2017 Ontario's Sunset Country Travel Guide 1 | Page 22

DID YOU KNOW...
SIOUX NARROWS HAD THE LONGEST SINGLE- THUNDER BAY HAS AN AMAZING
SPAN WOODEN BRIDGE IN N. AMERICA
INITIATIVE FOR STREET ART
The 210’ bridge spanning
the Sioux Narrows straight
between Whitefish Bay
and Regina Bay was built
in 1936 of Douglas fir as an
all-wooden truss bridge.
Due to deterioration of
the structure, a new steel
bridge clad in wood to
mimic the original was
built and opened to traffic
in 2007. A replica of the
original bridge can be
seen in the Northern On-
tario Sportsfishing Centre.
KENORA WAS ONCE PART OF MANITOBA
Kenora was once claimed as part of the Province of Manitoba,
and there are early references to Rat Portage. There was a long
lasting argument between the two provinces known as the
Ontario-Manitoba boundary dispute. Each province claimed
the town as part of their territory; lasting from 1870 to 1884.
Although Ottawa had ruled the town part of Manitoba in 1881,
the issue was finally taken up with the Judicial Committee which
eventually decided in Ontario's favour.
The local group Die
Active, which is a branch
of the inspiring Definitely
Superior Art Gallery, is an
art collective for the youth
of Northwestern Ontario.
Now entering its sixth year,
the group promotes young
artists’ aspiration by giving
them a medium for their
expression by designing
public murals, performanc-
es and publications. Since
it’s inception, Die Active
has encouraged over 500 local artists to pursuit their passion and
has also caused an explosion of contemporary art around the city.
RED LAKE ONCE HAD THE BUSIEST
AIRPORT IN THE WORLD
Gold was discovered in Red Lake in 1926 causing a massive influx
in the population as people swarmed to jump on the bandwagon.
Freight requirements rapidly increased as the mine produced sev-
eral hundred pounds of material daily. Howey Bay Airport began
to be used as a base of operation for transporting goods and peo-
ple. By 1936, Howey Bay became recognized as having the most
traffic per hour than any other air authority in the world.
ARTIFACTS OVER 8000 YEARS OLD HAVE
BEEN FOUND IN SIOUX LOOKOUT DRYDEN IS THE BIRTH PLACE OF
HOCKEY GREATS
There is scientific evidence
that supports the migra-
tion of early humans to
Sioux Lookout. Culturally
modified tools and early
pottery were discovered
in the area during excava-
tions. Using carbon dating,
researchers have found
the age of the coal to be
around 8100 years. The
pottery was also found to
have cooked food residue;
estimated to been around
800-1200 years old. This
provides evidence that people have been travelling and living
throughout the Sioux Lookout area for 8000 years. Northern communities are
known for producing some
of the finest athletes that
have become internation-
ally famous for their talent
and hard work. It’s safe
to say that, unless you’ve
done your research, you
probably aren’t aware of
the origins of some of your
favourite players. Dryden is
the birthplace of NHL star
Chris Pronger who was
recently inducted into the
Hockey Hall of Fame. Chris’
older brother Sean also played in the NHL as did Wayne Muloin.
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