Englehart, Ontario, a charming town nestled on the Blanche River in the Timiskaming District, is a hidden gem in the Canadian province of Ontario. With a population of 1,442 according to the 2021 Census of Population, Englehart offers a peaceful retreat for those seeking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.
The town of Englehart was born out of the construction of the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario (T & NO) Railway and was named after its Chairman, Jacob Lewis Englehart. Incorporated in January 1908, Englehart served as a halfway divisional point between North Bay, Ontario, and Cochrane, Ontario, where the T & NO Railway intersected with the new Transcontinental Railway line.
Jacob Lewis Englehart, a successful businessman from Petrolia, Ontario, played a pivotal role in the development of the railway north of North Bay in Ontario. Appointed by the Premier of Ontario in 1905, Englehart led the Ontario Commission in charge of building and operating the T & NO, which later became the Ontario Northland Railway.
The town began to take shape with the construction of the line's first major bridge at the Charlton branch of Blanche River. The railway was central to the settlement and development of New Ontario, now known as N.E. Ontario, until the opening of the first gravel road, the Ferguson Highway, in 1927.
Today, Englehart's importance as a railway town has diminished, and the biggest employer is an oriented strand board (OSB) facility built by Grants Forest Products, which was sold to Georgia-Pacific in early 2010.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Englehart had a population of 1,442 living in 684 of its 720 total private dwellings, a change of -2.5% from its 2016 population of 1,479. With a land area of 2.92 km2 (1.13 sq mi), it had a population density of 493.8/km2 (1,279.0/sq mi) in 2021.
The Englehart railway station was served by the Northlander until the passenger service was ended in September 2012. Rail passenger service was replaced by increased bus service, also provided by Ontario Northland Railway. Englehart is located on Ontario Highway 11, part of the Trans-Canada Highway system.
On March 31, 2007, an Ontario Northland Railway freight train derailed about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north of Englehart, spilling an estimated 100 tonnes of sulfuric acid into a creek feeding the Blanche River.
Located near the town of Englehart, Kap-Kig-Iwan Provincial Park offers a wealth of outdoor activities for nature lovers. Whether you're a resident or a visitor, Englehart, Ontario, is a town rich in history and natural beauty, waiting to be explored.
