Latchford, Ontario

Latchford
Town (single-tier)
Town of Latchford
Bridge over the Montreal River with Latchford in the background.
Etymology: Named for Francis Robert Latchford
Motto:  The Best Little Town by a Dam Site!
Latchford
Coordinates: 47°19′44″N 79°48′37″W[1]
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
District	Timiskaming
Settled	1902
Incorporated	June 15, 1907 (1907-06-15)
Government
• Mayor	Sharon Gadoury-East
• Federal riding	Nipissing—Timiskaming
• Prov. riding	Timiskaming—Cochrane
Area [2]
• Land	153.53 km^2 (59.28 sq mi)
Elevation	289 m (948 ft)
Population  (2021)[2]
• Total	355
• Density	2.3/km^2 (6/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Postal Code	P0J 1N0
Area code(s)	705, 249
Website	www.latchford.ca

Latchford is a single-tier municipality town in Timiskaming District in Northeastern Ontario, Canada.[1] It is located on Bay Lake on the Montreal River, near the town of Cobalt and the municipality of Temagami, and is 20 kilometres (13 miles) from the city of Temiskaming Shores. The population of the town in the Canada 2011 Census was 387, which makes it the smallest town by population in Ontario.[3] The town's slogan is "The Best Little Town by a Dam Site!"

History

Latchford was first settled in 1902 when the decision to build the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway (now the Ontario Northland Railway) was struck. It was decided the railway would cross the Montreal River at the location of what is today Latchford, and a bridge was finished in 1904. Hence, the settlement was known first as Montreal River Station. It was renamed Latchford in 1905 in honour of the provincial commissioner of public works, Francis Robert Latchford, and was incorporated as a town on July 15, 1907. A dam that provided hydroelectric power, as well as a vehicle crossing over the river, was built in 1910, and Ontario Highway 11 including a bridge over the river was built finished through the town in 1927. Silver mining, forestry, and later tourism, drove Latchford’s economy throughout the 20th century.[4][5]

In 2006, the boundaries of the town were expanded to include the South Part of geographic Gillies Limit Township.[6][7]

A plaque was erected in 2009 commemorating the founding of the town.[4][8]

Transportation

Latchford has good road links because of Ontario Highway 11, which is part of the Trans-Canada Highway as it passes through the town. Ontario Northland offers a twice-daily bus service north towards Cochrane and south towards North Bay.

Bridges

The Sgt. Aubrey Cosens VC Memorial Bridge, which carries Ontario Highway 11, is the town's most recognized symbol. It was named after a World War II recipient of the Victoria Cross from Latchford. The bridge failed on a cold day in 2003, but was repaired and is again in service.

Recreation

W.J.B. Greenwood Provincial Park is in Latchford south of the town centre.[9]

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1991	345	—
1996	338	−2.0%
2001	363	+7.4%
2006	370[11]	+1.9%
2011	387	+4.6%
2016	313	−19.1%
2021	355	+13.4%
[10][3][2]

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Latchford had a population of 355 living in 169 of its 206 total private dwellings, a change of 13.4% from its 2016 population of 313. With a land area of 152.26 km^2 (58.79 sq mi), it had a population density of 2.3/km^2 (6.0/sq mi) in 2021.[12]

Mother tongue (2006 census):[13]

• English as first language: 78.2%
• French as first language: 12.6%
• English and French as first language: 2.3%
• Other as first language: 6.9%

See also

• List of francophone communities in Ontario

References

1. "Latchford". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2010-07-21.
2. "Census Profile, 2016 Census: Latchford". Statistics Canada. 8 February 2017. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
3. 2011 Census Profile
4. "Founding of Latchford commemorated with provincial plaque". Ontario Heritage Trust. 2009-07-15. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
5. "The House of Memories (1931)". Town of Latchford. Archived from the original on 2011-09-30. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
6. "Gillies Limit (South)" (PDF). Geology Ontario - Historic Claim Maps. Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-27. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
7. Restructured municipalities - Ontario map #4 (Map). Restructuring Maps of Ontario. Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. 2006. Archived from the original on 2014-04-10. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
8. "Founding of Latchford". Ontario Heritage Trust. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
9. "W.J.B. Greenwood". Ontario Parks. 2002-11-12. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
10. Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 census
11. "Adjusted 2006 population explanation".
12. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Ontario". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
13. "2006 Community Profile".

Other map sources:

• Map 12 (PDF) (Map). 1 : 1,600,000. Official road map of Ontario. Ministry of Transportation of Ontario. 2010-01-01. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
• "Topographic Map sheet 31M5". Atlas of Canada. Natural Resources Canada. 2010-02-04. Archived from the original on 2009-01-22. Retrieved 2010-07-21.

External links

• Official website