Mattawa (Ontario)
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| Location in Ontario | |||
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| Province : | Ontario | ||
| Region : | Nipissing District | ||
| Coordinates : | 46 ° 19 ′ N , 78 ° 42 ′ W | ||
| Area : | 3.66 km² | ||
| Residents : | 2003 (as of 2006) | ||
| Population density : | 547.3 inhabitants / km² | ||
| Time zone : | Eastern Time ( UTC − 5 ) | ||
| Mayor : | Dean Baker | ||
| Website : | www.mattawa.org | ||
Mattawa is a small town in the northeast of the Canadian province of Ontario . According to the last census of 2006 ("Canada 2006 Census"), the city has 2003 inhabitants. 60% of the population are francophone .
history
Mattawa means "meeting of waters" in the language of Anishinabe . The Mattawa River meets the Ottawa River there . Before European colonization, the region was the settlement area of the Anishinabe, Nipissing and Algonquin Indians . Étienne Brûlé and Samuel de Champlain were the first Europeans to explore the region in 1615. Thanks to its location at the confluence of the two rivers, the city played an important role in the past as a hub for fur and timber traders.
Mattawa became known as North America's first city with an elected black mayor. The originally Haitian medic, Saint Firmin Monestime , held this office from 1962 to 1964.
Today, like many other small towns in northeastern Ontario, the town is facing economic and demographic difficulties as there are few jobs available in the area.
Sights and facilities
Mattawa is the starting point of the "Timber Train" (dt .: Holzbahn ) of the Ottawa River up to Témiscaming , Quebec leads. In the city is also the "Mattawa and District Museum", in which u. a. a wooden statue of the Franco-Canadian folk hero Big Joe Mufferaw can be found. Otherwise it is mainly the early settlement of the region that is documented. The city itself and the surrounding area are peppered with many wooden sculptures that reflect the history of the region.
The " Mattawa District Chamber of Commerce " is a local association that tries to promote the city and its surroundings in economic and tourist terms. For example, you participate in the construction of new wooden sculptures.
The Canadian Ecology Center (CEC) is located near the city. It oversees a forest area of 2,500 hectares and tries to preserve this natural resource through cultural processing of the tribal history of the Nipissing and Algonquin Indians .
sons and daughters of the town
- Saint Firmin Monestime , former mayor