North Bay, Ontario facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
North Bay
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| City of North Bay | ||
Main Street
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| Nickname(s):
"Gateway to the North"
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| Motto(s):
Gateway of the North
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 North Bay
Location in Ontario
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| Country | Canada | |
| Province | Ontario | |
| District | Nipissing | |
| Established | 1891 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | City | |
| Area | ||
| • Land | 319.11 km2 (123.21 sq mi) | |
| • Metro | 5,369.04 km2 (2,073.00 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 197 m (646 ft) | |
| Population
(2021)
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| • City (single-tier) | 52,662 | |
| • Density | 161.6/km2 (419/sq mi) | |
| • Metro | 71,736 | |
| • Metro density | 13.1/km2 (34/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) | |
| Forward sortation area |
P1A to P1C
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| Area code(s) | Area codes 705 and 249 | |
| Highways |   Highway 17 / TCH Highway 11 Highway 63 |
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North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the main city of Nipissing District. The city gets its name because it is located on the shore of Lake Nipissing. North Bay grew into an important center for railroads. Its airport also played a big role during the Cold War. The city is about 350 kilometers (217 miles) from both Ottawa and Toronto.
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History of North Bay
The land where North Bay now stands was once part of an old canoe route. Famous explorer Samuel de Champlain used this route. He traveled up the Ottawa River, through Mattawa, to Trout Lake, and then to Lake Nipissing.
For a long time, only Indigenous people, fur traders, and land surveyors were active in the Lake Nipissing area. This changed when the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) arrived in 1882.
The CPR's arrival was a big deal. It was the end point for an extension of the Canada Central Railway (CCR). John Ferguson saw the potential of the north bay of Lake Nipissing. He believed it would be a key spot for a new settlement.
In 1882, John Ferguson decided this area was a great place for a town. North Bay officially became a town in 1891. John Bourke was the first mayor. He helped develop the western part of the town.
North Bay was chosen as the starting point for the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway (T&NO) in 1902. This railway was built to help develop the northern part of the province. During its construction, silver was found in Cobalt. This discovery started a huge mining boom that lasted for many years. Another railway, the Canadian Northern Railway, reached North Bay in 1913.
North Bay grew strong because of its lumber industry, mining, and the three railways. Many community leaders helped the town develop. In 1919, John Ferguson became mayor. North Bay officially became a city in August 1925.
The Dionne Quintuplets were born near North Bay in 1934. Their birth brought many tourists to the area. They helped the region's economy a lot. Many visitors discovered the beautiful lakes and summer spots. Businesses thrived on the money from tourists. This tourism continued well into the 1960s.
In January 1968, the City of North Bay joined with West Ferris and Widdifield townships.
In 1951, during the Cold War, the Royal Canadian Air Force built an air base in North Bay. This base was part of a plan to protect North America from possible attacks. Building the base took three years. It became the biggest employer in the community for over 40 years. In 1963, the North American Air Defence Command (NORAD) opened its Canadian center at the base. This center was built 60 stories underground to protect it from a nuclear strike. It watched Canadian airspace for any threats.
In 2006, NORAD operations moved to a new building above ground. It still watches Canadian and North American airspace. In 2013, the base started watching space using SAPPHIRE. This was Canada's first military satellite.
The air base faced big budget cuts starting in the 1990s. Many parts of the base were sold or torn down. By the 21st century, it was no longer the city's top industry.
Because of the air base, North Bay's airport runways were made very long. This allowed them to handle large military planes. These long runways are still used as a backup landing site for Toronto Pearson International Airport. They were used during the September 11 attacks for emergency landings. The airport was also a backup landing site for NASA's Space Shuttle.
On March 17, 2007, North Bay won the Kraft Hockeyville contest. The city received $50,000 to improve its arena, Memorial Gardens. It also hosted an NHL pre-season game.
Geography of North Bay
North Bay is about 330 kilometers (205 miles) north of Toronto. Its landscape is different from Southern Ontario. North Bay is located on the Canadian Shield. This means the land is more rugged and rocky.
North Bay is special because it sits between two major water systems. To the east, water flows into the Ottawa River. To the west, it flows into the Great Lakes Basin. The main part of the city is between Lake Nipissing and the smaller Trout Lake.
North Bay is an important transportation hub for Northern Ontario. It is located where Highway 11 and Highway 17 meet. It is also the southern end of the Ontario Northland Railway. The city is served by the Jack Garland Airport.
The North Bay area has some interesting geological features. There are ancient volcanic pipes, like the Manitou Islands. There are also many exposed rock formations called dykes. Five large rock bodies called batholiths are also found here.
Climate in North Bay
North Bay's climate is typical for most places in Northern Ontario. It tends to be less humid than Southern Ontario. This is partly because it's further from the Great Lakes. Lake Nipissing also helps keep the temperatures a bit cooler.
On May 31, 2002, a tornado caused minor damage near the city. Two more tornadoes touched down on Lake Nipissing on August 20, 2009. The highest temperature ever recorded in North Bay was 37.2 degrees Celsius (99.0 degrees Fahrenheit) on July 1, 1931. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -44.4 degrees Celsius (-47.9 degrees Fahrenheit) on January 26, 1892.
| Climate data for North Bay Airport, 1981−2010 normals, extremes 1887−present | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 12.8 (55.0) |
12.8 (55.0) |
25.2 (77.4) |
29.9 (85.8) |
32.2 (90.0) |
36.1 (97.0) |
37.2 (99.0) |
34.4 (93.9) |
34.4 (93.9) |
27.8 (82.0) |
21.1 (70.0) |
14.4 (57.9) |
37.2 (99.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −7.6 (18.3) |
−5.3 (22.5) |
0.6 (33.1) |
9.1 (48.4) |
16.7 (62.1) |
21.6 (70.9) |
24.0 (75.2) |
22.7 (72.9) |
17.7 (63.9) |
10.3 (50.5) |
2.8 (37.0) |
−4.1 (24.6) |
9.0 (48.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −12.5 (9.5) |
−10.4 (13.3) |
−4.5 (23.9) |
4.0 (39.2) |
11.2 (52.2) |
16.3 (61.3) |
18.9 (66.0) |
17.7 (63.9) |
13.0 (55.4) |
6.2 (43.2) |
−0.8 (30.6) |
−8.3 (17.1) |
4.2 (39.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −17.4 (0.7) |
−15.4 (4.3) |
−9.6 (14.7) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
5.6 (42.1) |
11.0 (51.8) |
13.7 (56.7) |
12.7 (54.9) |
8.2 (46.8) |
2.0 (35.6) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−12.3 (9.9) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −44.4 (−47.9) |
−42.8 (−45.0) |
−37.2 (−35.0) |
−21.7 (−7.1) |
−9.4 (15.1) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−5 (23) |
−12.8 (9.0) |
−26.1 (−15.0) |
−43.3 (−45.9) |
−44.4 (−47.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 68.9 (2.71) |
57.1 (2.25) |
64.6 (2.54) |
71.6 (2.82) |
96.3 (3.79) |
98.3 (3.87) |
99.4 (3.91) |
90.6 (3.57) |
115.4 (4.54) |
106.6 (4.20) |
98.1 (3.86) |
77.8 (3.06) |
1,044.6 (41.13) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 19.3 (0.76) |
11.8 (0.46) |
31.8 (1.25) |
56.3 (2.22) |
93.1 (3.67) |
98.0 (3.86) |
99.4 (3.91) |
90.6 (3.57) |
115.2 (4.54) |
99.1 (3.90) |
65.5 (2.58) |
22.7 (0.89) |
802.8 (31.61) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 65.3 (25.7) |
58.6 (23.1) |
39.5 (15.6) |
16.7 (6.6) |
3.2 (1.3) |
0.1 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.0) |
8.1 (3.2) |
38.0 (15.0) |
70.1 (27.6) |
299.6 (118.0) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 18.6 | 15.3 | 13.4 | 13.0 | 14.1 | 14.0 | 12.6 | 11.9 | 14.0 | 15.5 | 17.7 | 20.1 | 180.3 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 3.9 | 2.2 | 5.2 | 9.6 | 13.8 | 14.0 | 12.6 | 11.9 | 13.9 | 13.9 | 10.2 | 4.6 | 115.7 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 17.7 | 14.8 | 10.6 | 5.8 | 1.0 | 0.03 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.17 | 3.0 | 11.4 | 18.2 | 82.7 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 86.4 | 116.5 | 151.0 | 190.5 | 235.2 | 245.8 | 266.1 | 224.8 | 154.4 | 118.3 | 64.6 | 69.0 | 1,922.4 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 30.8 | 40.1 | 41.0 | 46.9 | 50.7 | 52.1 | 55.8 | 51.2 | 40.9 | 34.9 | 22.7 | 25.7 | 41.1 |
| Source: Environment Canada | |||||||||||||
Economy and Jobs in North Bay
North Bay has a more varied economy than many other cities in Northern Ontario. A large number of jobs are in the public sector. This means people work for the government, in health care, or in education. These are some of the city's biggest employers.
North Bay is home to Nipissing University, which started in 1992. It also has Canadore College, founded in 1967. About 10,000 full-time students attend these two schools. They share a campus in the northwest part of the city.
From the 1950s to the 1990s, 22 Wing/Canadian Forces Base North Bay was the city's main industry. However, the government made big cuts to the base. The number of military and civilian workers dropped a lot. This meant millions of dollars were lost to the community. All businesses in North Bay felt this impact.
North Bay is also home to a Canadian Army Reserve unit. It is called The Algonquin Regiment (Northern Pioneers), A Coy.
The service industry, tourism, and transportation are also important to the city's economy. Many companies provide supplies and services for mining. It is thought that over 65 companies in North Bay support the mining industry. They employ almost 3,000 people.
In recent years, North Bay's cultural scene has grown. This is thanks to its many artists, musicians, actors, and writers. In 2004, a TV show called Studio 2 named North Bay as one of the top three most artistic communities in Ontario.
North Bay in Film and Television
The city has been a filming location for many movies and TV shows. In 1942, Captains of the Clouds was filmed in North Bay. This movie starred James Cagney.
More recently, the horror film The Colony was filmed here in 2013. It starred Laurence Fishburne and Bill Paxton. The drama Still Mine, starring James Cromwell, was also filmed in North Bay. Another movie filmed here was the 2014 thriller Backcountry.
In 2009, the comedy group The Kids in the Hall filmed their mini-series Death Comes to Town in North Bay. The third season of Hard Rock Medical was also filmed in the city.
North Bay is the setting for the mystery novels by local author Giles Blunt. In his books, the city is called "Algonquin Bay." The TV series Cardinal, based on these books, was filmed in North Bay and Sudbury in 2016.
In 2017, the crime drama series Carter was filmed in the city. In 2021, the reality series Call Me Mother was filmed here.
In 2022, North Star Studios announced they bought a building in the West Ferris Industrial Park. This building will become a 68,000 square foot studio for film and television.
Education in North Bay
North Bay offers many educational programs. These range from pre-school to university.
Post-secondary Schools
- Nipissing University
- Canadore College
- Modern College
- Canadian Career College
School Boards
- Near North District School Board
- Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board
- Conseil scolaire de district catholique Franco-Nord (French Catholic School Board)
- Conseil scolaire de district du Nord-Est de l'Ontario (French Public School Board)
Neighbourhoods in North Bay
The city has many different neighbourhoods. Some of these include Birchaven, Camp Champlain, Champlain Park, Eastview, Feronia, Gateway, Graniteville, Hornell Heights, Kenwood Hills, Marshall Park, Pinewood, Ski Club, Sunset Park, Thibeault Terrace, Thorncliff, Trout Mills, Tweedsmuir, Wallace Heights, West Ferris and Widdifield.
Waterfront Development
North Bay has exciting plans for its waterfront. In the 1980s, a long park and walking path were built along the Lake Nipissing shoreline. This area is next to the downtown core.
Fun attractions were added, like a mini-train ride and two old-fashioned carousels. Local artists mostly built these carousels. They quickly became very popular with both tourists and local people.
Now, work is starting on a large new community park. It will be built on the old Canadian Pacific Railway yards. These yards used to separate downtown from the waterfront park. In August 2009, a new tunnel opened for people to walk through. This connected the downtown area to the waterfront for the first time. In 2019, the city built a new community space with a Splash Pad behind the CPR museum.
Media in North Bay
The local newspaper is the North Bay Nugget. It is printed from Tuesday to Saturday.
BayToday.ca is an online news source for North Bay. It offers news, weather, entertainment, sports, and business stories.
CKNY-DT is a TV station that belongs to CTV. It mostly shows programs from CICI-TV in Greater Sudbury. However, news reporters in North Bay provide local stories for CTV Northern Ontario's news. The city also gets Global and CHCH channels. YourTV is a local TV station owned by Cogeco.
For radio, North Bay and the nearby town of Sturgeon Falls act as one market. Most radio stations in both places serve the whole region.
Sports in North Bay
Local Teams
- Canadore College Panthers (Men's & Women's Volleyball/OCAA)
- Canadore College Panthers (Men's Basketball/OCAA)
- Nipissing University Lakers (Ringette/CUR)
- Nipissing University Lakers (Men's & Woman's Nordic Skiing/OUA/CCUNC)
- Nipissing University Lakers (Men's & Woman's Hockey/OUA)
- Nipissing University Lakers (Men's & Women's Volleyball/OUA)
- Nipissing University Lakers (Men's & Women's Cross-country Running/OUA)
- Nipissing University Lakers (Men's Lacrosse/CUFLA)
- Nipissing University Lakers (Men's & Women's Basketball/OUA)
- Nipissing University Lakers (Dance team)
- Nipissing University Lakers (cheerleading team)
- North Bay Bulldogs (Football/Northern Football Conference)
- North Bay Trappers Junior "A" (Hockey/Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League)
- North Bay Trappers Midget "AAA" (Hockey/Great North Midget AAA League)
- North Bay United (U-17 Men's Soccer)
- North Bay Stingers Midget Baseball (3-time provincial champions)
- Warriors of Hope Competitive Dragon Boat Team
- Nipissing Wild (Ontario Football Conference Varsity League)
- North Bay Battalion (OHL)
- North Bay Junior Varsity Bulldogs (Ontario Varsity Football league)
Kraft Hockeyville 2007
North Bay won the Kraft Hockeyville competition in 2007. The New York Islanders and Atlanta Thrashers played an exhibition game at Memorial Gardens. The arena was almost full of fans.
North Bay Battalion
The North Bay Battalion is a major junior ice hockey team. They play in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The team started as the Brampton Battalion in 1996. Because not many people came to their games in Brampton, the team moved to North Bay before the 2013–14 OHL season.
Nipissing Lakers Hockey
The Nipissing Lakers are North Bay's newest hockey team. They are the 19th team in the Ontario University Athletics' Men's Hockey League. The Lakers play in the historic Memorial Gardens arena. They share the building with the North Bay Trappers. Like other northern Ontario teams, the Lakers attract many local hockey fans to their games.
North Bay Trappers Junior "A"
The North Bay Trappers hockey team moved from Sturgeon Falls in 2002. They are part of the 8-team NOJHL Junior "A" league (Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League). The Trappers have won 3 NOJHL championship titles. In April 2014, the Trappers team was sold and became the Mattawa Blackhawks.
North Bay Bulldogs
The North Bay Bulldogs play football in the nine-team NFC (Northern Football Conference). The Bulldogs team moved to North Bay in 1991. The North Bay Bulldogs also joined the Ontario Varsity Football League in 2013.
Recreation in North Bay
North Bay has many places for fun and relaxation. There are over 72 sports fields and parks. The city has a marina on Lake Nipissing that can hold 270 boats. There are also many trails and 42 places to access beaches on both Lake Nipissing and Trout Lake.
Recreation and Leisure Services
- Kate Pace Way
- Kinsmen Trail
- Nordic Ski Club
- Laurentian Ski Hill
- North Bay Memorial Gardens Sports Arena
- Pete Palangio Arena
- West Ferris Community Centre
Transportation in North Bay
North Bay is located where Highway 11 and Highway 17 meet. Both of these highways are part of the Trans-Canada Highway. The two highways share a single route through the city center. This section is like a city highway with some limited access. Major streets cross the highway directly. Smaller streets connect to service roads that lead to the main roads.
At Algonquin Avenue, Highway 17 continues west towards Sturgeon Falls and Sudbury. Highway 11 goes north towards Temiskaming Shores. At the eastern meeting point, Highway 17 goes east towards Mattawa, Pembroke, and Ottawa. Highway 11 becomes a wider highway and goes south towards Barrie and Toronto.
Highway 11 and Highway 17 used to have special routes through downtown North Bay. These were called Highway 11B and Highway 17B. Now, they are just city streets. North Bay is also served by Highway 63. This route goes northeast from the city towards Thorne. There, it crosses the Ottawa River and becomes Quebec Route 101.
Because Algonquin Avenue/Highway 11 is very steep when entering North Bay from the north, the southbound lanes have a special safety feature. It is called a runaway truck ramp. This is the only one on Ontario's provincial highway system. It helps trucks stop if their brakes fail on the steep hill.
North Bay is served by the North Bay/Jack Garland Airport. This airport also handles military flights for the nearby CFB North Bay. It is home to Canadore College Aviation Campus. Many aviation companies are also located here. These include Voyageur Airways and the Bombardier Aerospace CL-415 water bomber assembly plant.
Buses that travel between cities use the North Bay railway station on Station Road. The city also has its own public transportation system called North Bay Transit.
North Bay Police Service
The North Bay Police Service was started in 1882. It is watched over by the North Bay City Council's Police Services Board. In 2018, its budget was about 18.6 million Canadian dollars.
Population of North Bay
| Historical populations | ||
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| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1891 | 2,210 | — |
| 1901 | 2,350 | +6.3% |
| 1911 | 7,737 | +229.2% |
| 1921 | 10,692 | +38.2% |
| 1931 | 15,528 | +45.2% |
| 1941 | 15,411 | −0.8% |
| 1951 | 17,944 | +16.4% |
| 1961 | 23,781 | +32.5% |
| 1971 | 49,187 | +106.8% |
| 1981 | 51,268 | +4.2% |
| 1991 | 55,405 | +8.1% |
| 1996 | 54,332 | −1.9% |
| 2001 | 52,771 | −2.9% |
| 2006 | 53,966 | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 53,651 | −0.6% |
| 2016 | 51,553 | −3.9% |
| 2021 | 52,662 | +2.2% |
| In January 1968, the City of North Bay joined with West Ferris and Widdifield townships. | ||
In the 2021 Census, North Bay had a population of 52,662 people. They lived in 23,467 homes. This was a small increase from its 2016 population of 51,553. The city has a land area of 315.53 square kilometers (121.83 square miles). This means there were about 161.6 people per square kilometer (418.5 people per square mile).
In 2021, about 11.7% of the people in North Bay were Indigenous. This is higher than the national average of 5.0%. About 4.4% of residents were visible minorities. The remaining 83.9% of the population was white or European. The largest visible minority groups were South Asian (1.4%), Black (1.1%), and Chinese (0.5%).
Most people (81.1%) spoke English as their first language. French was the first language for 11.3% of residents. This is higher than the 3.3% for all of Ontario. Some people also spoke Italian (0.6%), Chinese languages (0.3%), German (0.3%), and Spanish (0.3%).
About 56.3% of residents were Christian. This was down from 73.2% in 2011. About 35.2% were Catholic, and 13.2% were Protestant. A large part of the population (41.6%) said they were not religious. All other religions made up 2.0% of the population. The largest non-Christian religion was Hinduism (0.5%).
The North Bay census agglomeration (which includes the city and nearby areas) had a population of 70,378 in 2016.
Famous People from North Bay
- Sam Jacks, who invented Ringette and Floor hockey
- Giles Blunt, an author
- Mike Bolan, a former politician and judge
- Kirsten Bos, a researcher of ancient DNA
- Gerald Bull, an aerospace engineer
- Amanda Burk, an artist
- Chuck Cadman, a politician
- Jessica Cameron, an actress
- Harvey Charters, who won a silver medal in canoeing at the 1936 Olympics
- Mike Conroy, a WHA hockey player
- Billy Coutu, an NHL hockey player
- Ab DeMarco Sr, a former NHL hockey player
- Nick Denis, a former mixed martial arts fighter and biochemist
- Kevin Frankish, a TV personality in Toronto
- Bobby Gimby, a musician who wrote the Canadian Centennial song
- Mike Harris, a former Premier of Ontario
- Alison Herst, an Olympian in kayaking
- High Holy Days, a rock music group
- Bill Houlder, a former NHL player
- Troy Hurtubise, an inventor
- Byron M. Jones, a Christian movie producer
- Gordon Kannegiesser, a former NHL player
- Sheldon Kannegiesser, a former NHL player
- Larry Keenan, a former NHL player
- Sean Kelly, a glam-rock guitarist and singer
- Pierre LeBrun, a hockey journalist
- Cory Marks, a country rock singer
- Steve McLaren, a former NHL/AHL player
- Lise Meloche, an Olympian in biathlon
- Gerry Mendicino, an actor
- Keke Mortson, a WHA hockey player
- Claude Noël, a former NHL head coach
- Bryan Lee O'Malley, a cartoonist who created the Scott Pilgrim series
- Mike O'Shea, a CFL head coach and former player
- Barbara Olmsted, an Olympian in canoeing (won Bronze in 1984)
- Nancy Olmsted, an Olympian in canoeing
- Steve Omischl, a world champion in freestyle skiing aerials
- Kate Pace, a world downhill alpine ski champion
- Pete Palangio, a former NHL player
- Tony Poeta, a former NHL player
- Denis Rancourt, a scientist and activist
- Julia Rivard, an Olympic athlete and business leader
- Craig Rivet, a former NHL player
- Anthony Rota, a politician and Speaker of the House of Commons
- Jim Sherrit, a WHA hockey player
- Steve Shields, a former NHL goalie
- Colin Simpson, an author
- Katherine E. Stange, a mathematician
- Lance Storm, a professional wrestler
- Scott Thompson, a comedic actor
- Kenneth Thomson, a wealthy businessman
- Darren Turcotte, a former NHL player
- Jim Watson, an actor
- Mike Yeo, a former NHL Head Coach
Sister Cities
See also
In Spanish: North Bay para niños
