Manitouwadge

Manitouwadge is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located in the Thunder Bay District, at the north end of Highway 614, 331 km east of Thunder Bay and 378 km north-west of Sault Ste. Marie.

History
Manitouwadge (Manidoowaazh in Ojibwe, meaning "Cave of the Great Spirit") is part of the wide-ranging territory of the Ojibwe people. The town itself was founded by General Engineering Co Limited (later as Noranda and now part of Xstrata) after staking claims in 1953 to support of copper mine. The other mine in Manitouwadge is the Willroy mine, named after two of the "Weekend Prospectors" William Dawidowich and Roy Barker. Full production at Geco and Willroy began in 1957.

From 1954 to 1974 Manitouwadge was classified as an Improvement District. The community became an incorporated township in 1975.

In the early 1980s, gold was discovered at Hemlo, near the intersection of highways 614 and 17, about 50 km south of the town. Noranda acquired the mining rights to a significant portion of the ground in that area, and built the Golden Giant Mine. It offered housing in Manitouwadge to many of the employees of the new mine, and the town boomed.

When the Geco mine closed in 1995, Manitouwadge's population decreased significantly. After peaking at nearly 4000 people in the early 1990s, it decreased to less than 3000 by 2001. With the closing of the Golden Giant Mine in 2006, the population dropped to 2,100 by 2011.

Today
While mining has always been at the forefront of the economic activity of Manitouwadge, forestry also plays a significant part in the Town's economy. The town is currently seeking new industry and residents and offers some of the lowest housing and commercial property prices in Ontario. The Township boasts year-round outdoor recreation including a 10-run ski hill; snowmobile trails; excellent summer and winter fishing; kilometers of ATV trails, canoe and kayak routes.

Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Manitouwadge had a population of $1,974$, a change of NaN% from its 2016 population of $1,937$. With a land area of 352.17 km2, it had a population density of in 2021.

Hiking and skiing
Trails for hiking in the summer and trails for snowmobilers in the winter are also abundant. Thirteen runs for downhill skiing are present at the Kiwissa Ski Club, as well as two locations with cross country ski trails managed by the Northern Trails Ski Club. From the top of the Kiwissa ski hill, one can see almost the whole town.

Climate
Manitouwadge has a humid continental climate (Dfb) bordering on a subarctic climate (Dfc), typical in Northern Ontario. Summers are generally warm and rainy with cool nights. Winters are typically very cold and very snowy. Winter usually begins late October and lasts into April.