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- Kenora re-directs here. For the electoral district see Kenora (electoral district). For the territorial district, see Kenora District, Ontario
Kenora (2001 population 15,838) is a small city situated on the Lake of the Woods in northwestern Ontario, Canada close to the Manitoba border, about 200km east of Winnipeg. Kenora is home to the annual International Bass Fishing Tournament. It is the seat of Kenora District.
History
Kenora originally settled as a trading and missionary town called Rat Portage, with the first building belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company. The name Rat Portage came from the native name for the area. Kenora then went on to thrive in many areas including the production of caviar, mining (gold), flour milling, forestry, and the railway which has made the city into what it is today. The Abitibi Consolidated paper mill one of the main employers in the city ceased operation December of 2005, but other forestry industries and tourism remain as major sources of employment.
In 1836 a fur-trading post was established by the Hudson's Bay Company at present-day Kenora, and the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the 1880s allowed the town to prosper. In 2000 Kenora became a city, after it was merged with the neighbouring towns of Jaffray Melick and Keewatin.
Economy
Forestry, tourism and mining are the three largest sectors of the Kenora economy. The population balloons in the spring and summer when summer residents move in. The Lake of the Woods and numerous smaller lakes situated all around Kenora are the major draw for cottagers who summer here. Many are from the neighbouring province of Manitoba.
Politics
Kenora-Rainy River's Member of Provincial Parliament, Howard Hampton, is leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party. Federally, the area is represented by Liberal Member of Parliament Roger Valley. He was elected in 2004 and re-elected in 2006 in the Kenora riding.
The city's name was changed from Rat Portage in 1904. The name Kenora was derived from the names of the 3 neighbouring communities of Keewatin, Norman and Rat Portage.
Kenora is also the smallest town to ever win the Stanley Cup, won by the Kenora Thistles in January 1907. See below for more information.
The mayor of Kenora is Dave Canfield.
There are two high schools in Kenora, with many other elementary schools spread amongst the small city. The two high schools are Beaver Brae Secondary School and Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic High School.
Media
The major news source in Kenora is the Kenora Daily Miner and News, one of Canada's smallest daily newspapers. On the weekends, the Lake of the Woods Enterpriseis delivered free to area households.
It is also North America's smallest television market, with just a single station, and two CBC/SRC affiliates.
Radio
AM Radio
- 1220 CJRL-AM
FM Radio
- 89.5 - CJRL, Adult Contemporary BN "The Mix" (Fawcett Broadcasting Limited 31.2kW/105m (B))
- 93.5 - CKSB-7, La Première Chaîne (French) Canadian Broadcasting Corporation 20kW/100m (B)
- 98.7 - CBQX, CBC Radio One Canadian Broadcasting Corporation 38kW/100m (B)
- 104.5 - CKQV-FM-2, Hot Adult Contemporary BN "Q104" (Norwesto Broadasting Limited 1.6kW/105m (A)
Television
Full-Power Stations:
Low-Power Stations and Reaters:
See the Kenora TV for more information on television stations.
Trivia
- Recently, the city has expressed interest in separating from Ontario and joining neighbouring Manitoba. Some reasons are because of the high cost of doing business in the forest industry and high hydro rates in Ontario. A local businessman has started a petition to the Government of Ontario.
- The Manitoba/Ontario border formerly ran through the downtown area of Kenora, creating problems for Manitoba and Ontario Provincial Law enforcement.
- The Stanley Cup, the trophy awarded to the NHL's best team, was won by the Kenora Thistles hockey team in 1907. The team featured such Hall of Famers as Billy McGimsie, Tommy Phillips, Roxy Beaudro, and Art Ross, for whom the Art Ross Trophy is named. Kenora is the smallest town to have won a major North American sports title.
- A dramatic and daring bank robbery took place in Kenora on May 10, 1973. An unknown man entered the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce heavily armed and wearing a 'dead man's switch', a device utilising a clothespin, wires, battery and dynamite, where the user holds the clothespin in the mouth, exerting force on the clothespin. Should the user release the clothespin, two wires attached to both sides of the pin complete an electrical circuit, sending current from the battery, detonating the explosives. After robbing the bank, the robber exited the CIBC, and was preparing to enter a city vehicle driven by undercover police officer Don Milliard. A sniper positioned across the street from the bank shot the Robber, initiating the sequence of events required to detonate the explosive. Recently, Kenora Police submitted DNA samples from the Robber's remains to identify him, but the suspect was never positively identified.
External links
"Kenora, Ontario"