Marathon | |
|---|---|
| Town of Marathon | |
 Marathon Pulp Mill, operated 1946-2009 | |
| Motto: Built On Paper - Laced With Gold! | |
  Marathon | |
| Coordinates:48°45′N86°22′W / 48.750°N 86.367°W /48.750; -86.367 | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| District | Thunder Bay |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Rick Dumas |
| • CAO | Darryl Skworchinski |
| • Councillors | List of councillors
|
| • Federal riding | Thunder Bay—Superior North |
| • Prov. riding | Thunder Bay—Superior North |
| Area | |
| • Land | 170.54 km2 (65.85 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 220 m (720 ft) |
| Population (2016)[1] | |
• Total | 3,273 |
| • Density | 19.2/km2 (50/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Postal Code | P0T 2E0 |
| Area code | 807 |
| Website | www.marathon.ca |
Marathon is a town in theCanadian province ofOntario, located inThunder Bay District, on the north shore ofLake Superior north ofPukaskwa National Park.
Personal residences encompass an area starting from Lake Superior, and stretch out to a new subdivision near Penn Lake, an in-town campsite and beach in the eastern portion of the town. ThePic River is outside of the town's eastern limits.
The town is adjacent to Peninsula Harbour and has several coves including Carden Cove, Sturdee Cove and Craddock Cove; all three are west-northwest of Marathon. Penn Lake is a local lake within the town where tourists can enjoy camping and water sports.
Heron Bay is a town located to the south of Marathon and shares the post office and phone prefix. The Pic River First Nation is on the outskirts ofPukaskwa National Park.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 5,064 | — |
| 1996 | 4,791 | −5.4% |
| 2001 | 4,416 | −7.8% |
| 2006 | 3,863 | −12.5% |
| 2011 | 3,353 | −13.2% |
| 2016 | 3,273 | −2.4% |
| [2][3][1] | ||
In the2021 Census of Population conducted byStatistics Canada, Marathon had a population of3,138 living in1,412 of its1,602 total private dwellings, a change of-4.1% from its 2016 population of3,273. With a land area of 167.03 km2 (64.49 sq mi), it had a population density of18.8/km2 (48.7/sq mi) in 2021.[4]
| 2021 | 2016 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,138 (-4.1% from 2016) | 3,273 (-2.4% from 2011) | 3,353 (-13.2% from 2006) |
| Land area | 167.03 km2 (64.49 sq mi) | 170.54 km2 (65.85 sq mi) | 170.48 km2 (65.82 sq mi) |
| Population density | 18.8/km2 (49/sq mi) | 19.2/km2 (50/sq mi) | 19.7/km2 (51/sq mi) |
| Median age | 43.2 (M: 42.8, F: 43.6) | 44.9 (M: 45.8, F: 44.4) | |
| Private dwellings | 1,602 (total) 1,412 (occupied) | 1,643 (total) | 1,653 (total) |
| Median household income | $92,000 | $82.816 |
Marathon's resource economy was built on pulp, most recently managed by Marathon Pulp Inc. On February 12, 2009, Marathon Pulp Inc. announced an indefinite shutdown that eliminated hundreds of jobs from the region, and negatively impacted Marathon's tax base and its local economy.
Starting in the mid-1980s Marathon's economy expanded to include gold mining. The Hemlo Operations included three gold mining operations: Williams, David Bell andGolden Giant mines. In 2009,Vancouver-basedTeck Cominco mining company sold its 50% share of Williams and David Bell to its investing partner,Barrick Gold Corporation, while Golden Giant was decommissioned in 2005. Golden Giant mine is now owned by Barrick Gold Corporation and is now part of David Bell mine.
Marathon is the centre of commerce for therural region in which it is situated. It boasts the largest indoorshopping mall between Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie, and one of only threeCanadian Tire department stores in the region.
Marathon is located 2 km (1.2 mi) west ofTrans CanadaHighway 17, to which it is connected via Peninsula Road (formerlyHighway 626). The town is served by theCanadian Pacific Railway and a geographically important airport (Marathon Aerodrome) just north of the Trans-Canada Highway, approximately 4 km (2.5 mi) northeast of the town. It hasOntario Northland motor coach service on its Sault Ste. Marie–Thunder Bay route.[7]
Marathon is served by five schools. Three of these are public schools: Margaret Twomey Public School, Marathon High School, and École Secondaire Cité-Supérieure. Two are Roman Catholic separate schools: Holy Saviour School and École Val-des-Bois.
Marathon has a children's park named after Del Earle, one of the town's founders, along with another park on Penn Lake.
Marathon has a challenging 9 holegolf course,cross-country skiing trails and downhillskiing (now closed), a 4-sheet curling venue (now closed), and the only indoor swimming pool between Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie (now closed), and amovie theater along with anice skating rink.
Recent developments in the town include a newskatepark,basketball courts and the refinishing of thetennis courts.
Marathon's art and culture community has varied over time.
Marathon has been home to a community entertainment series, a community choir, coffee houses & culture jams, a writer's group, an art gallery, house concerts, frequent dinner theatres, art and photography displays, quilting groups and shows, a ceramics club, annual craft shows, and numerous art classes.
A summer music series, known as "Concerts in the Parking Lot", was inaugurated in July 2006 and is held in the town centre on Wednesday evenings in summer. This casual series encompasses a variety of musical genres and showcases talent both local and from "away".
In 2010, Marathon was one of the many Canadian communities that theVancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Torch Relay passed through.
Marathon is served by numerous organizations and services. These include, among many others, the Cub Scouts, Salvation Army, Girl Guides, Victim Services, and the Royal Canadian Air Cadets.
Marathon has a warm-summerhumid continental climate (Köppen:Dfb), with its position north ofLake Superior the climate is attenuated, mainly the southern heatwaves, due to the hotair masses already have crossing the entire lake. It is noted differences withThunder Bay, for example, keeping winters still rigorous but warm summers and sometimes cool.[8][9]
A weather station was run in the town from 1950 to 1983. Data is sparse. The data presented below is from a short-lived station at nearbyTerrace Bay.
| Climate data for Terrace Bay, Ontario | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 3 (37) | 7 (45) | 13 (55) | 20 (68) | 25 (77) | 30 (86) | 30 (86) | 33 (91) | 27 (81) | 18 (64) | 15 (59) | 9 (48) | 33 (91) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −9 (16) | −3 (27) | 1 (34) | 8 (46) | 14 (57) | 19 (66) | 22 (72) | 21 (70) | 17 (63) | 10 (50) | 2 (36) | −6 (21) | 8 (47) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −15.1 (4.8) | −8.5 (16.7) | −5.6 (21.9) | 1.3 (34.3) | 7.7 (45.9) | 12.5 (54.5) | 15.9 (60.6) | 15.1 (59.2) | 11.4 (52.5) | 4.9 (40.8) | −1.7 (28.9) | −10.5 (13.1) | 2.3 (36.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −21 (−6) | −14 (7) | −12 (10) | −5 (23) | 2 (36) | 6 (43) | 10 (50) | 9 (48) | 6 (43) | 0 (32) | −5 (23) | −15 (5) | −3 (26) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −38 (−36) | −34 (−29) | −30 (−22) | −22 (−8) | −8 (18) | −3 (27) | 0 (32) | 0 (32) | −6 (21) | −11 (12) | −23 (−9) | −36 (−33) | −38 (−36) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 69 (2.7) | 49 (1.9) | 71 (2.8) | 35 (1.4) | 85 (3.3) | 109 (4.3) | 60 (2.4) | 83 (3.3) | 96 (3.8) | 115 (4.5) | 67 (2.6) | 53 (2.1) | 892 (35.1) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 1 (0.0) | 14 (0.6) | 27 (1.1) | 14 (0.6) | 85 (3.3) | 109 (4.3) | 60 (2.4) | 83 (3.3) | 96 (3.8) | 111 (4.4) | 34 (1.3) | 2 (0.1) | 636 (25.0) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 92 (36) | 36 (14) | 45 (18) | 21 (8.3) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 3 (1.2) | 34 (13) | 68 (27) | 299 (118) |
| Source:The Weather Network[10] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Marathon, elevation: 189 m or 620 ft, extremes ~1950-1983 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 7.2 (45.0) | 8.3 (46.9) | 12.8 (55.0) | 24.5 (76.1) | 28.9 (84.0) | 30.0 (86.0) | 32.2 (90.0) | 30 (86) | 25.6 (78.1) | 25.0 (77.0) | 17.2 (63.0) | 13.5 (56.3) | 32.2 (90.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −45.0 (−49.0) | −36.1 (−33.0) | −33.3 (−27.9) | −21.1 (−6.0) | −10.0 (14.0) | −2.5 (27.5) | 1.5 (34.7) | 1.1 (34.0) | −6.1 (21.0) | −9.4 (15.1) | −27.8 (−18.0) | −34.4 (−29.9) | −45.0 (−49.0) |
| Source:Environment Canada[11] | |||||||||||||
Places adjacent to Marathon, Ontario | |
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