Kenora History

1688

Jacques De Noyon sights Lake of the Woods, the first European to do so.

1732

Pierre La Verendrye established Fort St. Charles.

1736

Jean Baptiste La Verendrye, Father Aulneau and 19 others massacred by Sioux.

1763

Fort St. Charles abandoned.

1783

Treaty of Paris following the War of Independence describes the boundary between Canada and the US.

1821

Merger of the Hudson¹s Bay Comany and the North West Company.

1823

International Boundary Commission surveyed Lake of the Woods for the US/Canada Boundary. David Thompson, Surveyor, and John Bigsby, Secretary, for the British, Joseph Delafield, Agent, and James Ferguson, Surveyor, for the US. Map rejected by the Hudson¹s Bay Company.

1824

David Thompson and his son Samuel repeat survey of Lake of the Woods finding North West Angle. Map resulted in final definition of boundary.

1825

Ludwig Tyarks, surveyor for the British, confirmed that the North West Angle is more north-westerly than Rat Portage.

1836

Hudson¹s Bay Company established a post on Old Fort Island, replacing the post at the Dalles.

1842

Webster-Ashburton Treaty ratified North West Angle as the most northerly place on the US/Canada boundary and the connection due south to the 49th parallel.

1850

Gold first discovered in the area.

1857

Henry Youle Hind Expedition, sponsored by the Canadian government, passed through Lake of the Woods, searching out an emigrant route from Lake Superior to the Red River. Samuel J. Dawson was with this expedition.
Palliser Expedition, sponsored by the British government, passed through Lake of the Woods, on a three-year expedition to survey the resources of western Canada to establish the suitability of the general area for settlement.

1861

Hudson¹s Bay Company post opened on the mainland on the present site of Kenora.

1870

Wolseley Expedition arrived at northern end of Lake of the Woods.

1871

Dawson Trail opened.

1872

First steamboat on Lake of the Woods.

1873

Treaty #3 was signed at the North West Angle.

1876

Frank Gardner arrived in Keewatin and is generally acknowledged as the first permanent white settler in the area. William Heaney and F.T. Hooper arrive

JOHN GARDNER & CO.
Wholesale and Retail Dry Goods, Clothing, Boots and Shoes, and Groceries, Main Street, Rat Portage--An important branch of commercial activity, and one deserving of prominent mention in this historical review of the great northern leading industries, is the general store trade, and in this connection it is a pleasure to speak of that enterprising and successful concern of John Gardner & Co., dealers in dry goods, such as woollens, linens, and dress goods of all descriptions, clothing, boots and shoes, gents' furnishings, groceries, provisions, etc. The members of the firm are John, Frank and William Gardner. Mr. Frank Gardner is one of the old pioneer merchants of the Northwest, being the first white trader locating in this country, starting business at Keewatin in 1876, moving his business to this city in 1879. Mr. Frank Gardner is the builder of the large passenger and towing steamboat, the "Algoma", which is now owned by Mr. John Gardner, the senior member of the above firm. All of these gentlemen are held in the highest estimation in commercial life for their many sterling qualities and strict integrity, and justly merit the success attained by their ability, energy, and perserverance. "Prominent Business Houses of Rat Portage" in The New West, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 1888

1877

Joseph Derry, George Derry, Charles McMurdie, Frank Moore, arrive in Rat Portage.

1878

Rat Portage lots surveyed by the Hudson¹s Bay Company.

1879

First hotel in Rat Portage, the Rideout House, was built.
John Mather, who had applied for post office seals, switched seals and kept ³Keewatin Mills² for the western railway stop and sent ³Rat Portage² to the eastern stop.
The first doctor in Rat Portage, Dr. Thomas Hanson, arrived.
Cut made between Portage Bay to Darlington Bay for sawmill.

1880

The first newspaper in Rat Portage was printed. It was called The North Star.
The first sawmill operation began at Keewatin Mills, owned by John Mather.
Visit by the Marquis of Lorne and Princess Louise.
Cut made from Portage Bay to Winnipeg River for sawmill.

1881

First library established in Rat Portage.
Discovery of Sultana vein of gold.
First roundhouse with a turntable built by the CPR.

Ottawa rules in favour of Manitoba in the Ontario Manitoba Boundaries dispute

1882

Western line of the CPR between Rat Portage and Winnipeg completed.
First railway station built in Rat Portage.
First Roman Catholic Church was built in Rat Portage.
Town of Rat Portage legally incorporated by Manitoba.

Rat Portgae Business men and CPR petition Province of Ontario for a civil Court.

1883

Eastern line of CPR from Thunder Bay completed.
Polling took place in Rat Portage to elect members to the Provincial Legislatures of both Manitoba and Ontario.
First municipal government is formed in Rat Portage and W.L. Baker is the first mayor.
First school in Rat Portage was built on Hennepin Lake.

1884

Manitoba Ontario Boundary Case decided in favour of Ontario. All of Kenora is to be located in the Province of Ontario.

Plaque Text

When the Province of Ontario was established in 1867, no defined boundary separated it from the Hudson's Bay Company lands to the north and west. Canada's acquisition of these lands in 1869 raised the issue of provincial and federal jurisdictions and the ensuing dispute was submitted to arbitration. In 1878 a decision favourable to Ontario placed the western boundary at its present location and the northern at the English and Albany Rivers. The federal government rejected the award and in 1881 involved Manitoba by ruling that its eastern limit would be Ontario's still undetermined western boundary. The dispute was settled in 1884 when the Privy Council in Britain upheld the 1878 award.

Excerpt from http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/pageant/01/boundaries.shtml Manitoba Historical Society:

While this settlement was largely brought about in a friendly manner there were some lively disputes over the problem as to whether Rat Portage, now Kenora, was situated in Manitoba or in Ontario. Each of the provinces proclaimed its laws in force in the district and each built a court house and a jail and appointed magistrates and constables. Rat Portage, because of the hundreds of men in the district constructing the main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway, was a wild and wide-open town. Prisoners committed to jail by one province were released by the other; constables who made arrests were themselves arrested by constables of the other province; the Manitoba jail was stormed and burned and Manitoba's Premier Norquay, along with a force of police, travelled by special train to arrest those responsible and to bring them back to jail in Winnipeg; and when each province held an election on the same day Manitoba sent a militia force to Rat Portage to protect its polls. Before the disputed district was given by order of the Canadian Government to Ontario in 1884, Rat Portage had the most, but undoubtedly the worst, government ever known in Canada.

1886

First ocean to ocean train came through Rat Portage.

1887

Norman threatened to withdraw from the municipality of Rat Portage, citing taxation without adequate return as the reason.
Rollerway Dam built at the western outlet to the Winnipeg River.
Norman¹s first school was built.

1888

Lake of the Woods Milling Company began production of flour.
Keewatin lots surveyed by the Keewatin Lumber and Manufacturing Company.

1889

Kenora officially became part of the province of Ontario in 1889. Rat Portage Curling Club is formed.

1890

Rat Portage Rowing Club formed.

1891

First Rat Portage Regatta was held.
Thistles hockey team organized.

Census of Canada shows Rat Portgae 's population as 1,806

1892

Rat Portage dam and powerhouse built on eastern outlet to Winnipeg River.
The first telephone system was operated in Rat Portage by the Citizen¹s Telephone and Electric Light Company.

1893

Western Algoma Brick Company established.
Local Humane Society organized.
Norman Dam built by Keewatin Lumbering and Manufacturing Company.
Twenty gold mines are operating with 15 miles of Rat Portage.

1894

Visit by Sir Wildred Laurier.

1897

$25,000.00 of gold bullion was shipped out of Rat Portage from the area mines.
Victoria Rink was built.
Rat Portage Baptist Church was built.
Royal Jubilee Hospital completed.

1898

St. Mary¹s Residential School opened.
Victoria Rink built.

1899

Official opening of the second Central School.

1900

New CPR Station and roundhouse.
Post Office building opened.
Gun Club founded.

1901

World sculling championship held in Rat Portage between Rat Portage resident Jake Gaudaur and Australian George Towns. Census of Canada shows Rat Portgage 's population as 5,202.

1901 Canada Census, District 44, Algoma Sub District Rat Portage N2

1903

St. Joseph¹s Hospital opened by the Sisters of Providence of Montreal.
Lake of the Woods Yacht Club organized.

1905

Name of Rat Portage changed to Kenora.
Double tracking of the CPR began. Completed in 1910.

1906

Eastern outlet power plant enlarged.

1907

Kenora Thistles win the Stanley Cup.

1908

On April 11, 1908, the Private Bills Committee of the Ontario Legislature passed a bill incorporating the town of Keewatin, and dividing the municipality into three wards.

The sister townships were joined to form Jaffray and Melick.
Road from Melick Township to Redditt is laid out.
First time women can vote in the municipal election.

1909

By-law was passed to use numbers on streets instead of names. Houses were also numbered at this time.

1910

Tourist Hotel (Kenricia) was built.
Court House built.

1911

Canada Census shows Kenora's population at 6,158

1912

Present Kenora Fire Hall was built after the first 3 had burned down.

1913

Kenora High School was built.

1914

The Kenora Fish Market opened by Frank Gustafson.
Visit by the Duke of Connaught, Governor General of Canada, and his wife, the Duchess of Connaught, and his daughter, Princess Patricia.

1915

One-room log cabin school built in Black Sturgeon district.
The Ukrainian Literary Society was formed.

1916

Kenora Public Library built.

1917

Present St. Alban¹s Cathedral was constructed.

1918

Hudson¹s Bay Company store closed.

1920

The first seaplane to fly over central Canada stopped in Kenora.
The Thistle Rink was built.
Construction of pulp and paper mill started. Owned by Backus and Brooks.

1921

Census f Canada shows Kenora's popultion at d5,407.

1922

Golf Club founded.

1924

Kenora cenotaph unveiled in Memorial Park.
Production of paper begins at paper mill.
Golf Clubhouse built.

1926

Lakeside toboggan slides and ski jump opened.

1928

Jail built on Laurenson Lake.

1929

Cecelia Jeffrey Residential School built on Round Lake.

1930

The Kenora Rowing Club wins the Lipton Cup, marking them as the champions of the Northwestern International Rowing Association. They win it again in 1936.

1931

Census of Canada shows Kenora's population at 6,766

1932

Completion of the Ontario-Manitoba section of the Trans Canada Highway.
New high school was officially opened later renamed Lakewood Secondary School.

1935

The first woman, Elizabeth Courtney, is elected to the Municipal Council of the Town of Kenora.
New curling rink built at corner of First Street South and Eighth Avenue South.

1936

Argyle II replaces the original.

1937

Salvation Army Citadel was built.

1938

Maple Leaf Flour Mill burned down . Not replaced.

1940

Ontario and Minnesota Paper Co. took over the paper mill.

1941

Population of Kenora climbs to 7,672 in 1941 census

1946

Ice palace built on Main Street for Winter Carnival.

1949

The bridge over the western outlet of the Winnipeg River is completed.

1951

Kenora 's Population continues to rise now up to 8,695

1954

Rabbit Lake School constructed.
Kenora Thistles hockey team played exhibition games in Japan.
B¹nai Brith Camp established on Town Island.

1957

Kenora¹s 75th Anniversary.

1961

Kenora's population rises to 10,904

1963

Beaver Brae Secondary School opened.

1964

Lake of the Woods Museum established.

1965

Lake of the Woods International Sailing Association (LOWISA) held first regatta.

1967

Husky the Muskie constructed for McLeod Park.

1968

Kenora Recreation Centre opened.
Kenora General Hospital and St. Joseph¹s Hospital merge to form the Lake of the Woods District Hospital.

1969

The school boards of Jaffray and Melick, Norman, Keewatin, and Kenora amalgamated.

1971

Kenora's popularion rises to 10,952

1973

The ³Human Bomb² bank robbery.

1974

Marguerite Canfield was the first woman elected to the Jaffray and Melick council.

1975

Indoor Pool at Kenora Recreation Centre opened.
New curling rink replaced older one.

1977

Mildred Davis is the first woman elected to the Municipal Council of Keewatin.

1981

Kenora's population rises to 9,817

1985

The last log boom was towed into town.

1986

Kenora Harbourfront development completed.

1988

Jaffray and Melick becomes a town.

1990

Jaffray and Melick¹s name shortened to Jaffray-Melick.

1991

Town of Kenora's population rises to 9,782

2000

Amalgamation of Kenora, Keewatin, and Jaffray Melick.

2001

Census of Canda shows Kenora's poplations at 15,838

2006

Kenora's population shrinks to 15,177 in the 2006 Census.

2011

Population of Kenora slips below 15000 to 14955.