Wawa
Passionate People, Perfect Place!
High Falls, Wawa.
Wawa – Passionate
People, Perfect Place!
Nestled between majestic Lake Superior
and spring-fed Wawa Lake, Wawa
is one of the larger communities in
the Northeast Superior Region, with
a population of approximately 3000.
Wawa is perhaps best known for its
28 foot-tall statue of a Canada goose,
which was constructed in 1963. In
this culturally diverse community, a
significant percentage of the population speaks both official languages.
The Michipicoten First Nation, located
approximately 20 km south of Wawa, is
a self-governing Aboriginal community
with approximately 700 members.
How to Get Here
Wawa is linked to larger communities
such as Thunder Bay and Sault Ste.
Marie by the Trans Canada Highway
17 and Highway 101. Travellers and
residents can also be carried from Sault
Ste. Marie to Hearst on the Algoma
Central Railway passenger train which
stops regularly in Hawk Junction 10
minutes outside of Wawa. International
travel can be accommodated at Thunder Bay International Airport, and various Canadian flights can be scheduled
at the Sault Ste. Marie Airport. Wawa
also operates a public airport facility that
offers commercial and private flights.
Marine access is available at Michipicoten harbour and the Harry McCluskie
Memorial Marina which has 97 slips, 40
of which have water and electrical hookups. A public transit mini-bus operates
in Wawa Monday through Friday, and
provides dial-in, demand based curb to
curb service.
Languages Spoken
28%
Our Roots: A History
of Wawa
Wawa’s history is fascinating, and is
steeped with the heritage of Ontario’s
First Nations, the fur trade, and gold
mining. Aboriginal settlement in the
Michipicoten area is estimated to have
occurred as early as 1165 BC. In the
early 1600s French explorer Étienne
Brûlé was the first European to reach
the shores of Lake Superior, and
quickly made contact with an Ojibway
Tribe living on the Michipicoten River.
Brûlé’s exploration of the area earned
Michipicoten a place on Samuel du
Champlain’s map in 1632, and as such
English Only
French Only
70%
Both Official Languages
Hornepayne
Manitouwadge
O
R II O
A R
T A
N T
O
O N
614
631
White
Lake
17
White River
•
•
Missinaibi
643
K
L
Timmins
Foleyet
144
Wawa
101
101
LAKE SUPERIOR
Michipicoten
Island
•
Toronto
Dubreuilville
Obatanga
Sault
Ste.
Marie Sudbury
•
North
Bay
Missinaibi
Lake
PUKASKWA
Timmins
Thunder Bay
17
Lake
Superior
The
Shoals
Ivanhoe
Lake
Chapleau
129
it is one of the oldest place names found
on Ontario maps. In 1725 a fur trading
post was built on the south shore of
the Michipicoten River, and between
1827 and 1887 the trading post became
the headquarters for the Hudson Bay
Company.
Since the operation of early copper
mines in the late 1600s, exploration and
extraction of mineral resources in the
Wawa area has been ongoing. Operations in copper and ore mining were
unsuccessful for many years until gold
was discovered on the shores of Wawa
Lake in 1897. In the years following the
discovery, Wawa was described as a
miniature Klondike, and gold is still being
mined in the community today. From
Go
Gogama
Wakami
Lake
1900 to 1918, the Helen Mine in Wawa
was the largest producer of iron ore in
Canada.
Low Cost of Living,
High Quality of Life
Real Estate markets in the Northeast
Superior Region typically favour the
buyer, and Wawa is no exception. With
plenty of options, and an affordable
average dwelling cost of $90,000, Wawa
is the perfect place to buy or rent a
home. Local realtors I-deal Real Estate
Ltd. offer endless options for detached
or semi-detached homes, apartments,
and cottages.
560
Securing the Future:
Opportunity and
Employment
Wawa provides its residents with numerous options for employment, which
offer competitive wages and safe work
environments.
Major Public Sector
Employers
Major Private Sector
Employers
Lady Dunn Health
Centre
The Wilderness Group
Various School Boards Wesdome Gold Mines
Ltd.
The Municipality of
Wawa
Tim Horton’s Ltd.
The Michipicoten First
Nation
Canadian Tire
Corporation
The Ontario Ministry
of Natural Resources
The Wawa Motor Inn
Superior Children’s
Centre
Growth to be
Proud of
Wawa is a highly progressive community
that prides itself in providing the best
possible quality of life to its residents.
Wesdome Mines Ltd., a gold mining
company which employs numerous
Wawa residents, and has five properties
across Ontario and Quebec, recently
produced its one millionth ounce of
gold. Recent developments towards
new industries in Wawa include a local
resident being granted the Regional
Entrepreneurial Award for a Blueberry
Plantation project, and the discovery of
a gem quality diamond in 2004, which
led to the signing of a letter of intent with
Dianor Resources Inc.
Wawa is also a regional hub for
Geographic Information Systems.
The Northern Information Technology
and Geomatics Cooperative initiative
includes six communities, and has
developed a database consisting of
municipal infrastructure, tourism information, official plans, and emergency
management data.
Adventure Awaits!
In Wawa, there’s no such thing as the
winter blues, because the coldest season of the year provides residents and
visitors with endless opportunities for
fun. Enjoy a game of hockey or curling
at the Michipicoten Memorial Community Centre, head outside for some
snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, or
ice-fishing, or enjoy snowmobiling with
friends on over 450 km of groomed
trails.
The warmer months bring even more
excitement! Wawa’s sandy beaches,
waterfalls, and breathtaking views
provide a perfect reason to head outside
and take advantage of the great outdoors. Enjoy hiking, canoeing, exploring
ATV trails, hunting, wildlife viewing, or
fishing on one of the many surrounding
lakes and rivers.
The Michipicoten Memorial Community
Centre offers great opportunities for
those who prefer to stay indoors. The
facility has a fitness centre, complete
with cardio equipment, a weight training
area, a squash room, a sauna, and a
wide spectrum of fitness programs,
from archery to yoga.
hospital with 10 acute care, 2 respite,
and 16 long-term care beds, and a 24
hour emergency department staffed
by a registered nurse and an on-call
physician. The hospital has state of the
art lab, surgical, diagnostic, therapeutic,
and obstetrics services, as well as
TeleHealth and a Nurse Practitioner
Program.
Inspiring Lifelong
Learning
Wawa places no boundaries on the
educational opportunities available
to its residents. From toddler to teenager, your child will enjoy learning in
comfortable, up-to-date facilities that
offer small class sizes and welcoming
environments. For your little ones, Wawa
offers the Superior Children’s Centre,
an organization that provides bilingual
child care programs, and the Best Start
Hub which organizes programming that
children and parents can enjoy together,
including early learning, literacy, and
play programs. Wawa offers plenty of
choices when it comes to elementary
and secondary school, with both
Catholic and Public School boards and
French and English options available
from Kindergarten to Grade 12.
For post-secondary learning, Wawa
is within close proximity to Lakehead
University and Confederation College
in Thunder Bay, Algoma University
and Sault College in Sault Ste. Marie,
and Northern College in Timmins.
Sault College offers Wawa residents
full-time post-secondary programs
which are available locally and through
video conference. Residents also have
access to the Adult Learning Centre
Focus on Learning, and Contact North
offers access to University and College
courses through distance learning, video
conferencing, and online education.
Keeping the
Community Healthy
A leader in the region when it comes
to health care, the Lady Dunn Health
Centre in Wawa boasts a community
The Wawa Family Medicine Clinic,
operated by the Wawa Family Health
Team, provides comprehensive primary
care that is quick, efficient, and patient
centred, complete with Walk-in Clinic
and five physicians on staff. Also offered
through this facility are mental health
and community service programs such
as North Algoma Counselling Services,
a Diabetes Education Program, the
Wawa Healthy Lifestyles Coalition, and
outreach nursing clinics in Dubreuilville
and Missanabie. Video tele-conferencing, physiotherapy, and occupational
therapy are also available.
Retirement Living
at its Best
Endless recreation and social opportunities combined with the serene beauty
of Northern Ontario make Wawa a great
place to retire. Enjoy participating in
various recreation and leisure activities
available at the Wawa Goose Seniors
Club facility, or take advantage of
special rates on fitness programming
at the Wawa Community Centre. For
your convenience, Wawa also offers the
Meals on Wheels program and a Senior
Housing Complex.
Wawa’s Top 5
Competitive
Manufacturing
Advantages
Staying in Touch
Residents in Wawa stay up to date on
current events through 4 local print and
online news sources, and three radio
stations, including the locally operated
JJAM FM which is syndicated and airs
in other northern communities such
as Dubreuilville and Chapleau. Wawa
also offers a variety of communications
services including:
• Bell Canada phone service
•High-speed internet from a variety of
providers
• Satellite and cable television
• Cell phone service.
Location – Wawa is strategically
located in the center of Ontario’s forestry
and mining industries. The community
has a well integrated transportation
infrastructure served by multi-lane
provincial highways, access to rail, a
deep water shipping harbour, and a
local municipal airport. Wawa is also
located within two hours of the Sault
Ste. Marie International Bridge, a border
entrance into the United States.
Economic Development Services
and Support – Wawa has a variety of
local economic development agencies
with highly skilled professionals eager to
assist your business growth in today’s
competitive market including the EDCW,
Superior East Community Futures, Ministry of Northern Development, Mines &
Forestry, Ministry of Natural Resources,
and the Municipality of Wawa. There are
also a variety of funding programs for
businesses locating in Northern Ontario
and Wawa.
Low Cost Land and Taxes – Wawa’s
Industrial Park has newly developed
industrial lots with very negotiable
financing terms. Compared to Sault Ste.
Marie and Thunder Bay, Wawa also has
lower industrial tax rates. The Michipicoten First Nations is also developing an
industrial park, which may be of benefit
to your company.
Ethnicity Profile – Wawa has a very
diverse population with strong European
roots and a strong Francophone and
First Nation population. Approximately
30% of Wawa’s population has identified
themselves as French speaking.
Favourable Labour Profile – Wawa
has lower average wage rates in most
labour categories when compared to
larger city centers such as Thunder
Bay and Toronto, and a low rate of
unionization in its industrial workforce.
Additionally, approximately one-quarter
of Wawa’s population over the age of 15
has obtained a post-secondary or other
non-university diploma compared to the
provincial rate of 18%, according to the
most recent census data.
All photographs © Gene Belanger
The Municipality of Wawa
40 Broadway Ave., P.O Box 500, Wawa, ON P0S 1K0
Tel: (705) 856-2244 · Fax: (705) 856-2120
www.wawa.cc
Economic Development Corporation of Wawa
96 Broadway Ave., P.O Box 63 Wawa, ON P0S 1K0
tel: (705) 856-4419 · Fax: (705) 856-2655
www.edcwawa.ca
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