Petawawa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Petawawa
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| Town of Petawawa | |
Emerald Necklace Trail and the Petawawa River
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 Petawawa
Location in Renfrew County
Petawawa
Location in Southern Ontario
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| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Ontario |
| County | Renfrew |
| Incorporated (town) | July 1, 1997 |
| Area | |
| • Land | 164.68 km2 (63.58 sq mi) |
| Population
(2021)
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| • Total | 18,160 |
| • Density | 110.3/km2 (286/sq mi) |
| Source: Canada 2021 Census | |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Postal code |
K8H
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| Website | Town of Petawawa |
Petawawa is a town located in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario. Situated in the Ottawa Valley, with a population of 18,160 (2021 Census), Petawawa is the most populous municipality in Renfrew County.
Geography
Petawawa is located at latitude 45°54' north and longitude 77°17' west.
The town lies on the west bank of the Ottawa River, at the confluence of the Petawawa River. Situated across the Ottawa River from the Laurentian Mountains, and east of Algonquin Park, Petawawa is a favourite stop for outdoor enthusiasts, anglers, hikers, canoers, and kayakers.
Transportation
Ontario Highway 17, Ontario Northlands bus service from Ottawa and the local commercial airport (Pembroke Airport) located in Petawawa, all provide access to this town.
History
The earliest settlement in the Petawawa area was inhabited by the Algonquin First Nation. The name of Petawawa originates from a local Algonquin language word, biidaawewe, meaning "where one hears a noise like this". The spelling of the name of the town was Petewawa until at least 1916. There are no sources showing when the official name was changed from Petewawa to Petawawa, but photographs after 1916 with the former spelling have not been found. While the records of the official name change are non-existent, it has been speculated that the influx of immigration to the area changed the pronunciation of the word from its native roots to a more European pronunciation. Over time this may have changed the spelling of the Town's name into the present day format.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1951 | 1,017 | — |
| 1961 | 4,509 | +343.4% |
| 1971 | 5,784 | +28.3% |
| 1981 | 5,520 | −4.6% |
| 1991 | 5,793 | +4.9% |
| 1996 | 6,540 | +12.9% |
| 2001 | 14,398 | +120.2% |
| 2006 | 14,651 | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 15,988 | +9.1% |
| Pre-2001 figures are for the Village of Petawawa; 2001 figures onward are for the Town of Petawawa. | ||
In the late 19th century, the area was surveyed and settled by emigres from Scotland, Ireland and Germany. The land was unsuitable for crops, but the heavily forested surroundings were useful for logging. The Canadian military acquired land in the area in 1905, which later became Canadian Forces Base Petawawa. During this period it was used as an internment camp for German POWs during World War II. Later, it became home to the Canadian Airborne Regiment before it was disbanded in 1995. Today, it is one of Canada's largest ground forces bases with members deployed throughout the world on various missions supporting the United Nations in peacekeeping or the War on Terror.
Petawawa was incorporated as a township in 1865. An Internment camp was set up at the Militia Camp in Petawawa from December 1914 to May 1916.
In 1961, the urban area of Petawawa was incorporated as a separate village. On July 1, 1997, the village and township re-amalgamated to form the Town of Petawawa.
Climate
Petawawa has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) with long, cold, snowy winters and warm summers.
| Climate data for Petawawa | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high humidex | 10.0 | 14.8 | 24.2 | 36.3 | 42.3 | 42.6 | 47.5 | 46.3 | 43.1 | 32.6 | 22.5 | 18.1 | 47.5 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 11.7 (53.1) |
16.5 (61.7) |
24.5 (76.1) |
32.0 (89.6) |
34.0 (93.2) |
36.4 (97.5) |
38.9 (102.0) |
38.9 (102.0) |
35.0 (95.0) |
28.5 (83.3) |
21.7 (71.1) |
15.6 (60.1) |
38.9 (102.0) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −6.4 (20.5) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
1.9 (35.4) |
10.8 (51.4) |
19.3 (66.7) |
23.3 (73.9) |
26.3 (79.3) |
24.5 (76.1) |
19.0 (66.2) |
11.9 (53.4) |
4.0 (39.2) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
10.5 (50.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −12.9 (8.8) |
−11.1 (12.0) |
−4.3 (24.3) |
4.4 (39.9) |
11.9 (53.4) |
16.1 (61.0) |
19.1 (66.4) |
17.6 (63.7) |
12.5 (54.5) |
6.3 (43.3) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
−9.4 (15.1) |
4.1 (39.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −19.1 (−2.4) |
−17.8 (0.0) |
−10.6 (12.9) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
4.5 (40.1) |
8.9 (48.0) |
11.8 (53.2) |
10.8 (51.4) |
6.0 (42.8) |
0.6 (33.1) |
−4.8 (23.4) |
−14.9 (5.2) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −41.1 (−42.0) |
−39.4 (−38.9) |
−33.8 (−28.8) |
−22.2 (−8.0) |
−9.4 (15.1) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
2.0 (35.6) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
−5.2 (22.6) |
−12.6 (9.3) |
−24.8 (−12.6) |
−37.9 (−36.2) |
−41.1 (−42.0) |
| Record low wind chill | −51.7 | −46.0 | −38.4 | −25.8 | −11.6 | −4.3 | 1.0 | −3.4 | −7.9 | −14.1 | −33.3 | −45.3 | −51.8 |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 52.0 (2.05) |
46.4 (1.83) |
60.4 (2.38) |
61.8 (2.43) |
68.5 (2.70) |
81.3 (3.20) |
76.5 (3.01) |
81.1 (3.19) |
79.0 (3.11) |
75.1 (2.96) |
67.2 (2.65) |
67.1 (2.64) |
816.2 (32.13) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 7.6 (0.30) |
9.7 (0.38) |
29.5 (1.16) |
51.3 (2.02) |
67.3 (2.65) |
81.3 (3.20) |
76.5 (3.01) |
81.1 (3.19) |
78.9 (3.11) |
72.1 (2.84) |
46.2 (1.82) |
14.7 (0.58) |
615.9 (24.25) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 53.9 (21.2) |
42.2 (16.6) |
33.9 (13.3) |
11.6 (4.6) |
1.0 (0.4) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.1 (0.0) |
3.3 (1.3) |
23.1 (9.1) |
59.5 (23.4) |
228.5 (90.0) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 16.8 | 12.5 | 13.2 | 11.6 | 11.7 | 12.9 | 11.8 | 12.8 | 14.1 | 13.8 | 15.9 | 18.2 | 165.2 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 2.8 | 2.3 | 6.2 | 9.3 | 11.6 | 12.9 | 11.8 | 12.8 | 14.0 | 12.9 | 10.1 | 4.2 | 110.9 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 16.3 | 12.0 | 9.4 | 3.6 | 0.41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.18 | 1.8 | 8.8 | 16.8 | 69.2 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 93.9 | 124.6 | 145.5 | 179.9 | 230.3 | 246.0 | 276.5 | 240.8 | 150.3 | 120.4 | 67.4 | 66.1 | 1,941.5 |
| Source 1: Environment Canada | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Environment Canada | |||||||||||||
Communities
In addition to the primary urban core of Petawawa, the town also comprises the communities of Black Bay, Kramer Subdivision, Laurentian View, McGuire, Petawawa Point, Pine Meadows, Pine Ridge, Pinehurst Estates and Riverview.
Demographics
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In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Petawawa had a population of 18,160 living in 6,762 of its 7,174 total private dwellings, a change of 5.7% from its 2016 population of 17,187. With a land area of 164.7 km2 (63.6 sq mi), it had a population density of 110.3/km2 (286/sq mi) in 2021.
Notable residents
Entertainers
- Tom Green, comedian/actor
- Tommy Mac, Hedley bassist
Sports
- Roy Giesebrecht, retired NHL hockey player
- Lloyd Mohns, retired NHL hockey player
- Matthew Peca, NHL hockey player for the Ottawa Senators
- Joe Reekie, retired NHL hockey player
- Mike Rowe, retired NHL hockey player
- Ray Sheppard, retired NHL hockey player
