There’s much to see and do in the Province of Ontario. Many things that can be seen in other provinces and countries can be found here, but there are also some very unusual places to visit. Northern Ontario has its share of these wondrous sights. Let’s take a look at some unique places to visit in Ontario’s northland.

North America’s Longest Wooden Bridge

Sioux Narrows is located eighty kilometers southeast of Kenora. This tiny hamlet with a population of approximately 400 is a most unlikely place to find an unusual sight. It straddles both Highway 71 and Sioux Narrows, which is a unique channel of water on the eastern shore of Lake of the Woods.

Though the area was traditionally Cree territory, it was often raided by tribes of the western Sioux. Sioux Narrows was a strategic defense point that adapted the name of the attacking tribes.

During the 1920s, the area’s lumber camps attracted settlers from Europe. No railway ran through the area and settlers relied on dirt trails and Lake of the Woods for their transportation needs.

In 1936, during the Great Depression, government road building projects brought the highway to area. The Sioux Narrows channel prohibited a through route and the highway engineers bridged the gap by building the longest single spanned bridge on the North American continent, using Douglas fir imported from British Columbia and treated with creosote.

The total span of the bridge is 110 meters while the main span covers 6.4 meters. The bridge has been designated a heritage site by the Province of Ontario.

The bridge is surrounded by rugged granite cliffs that tower over the Narrows and forests of pines that whisper a lament as the wind sighs through their boughs. Sioux Narrows and North America’s longest wooden bridge creates a beautiful, picturesque panorama in this part of northern Ontario. It’s a sight that shouldn’t be missed.

The Home of Winnie the Pooh

For decades motorists have stopped in White River, Ontario, to photograph the thermometer that claims the town is the “coldest spot in Canada.” Today, tourists have another reason for visiting. White River has a new claim to fame. It’s officially the birthplace of A .A. Milne’s favorite bear, Winnie the Pooh.

In 1914, a Canadian Army veterinarian, Captain Harry Colebourn stepped off a troop train bound for Valcartier, Quebec. As he waited on the platform for the train’s engine to be serviced, he spotted a man with a black bear cub. Thinking the cub would be a terrific mascot for his regiment, he purchased it for $20.00 and it became the property of the Canadian Army Veterinary Corps. Colbourn named the bear after his hometown of Winnipeg.

When Colbourn arrived in England with the bear cub the troops loved it and shortened its name to Winnie. When WWI broke out, Colbourn left Winnie in the care of the London Zoo. Here, Winnie became a favorite of children and was especially loved by Christopher Robin Milne, son of the writer A. A. Milne.

Christopher Robin had such a fascination with Winnie that his father began to write stories about Winnie, Christopher Robin and all of their friends. The Winnie the Pooh books captivated children world wide and are still popular today. Disney bought the rights to Winnie’s story and created cartoons and movies based on the books, which increased his popularity.

Tom Bagdon, a resident of White River, proposed the town should commission a statue of Winnie. At first Disney denied the town’s request. The denial was overturned after a letter writing campaign flooded their offices with mail.

Sculptor George Barone sculpted the 4.5 meter statue of Winnie and when it was unveiled in August 1992, Disney representatives were present. The statue depicts Winnie sitting in a tree waving. The pose was inspired by the original illustrator of Milne’s books, Ernest H. Shepard. Winnie waves to travelers on the Trans Canada Highway from the entrance of the visitor’s park and delights both the young and the young at heart.

If you are in the area of White River, be sure to pay Winnie a visit and learn the complete story of the black bear cub that inspired some of the greatest children’s books and entertainment of all time.

Ghost Railway to Nowhere

While you’re visiting northern Ontario, why not explore the area around Thunder Bay, where rolling farmland gives way to forests, lakes and rock. Here, picturesque panoramas will greet you at every turn and the area is home to the most remote section of the U.S./Canada border.

Believe it or not, this area west of Thunder Bay was the destination of one of Ontario’s earliest railway ventures. Then known as Prince Arthur’s Landing, the remote port boomed with life. Silver veins and iron deposits drew investors, miners and prospectors to the area. These people hoped to tap into the rich resources and improve their station in life. A group of them founded a railroad company known as the Port Arthur, Duluth and Western. They planned for the railway to expand through the silver fields and access the iron deposits just across the US border in Minnesota. The western terminal was built deep in the woods of Gunflint, Minnesota.

When the PD&W Railroad opened in 1893, the silver market had fallen into a depression and the small mines had all closed. By the turn of the century, the railroad was no longer being used and was purchased by McKenzie and Mann, who were completing the second transcontinental line in Canada. The reason for the acquisition was to prevent a duplication of eighteen miles of rail line into Thunder Bay that the PD&W had already completed.

From 1904 to 1939, the PD&W was torn up as far as Twin City. Today, it links with the Canadian National Railway line to Sioux Lookout. Locals have dubbed the railroad, “the Poverty, Distress and Welfare,” a moniker that suits it well if its economic performance is taken into consideration.

Today, east of Thunder Bay, the back roads and hills pay testimony to the ghost railway to nowhere. South of the Trans Canada Highway, a solid iron railway bridge that spans the Kiministikwia River is part of a rural dirt road. Back in the days of the PD&W, it was the strongest of the PD&W railway bridges in the area.

The PD&W railway line appears and disappears from view for those traveling on the township roads and through the forest. At Hymers a historic plaque has been erected to pay tribute to the ghost railway of bygone days.

Little Italy

Many of the small villages and towns throughout Ontario are very similar in appearance. However, there is the little town of Copper Cliff, which is a company town that was built by the nickel mining corporations, lays a unique hillside of houses. They are grouped together much like Italian mountainside communities. Here lies an Italian community reminiscent of the Old Country.

The construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1883, broke open the rich mineral resources of the area. Mills, smelter shacks and headframes began to appear on the rocky knolls and hill tops around the area then known as Sudbury Junction. To avoid paying large amounts in municipal taxes, the companies built their own towns. In 1890, Copper Cliff was established by Canada Copper, which would later become known as the corporate giant Inco.

Canada Copper built Copper Cliffs with wide streets, neat company houses, stores and churches. Most people who worked in the mines settled in the town, but a small group of Italian miners decided that they’d like to have their own community. As a result there were no pre-designed homes or streets; these miners build in the traditional rural Italian style. They were strongly committed to the community and build their housing in very close proximity. Houses were built in the shape and size that was desired by the owner. No space was left for yards, little for streets and there were no driveways because these people didn’t own cars and there was no need for them.

Today, the community reminds passerby of a scene from an Italian postcard. The streets are very narrow and twist and turn around the buildings and houses squeeze together at odd angles. Each home is individually owned and the area is inhabited mainly by Italian people. There are several Italian clubs within the community and the Italian language is dominant. Within meters visitors can see the smoke belching from the smokestacks of the Inco nickel facility. This small community pays testimony to a bygone area. Its quaint atmosphere and the friendly people make it a great place for travelers to get a glimpse into Ontario’s past.

Ontario’s Stonehenge

What’s more fun than a mystery? Well, there’s one that’s open for exploration on the shores of Larder Lake in northern Ontario. The unusual positioning of eighteen huge boulders, some as high as twelve feet, can be found in the bush on the northern shore of Larder Lake. No one is sure how the boulders come to be in their unique formation on two hectares of land in this remote area. And though they don’t have the same visual impact as England’s Stonehenge, they’re still a marvelous sight. Their alignments match exactly with the rising and setting of the sun and their proximity to Mt. Cheminis, which is a volcanic plug, suggest that the stones were once a Native American shrine used for worship.

Archeologists who have dug in the area have found evidence that Indians lived in the area 6.000 years ago and there’s evidence present that suggests they had established a huge quarry nearby. Archeologists continue to work in the area to find more clues to the mystery of the stones.

Because the area must be protected until security can be established at the site, visitors must inquire in the Town of Larder Lake for directions to the site. If you are in the area, don’t miss this awesome worship place. When you set foot into the area, you get the feeling of having stepped back in time; an awesome experience.

Northern Ontario

Northern Ontario has many other magnificent sights. While traveling the area be sure to talk to the locals and ask about unique and unusual things to see and do. You will be amazed at what northern Ontario has to offer.