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North Bay | |
|---|---|
| City of North Bay | |
 Main Street | |
 Flag | |
| Nicknames: | |
| Motto: Gateway of the North | |
  North Bay Location of North Bay, Ontario | |
| Coordinates:46°18′33″N79°27′41″W / 46.30917°N 79.46139°W /46.30917; -79.46139 | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| District | Nipissing |
| Established | 1891 |
| Government | |
| • Type | City |
| • Mayor | Peter Chirico |
| • Governing Body | North Bay City Council |
| • MP | Pauline Rochefort |
| • MPP | Vic Fedeli |
| Area | |
| • Land | 315.53 km2 (121.83 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 64.91 km2 (25.06 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 5,314.85 km2 (2,052.08 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 197 m (646 ft) |
| Population (2021)[2] | |
• Total | 52,662 |
| • Density | 166.9/km2 (432/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 51,433 |
| • Urban density | 792.4/km2 (2,052/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 71,736 |
| • Metro density | 13.5/km2 (35/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Forward sortation area | |
| Area codes | 705, 249, 683 |
| Highways |   Highway 17 /TCH Highway 11 Highway 63 |
| Website | northbay |
North Bay is a city inNortheastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat ofNipissing District and takes its name from its position on the shore ofLake Nipissing. It developed as a railroad centre and its airport was an important military location during theCold War.
The site of North Bay is part of a historic canoe route whereSamuel de Champlain took a party up theOttawa River, through present-day Mattawa, on to Trout Lake and via the La Vase Creek to Lake Nipissing.[4]
Apart from Indigenous people, voyageurs and surveyors, there was little activity in the Lake Nipissing area until the arrival of theCanadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in 1882.
That was the point where theCanada Central Railway (CCR) extension ended. The CCR was owned byDuncan McIntyre who amalgamated it with the CPR and became one of the handful of officers of the newly formed CPR. The CCR started inBrockville and extended toPembroke. It then followed a westward route along theOttawa River passing through places likeCobden,Deux-Rivières, and eventually toMattawa at the confluence of the Mattawa and Ottawa Rivers. It then proceeded cross-country toward its final destination, Bonfield. Duncan McIntyre and his contractor James Worthington piloted the CCR expansion. Worthington continued on as the construction superintendent for the CPR past Bonfield. He remained with the CPR for about a year until he left the company. McIntyre was uncle to John Ferguson, who staked out future North Bay after getting assurance from his uncle and Worthington that it would be the divisional headquarters and a location of some importance.[citation needed]
In 1882, John Ferguson decided that the north bay ofLake Nipissing was a promising spot for settlement. North Bay was incorporated as a town in 1891. The first mayor was John Bourke. More importantly, Bourke developed the western portion of North Bay after purchasing the interest of the Murray Brothers from Pembroke, who were large landholders in the new community. The land west of Klock Avenue (Algonquin Avenue) was known as the Murray block. Bourke Street is named after John Bourke. Murray Street is named after the Murrays.[citation needed]
North Bay was selected as the southern terminus of theTemiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway (T&NO) in 1902, when theRoss government took the bold move to establish a development road to serve theHaileybury settlement. During construction of the T&NO,silver was discovered atCobalt and started a mining frenzy in the northern part of the province that continued for many years. TheCanadian Northern Railway was subsequently built to North Bay in 1913.[citation needed]
In July 1894, an Act to Charter the Montreal, Ottawa and Georgian Bay Canal passed without a ripple of concern in North Bay.[5] The Georgian Bay Canal was a mammoth transportation system that proposed to connect the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. The entire passageway from the Ottawa River to Lake Nipissing and down theFrench River toGeorgian Bay was surveyed in the first decade of the 20th century. Financing was a large obstacle and, as time passed, transportation patterns changed and interfered with the earlier practicality of the giant venture. Despite this, there were groups who still hoped it would happen as late as 1930.[citation needed]
North Bay grew through a stronglumbering sector,mining and the three railways in the early days. The town benefited from strong community leadership and people like Richardson, Milne, McNamara, Englands, Browning, McDougal, Carruthers, McGaughey, George W. Lee, Senator Gordon, T. J. Patton, Charlie Harrison and many others are responsible for its development. In 1919, John Ferguson was elected mayor of North Bay and continued to serve as mayor until 1922. North Bay was incorporated as a city in August 1925.[6]
TheDionne Quintuplets were born inCorbeil, Ontario, on the southern outskirts of North Bay in 1934. Their births had a tremendous impact on tourism in the area.[7] For a province struggling against economic strangulation they were as valuable a resource as gold,nickel, pulpwood or hydro power. They saved an entire region from bankruptcy. They launched Northern Ontario's flourishing tourist industry. At their peak they represented a $500 million asset.[8] North Bay and the surrounding area lived off this legacy well into the 1960s. Many visitors to the area discovered lakes and summer retreats that were easily accessible, and the businesses thrived on the tourist dollars.
In January 1968, the City of North Bay amalgamated withWest Ferris andWiddifield townships.
In 1951, as a result of rising tensions in theCold War, the Royal Canadian Air Force established an air base at North Bay, part of an expanding national air defence network to counter the threat of nuclear attack against North America by Soviet bombers. Construction of RCAF Station North Bay (in 1966 retitled "Canadian Forces Base North Bay" and in 1993 as "22 Wing/Canadian Forces Base North Bay") took three years, during which it became the largest industry in the community: a status it held for more than four decades. In October 1963, the North American Air Defence Command (NORAD) opened its Canadian operations centre at the base. Staffed by American as well as Canadian military personnel, the centre, situated 60 storeys underground to withstand a nuclear strike, monitored Canada's northern, east-central and Atlantic airspace, identifying and tracking all air traffic in this airspace, and responding to airborne emergencies, crime, and suspicious, unknown and potentially hostile aircraft. In 1983 this responsibility was expanded to all of Canada, and in October 2006 the base's NORAD operations (as of 1981, calledNorth American Aerospace Defence Command) moved into a new, state-of-the-art facility above ground, where it continues to provide surveillance, identification and tracking of aircraft, and warning and response to emergencies, attacks and other crises, for the air sovereignty of Canada and North America. In summer of 2013, the base commenced surveillance of space via SAPPHIRE, Canada's first military satellite, that was launched into orbit from India in February.[9]
Beginning in the 1990s, the base weathered a series of massive cuts by the federal government, and at one point was earmarked to close. Subsequently, a large portion of its infrastructure, including all of its airfield assets, such as hangars, fuel depot and control tower, were sold or demolished. By the 21st century, the base was no longer the city's top industry.[9]
One by-product of the air base's creation in 1951 was the extension of the existing airport's runways to handle the largest military aircraft. The long runways at North Bay have been maintained as an alternate landing site for Toronto'sPearson International Airport and were used during theSeptember 11 crisis as anemergency landing site for several international aircraft. It was also a designated emergency field for NASA's Space Transportation System, better known as the Space Shuttle.
On March 17, 2007, North Bay was announced as the winner of 2007Kraft Hockeyville contest. North Bay received $50,000 to upgrade their local arena, Memorial Gardens, and also hosted an NHL pre-season game between theNew York Islanders and theAtlanta Thrashers.
North Bay is located approximately 330 km (210 mi) north ofToronto, and differs in geography fromSouthern Ontario in that North Bay is situated on theCanadian Shield. This gives rise to a different and more rugged landscape.
North Bay is geographically unique in that it straddles both theOttawa River watershed to the east and theGreat Lakes Basin to the west. The city's urban core is located between Lake Nipissing and the smallerTrout Lake.
North Bay, critically situated at the junctions ofHighway 11 andHighway 17, remains a major transportation centre forNorthern Ontario. It is the southern terminus of theOntario Northland Railway, and is served by theJack Garland Airport.
The area of North Bay contains a number of ancientvolcanic pipes, including theManitou Islands andCallander Bay and many exposeddykes and five namedbatholiths (Timber Lake,Mulock,West Arm,Powassan andBonfield).
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The city includes the neighbourhoods of:
The climate in North Bay is common to most places inNorthern Ontario. North Bay tends to be a less humid climate than that found inSouthern Ontario due somewhat to the distance from theGreat Lakes and less warm than some other locations in Northern Ontario due to cooling fromLake Nipissing. On May 31, 2002, a tornado caused minor damage near the city. Two more tornadoes touched down on Lake Nipissing onAugust 20, 2009. This storm was a part of a chain of tornadoes that caused large amounts of damage in other parts of Ontario.[10] The weather box below shows climate normals for the airport, at an elevation of 358 m, but the majority of the city, including the downtown core, sits at an elevation of 201 m.
The highest temperature ever recorded in North Bay was 37.2 °C (99 °F) on 1 July 1931.[11] The coldest temperature ever recorded was −44.4 °C (−48 °F) on 26 January 1892.[11]
| Climate data forNorth Bay Airport, 1991−2020 normals, extremes 1887−present[a][12] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 12.8 (55.0) | 12.8 (55.0) | 27.2 (81.0) | 29.9 (85.8) | 32.2 (90.0) | 36.1 (97.0) | 37.2 (99.0) | 35.4 (95.7) | 34.4 (93.9) | 27.8 (82.0) | 23.6 (74.5) | 16.0 (60.8) | 37.2 (99.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −7.4 (18.7) | −5.6 (21.9) | 0.7 (33.3) | 8.6 (47.5) | 17.0 (62.6) | 22.0 (71.6) | 24.3 (75.7) | 23.1 (73.6) | 18.5 (65.3) | 10.6 (51.1) | 3.1 (37.6) | −3.8 (25.2) | 9.3 (48.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −12.3 (9.9) | −10.8 (12.6) | −4.5 (23.9) | 3.4 (38.1) | 11.4 (52.5) | 16.6 (61.9) | 19.0 (66.2) | 18.0 (64.4) | 13.4 (56.1) | 6.5 (43.7) | −0.6 (30.9) | −7.8 (18.0) | 4.4 (39.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −17.3 (0.9) | −15.9 (3.4) | −9.6 (14.7) | −1.8 (28.8) | 5.7 (42.3) | 11.1 (52.0) | 13.7 (56.7) | 12.8 (55.0) | 8.3 (46.9) | 2.3 (36.1) | −4.3 (24.3) | −11.7 (10.9) | −0.6 (30.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −44.4 (−47.9) | −42.8 (−45.0) | −37.2 (−35.0) | −21.7 (−7.1) | −9.4 (15.1) | −6.1 (21.0) | −2.2 (28.0) | 0.0 (32.0) | −5 (23) | −12.8 (9.0) | −26.6 (−15.9) | −43.3 (−45.9) | −44.4 (−47.9) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 69.5 (2.74) | 54.4 (2.14) | 60.2 (2.37) | 72.1 (2.84) | 88.7 (3.49) | 90.8 (3.57) | 98.2 (3.87) | 93.1 (3.67) | 113.9 (4.48) | 109.0 (4.29) | 96.7 (3.81) | 73.1 (2.88) | 1,019.7 (40.15) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 21.5 (0.85) | 12.5 (0.49) | 29.2 (1.15) | 57.8 (2.28) | 86.6 (3.41) | 94.1 (3.70) | 101.0 (3.98) | 88.7 (3.49) | 114.5 (4.51) | 101.7 (4.00) | 67.1 (2.64) | 22.9 (0.90) | 797.6 (31.40) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 70.0 (27.6) | 63.3 (24.9) | 39.2 (15.4) | 18.1 (7.1) | 3.6 (1.4) | 0.2 (0.1) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.0) | 8.8 (3.5) | 38.2 (15.0) | 71.0 (28.0) | 312.4 (123.0) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 18.4 | 15.0 | 12.4 | 12.4 | 13.3 | 13.1 | 12.3 | 12.2 | 14.0 | 15.9 | 17.6 | 18.9 | 175.4 |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 4.4 | 2.1 | 5.2 | 9.7 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 12.7 | 12.0 | 14.1 | 14.2 | 10.1 | 4.8 | 115.9 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.2 cm) | 17.9 | 15.7 | 10.1 | 5.2 | 1.1 | 0.05 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.17 | 3.0 | 11.4 | 17.9 | 82.4 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%)(at 15:00 LST) | 74.6 | 66.9 | 57.9 | 53.0 | 51.2 | 56.0 | 57.3 | 60.2 | 64.6 | 67.5 | 76.2 | 78.7 | 63.7 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 86.4 | 116.5 | 151.0 | 190.5 | 235.2 | 245.8 | 266.1 | 224.8 | 154.4 | 118.3 | 64.6 | 69.0 | 1,922.4 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 30.8 | 40.1 | 41.0 | 46.9 | 50.7 | 52.1 | 55.8 | 51.2 | 40.9 | 34.9 | 22.7 | 25.7 | 41.1 |
| Source:Environment Canada (sunshine 1981–2010)[13][14][11][15] | |||||||||||||
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| In January 1968, the City of North Bay amalgamated with West Ferris and Widdifield townships. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In the2021 Census of Population conducted byStatistics Canada, North Bay had a population of52,662 living in23,467 of its25,077 total private dwellings, a change of2.2% from its 2016 population of51,553. With a land area of 315.53 km2 (121.83 sq mi), it had a population density of166.9/km2 (432.3/sq mi) in 2021.[2]
In 2021, 11.7% of the population was Indigenous, compared to 5.0% nationally. 4.4% of residents were visible minorities compared to 26.5% nationally. The remaining 83.9% of the population was white/European. The largest visible minority groups in North Bay wereSouth Asian (1.4%),Black (1.1%), andChinese (0.5%).[2]
In 2021, 81.1% of the population spoke English as their mother tongue. French was the first language of 11.3% of residents, compared to 3.3% in all of Ontario. In terms of non-official languages, the most common were Italian (0.6%),Chinese languages (0.3%), German (0.3%), and Spanish (0.3%). 2.2% of residents listed both English and French as mother tongues, while 0.7% listed both English and a non-official language.[2]
56.3% of residents wereChristian, down from 73.2% in 2011.[16] 35.2% wereCatholic, 13.2% wereProtestant, 4.1% were Christian n.o.s and 3.8% belonged to other Christian denominations and Christian-related traditions. 41.6% of the population were non-religious or secular, up from 25.4% in 2011. All other religions made up 2.0% of the population. The largest non-Christian religion wasHinduism (0.5%).
North Baycensus agglomeration population was 71,736 as of 2021, with a land area of 5,314.85 square kilometres (2,052.08 sq mi).[2]
North Bay is more economically diverse than many otherNorthern Ontario communities, although a large percentage of the city's jobs are public sector in nature with health, education and government dominating the list of the city's top employers.[17]
North Bay is the home ofNipissing University, founded in 1992 (previous name North Bay Normal School 1909–1953, North Bay Teachers College 1953–1973, Nipissing University affiliated to Laurentian University 1973–1992, independent public university separated from Laurentian University in 1992), and ofCanadore College, founded in 1967. Approximately 10,000 full-time students (and thousands more part-time students) are enrolled at the two post-secondary institutions, which share a campus in the northwest end of the city.
Between the early 1950s and 1990s,22 Wing/Canadian Forces Base North Bay was the community's leading industry. The cuts to the base by the federal government mentioned above, plus dramatic reductions in the number of its personnel — at one time, there were 2,200 military members and civilian employees; in 2013, about 750 remained — has resulted in a loss of tens of millions of dollars to the community, an impact felt by all North Bay's business sectors.[9]
North Bay is also home toThe Algonquin Regiment (Northern Pioneers), A Coy, a Canadian Force Army Reserve unit. B Coy of The Algonquin Regiment (Northern Pioneers) is located inTimmins.
The service industry, tourism, and transportation also play a significant role in the city's economy, as well as primary industry companies. It is estimated that North Bay has more than 65 companies that offer mining supplies and services, employing almost 3,000 residents.[18]
In recent years, the city's cultural scene has expanded due to its community of artists, musicians, actors and writers. In 2004, theTVOntario programStudio 2 named North Bay as one of the top three most artistically talented communities in the province.[19]
The city has hosted film productions. In 1942,Captains of the Clouds was filmed in North Bay at the height of the Second World War. The film starredJames Cagney as aCanadianbush pilot and also featured an appearance of famed fighter pilotBilly Bishop. The city has continued to host film productions, including the 2013horror filmThe Colony starringLaurence Fishburne andBill Paxton, and the dramaStill Mine, featuringJames Cromwell in an award-winning role. Another film production that occurred in North Bay was the 2014thriller filmBackcountry.
In August 2009, the comedy troupeThe Kids in the Hall began filming their mini-seriesDeath Comes to Town on location in North Bay. More recently, the city hosted production of the third season ofHard Rock Medical.[20]
The city is fictionalised as "Algonquin Bay" in the mystery novels of North Bay nativeGiles Blunt, beginning withForty Words for Sorrow. The television series adaptationCardinal was filmed in both North Bay and Sudbury in 2016.[21]
In 2017, the crime drama seriesCarter was filmed in the city.[22]
In 2021, the reality seriesCall Me Mother was filmed in North Bay.[23]
In 2022, North Star Studios announced the acquisition of a building in the West Ferris Industrial Park, which will provide 68,000 square feet of film and television studio space.[24]
North Bay has many areas available for recreation and leisure, including over 72 sports fields and parks,[25] a marina on Lake Nipissing that holds 270 boats,[26] a plethora of trails[27] and 42 beach access points on both Lake Nipissing and Trout Lake.[28]
Recreation and leisure services:
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In the 1980s a mile-long waterfront park/promenade was developed along theLake Nipissing shoreline adjacent to the downtown core. Eventually, such attractions as a mini-train ride and two antique carousels (largely crafted by local artisans) were installed and quickly became very popular with tourists and locals alike. Now, work is beginning on a large new multi-faceted community park that will be developed on the formerCanadian Pacific Railway yards that separated the downtown core from the existing waterfront park. In August 2009, a new pedestrian underpass opened connecting the downtown core to the waterfront for the first time since the CPR laid down tracks. In 2019 the city constructed a multi-phase community space centering on a Splash Pad behind the CPR museum.
Local teams:
North Bay was crowned the winner of the KraftHockeyville competition in 2007. The New York Islanders and Atlanta Thrashers played an exhibition game at Memorial Gardens to a near-capacity crowd.
TheNorth Bay Battalion is a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League based in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. The franchise was founded as the Brampton Battalion on December 3, 1996, and began play in 1998. Due to consistently poor attendance, the team relocated to North Bay before the 2013–14 OHL season.
TheNipissing Lakers are North Bay's newest hockey team. The Lakers are the 19th member of the Ontario University Athletics' Men's Hockey League (founded in 2009 in a partnership with Nipissing University and private investors). The Lakers play in historic Memorial Gardens (circa 1955) and share the building with the North Bay Trappers. Like their Northern Ontario counterparts in Thunder Bay (the Lakehead Thunderwolves), the Lakers attract an impressive number of local hockey supporters for their games in the OUA.
The North Bay Trappers (formerly the North Bay Skyhawks) were relocated from Sturgeon Falls in 2002 (following the departure of the OHL'sNorth Bay Centennials toSaginaw, Michigan). The Trappers are members of the 8 team NOJHL Junior "A" circuit (Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League). The Skyhawks/Trappers franchise has won 3 NOJHL championship titles (2002–03, 2003–04 & 2004–05). In April 2014 the Trappers were sold to become the Mattawa Blackhawks[36]
The North Bay Bulldogs compete in the nine-team, Ontario-based NFC (Northern Football Conference). The Bulldogs were relocated from Brampton in 1991 to the Gateway City.
The North Bay Bulldogs were welcomed into the Ontario Varsity Football League while losing all eight games (0–8) in their 2013 inaugural season.
North Bay is located at the easternmost junction ofHighway 11 andHighway 17, which are both segments of theTrans-Canada Highway. The two highways share a single route through the city core, between Algonquin Avenue and an interchange at Twin Lakes, along an urbanlimited-access road with reduced but not fully controlled access. Major arterial streets intersect directly with the highway, while minor streets end at a network of service roads connecting them to the arterials. At Algonquin Avenue, Highway 17 continues westward toSturgeon Falls andSudbury, while Highway 11 heads north towardTemiskaming Shores. At the eastern interchange, Highway 17 heads eastward towardMattawa,Pembroke andOttawa, while Highway 11 widens into afreeway and heads southerly towardBarrie andToronto.
Highway 11 and Highway 17 both formerly hadbusiness spur routes through downtown North Bay,Highway 11B andHighway 17B, although both have been decommissioned by the province and are now designated only as city streets. North Bay is also served byHighway 63, a route which extends northeasterly from the city towardThorne, where it crosses theOttawa River and becomesQuebec Route 101.
Due to the steep incline of Algonquin Avenue/Highway 11 as it enters North Bay from the north on Thibeault Hill, the southbound lanes are equipped with the onlyrunaway truck ramp on Ontario's provincial highway system.[37]
North Bay is served by theNorth Bay/Jack Garland Airport, which also receives and services military flights on behalf of the adjacentCFB North Bay, is home to Canadore College Aviation Campus, and site of numerous aviation companies, including Voyageur Airways and the Bombardier Aerospace CL-415 water bomber final assembly and flight testing facility.
Intercity bus service in the city operates from theNorth Bay railway station on Station Road.
The city operates apublic transit system,North Bay Transit.
The North Bay Police Service[38] was founded in 1882,[39] and is overseen by theNorth Bay City Council's Police Services Board.[40] In 2018, it had a budget ofC$18.6 Million.[41][42]
North Bay has educational programs ranging from pre-school to university.
The local newspaper is theNorth Bay Nugget, which is published in print form from Tuesday through Saturday.
BayToday.ca is an online local news source in North Bay, offering news, weather updates, entertainment, sports and business features.
CKNY-DT is an owned-and-operated television station ofCTV. Part of theCTV Northern Ontario subsystem, CKNY functions largely as a rebroadcaster ofCICI-TV inGreater Sudbury, although news reporters in North Bay provide content to CTV Northern Ontario's newscasts. In May 2020, its local studio on Oak Street was closed, and its staff was reduced to two reporters and a cameraman/editor, all of whom now working remotely.[45] The localCogeco Cable system operates acommunity channel under theYourTV branding, which produces a slate of local newscasts under theCogeco News branding.[46]
In radio, North Bay effectively acts as a single market with the nearby town ofSturgeon Falls, with virtually all stations in both communities serving the whole region.
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