Balmertown, Ontario
| Red Lake | |
|---|---|
| Municipality (single-tier) | |
| Municipality of Red Lake | |
 |
|
 Red Lake
|
|
| Coordinates: 51°02′N 93°50′W / 51.033°N 93.833°WCoordinates: 51°02′N 93°50′W / 51.033°N 93.833°W | |
| Country |
 Canada
|
| Province |
 Ontario
|
| District | Kenora |
| Settled | 1926 |
| Formed | 1 July 1998 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Town |
| • Mayor | Phil Vinet |
| • MP | Bob Nault (LPC) |
| • MPP | Sarah Campbell (NDP) |
| Area | |
| • Land | 610.38 km2 (235.67 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 385.90 m (1,266.08 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 4,670 |
| • Density | 7.7/km2 (20/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Postal code FSA | P0V |
| Area code(s) | 807 |
| Website | www.red-lake.com |
Red Lake is a municipality with town status in the Canadian province of Ontario, located 535 kilometres (332 mi) northwest of Thunder Bay and less than 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the Manitoba border. The municipality consists of six small communities — Balmertown, Cochenour, Madsen, McKenzie Island, Red Lake and Starratt-Olsen — and had a population of 4,670 people in the Canada 2011 Census.
Red Lake is an enclave within Unorganized Kenora District. The municipality was formed on 1 July 1998, when the former incorporated townships of Golden and Red Lake were merged along with a small portion of Unorganized Kenora District.
The name of the town comes from a local legend telling of two men from the Chippewa tribe who stumbled across a large moose. They then proceeded in killing the moose, the blood of which drained into a nearby lake. This turned the lake's waters red in colour, which gave the area its name.
According to archeological surveys in the area, it is proposed that the First Nations people have inhabited the Red Lake area for 2,000 years. The first people to live in the land were members of the Sioux and Cree tribes. Approximately 200–300 years ago the Ojibwe people began to inhabit the area, effectively becoming the predominant people at the time.
In 1897, the R.J. Gilbert expedition discovered gold and staked 8 claims. These were surveyed by J.B. Tyrrell, brother of Joseph Tyrrell, and a rock sample from an 8-meter shaft assayed 0.6 ounces gold per ton. However, the remoteness of the site precluded further exploration until 1922. A report by Department of Mines geologist and former head of geology at Queen's University Dr. Everend Lester Bruce indicated gold-bearing quartz was to be found in the greenstone around the lake. Fred Carroll then staked what would become the Cochenour-Willans Mine, and Herbert Tyrell staked what would become McMarmac Mine on McKenzie Island. In 1925, Lorne and Ray Howey, along with brother-in-law George McNeely, plus W.F. Morgan staked claims which became the Howey and Hasaga Mines. Marius Madsen staked claims which became the Madsen Mine. The McDonough brothers staked the future Red Lake Gold Shore Mines.
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