy of the Arts - closed 2006

Sports

• Elliot Lake ATV Club
• Stone Ridge Golf & Country Club
• Mount Dufour Ski Area
• 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
• Deer Trail Scenic Touring Route
• Voyageur Hiking Trail

Hockey

• Elliot Lake Bobcats (GMJHL) 2007–Present
• Elliot Lake Vikings (NOJHL) 1962-1998
• Elliot Lake Ice (NOJHL) 1998-1999
• Elliot Lake Contractors (GNML) 1986-1992
• Elliot Lake Minor Hockey Association
• Elliot Lake Major Hockey Association

Baseball

• Elliot Lake Fireside Heat
• Elliot Lake Minor Fastball Association

Softball

• Elliot Lake Mixed Slow-pitch (Adult)
• Elliot Lake Mixed Slow-pitch (Youth)

Soccer

• Elliot Lake

Swimming

• Elliot Lake Aquatic Club (ELAC)

Media

Television

There are no local stations, the closest being in Sudbury, Ontario:

• Channel 3: CICI-1, CTV - Sudbury, Ontario
• Channel 7: CBEC, CBC - Toronto
• Channel 12: CBLFT-6, SRC - Toronto
• Channel 51: CICO-61, TVOntario - Toronto

Radio

Elliot Lake has one commercial radio station, CKNR-FM, which operates two transmitters due to signal deficiencies in parts of the city. All of its other radio services are rebroadcasters of stations from Sudbury or Timmins.

• FM 90.3 - CBEC, CBC Radio One
• FM 92.5 - CHIM-7, Christian
• FM 94.1 - CKNR, Moose FM adult contemporary
• FM 98.7 - CKNR-1, Moose FM adult contemporary
• FM 101.7 - CBON-5, Première Chaîne
• FM 102.5 - CJTK-3, Christian

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 advertising flyer, with some current news events.

Tourist attractions

• The Elliot Lake fire tower lookout overlooks the city.
• Mount Dufour - Ski area with 2 lifts and 7 trails, 320 feet (98 m) vertical and 100% snowmaking capability
• Elliot Lake Nuclear and Mining Museum / Canadian Mining Hall of Fame

People from Elliot Lake

• Rick Brebant, hockey player
• Catharine Dixon, writer
• Alex Henry, hockey player
• Doug McEwen, hockey player
• Jeremy Stevenson, hockey player
• Zack Stortini, hockey player
• Paul Soucy, CTV News Reporter

External links

• City of Elliot Lake