Iroquois Falls, a charming town nestled in Northern Ontario, Canada, is a hidden gem with a rich history and a vibrant community. As of the 2016 census, the town had a population of 4,537. Located 11 km east of Hwy 11 on the banks of the Abitibi River and west of Lake Abitibi, Iroquois Falls is approximately 70 kilometres from Timmins, one of the largest cities in northern Ontario. The town also encompasses the communities of Monteith, Nellie Lake, and Porquis Junction.
The primary industry of Iroquois Falls was a large mill that produced newsprint and commercial printing papers. However, in December 2014, the mill's owner, Resolute Forest Products, announced its permanent closure. Despite this, the town remains industrially significant with three hydro-electric dams in the vicinity. The Monteith Correctional Complex, a provincial prison serving a regional catchment area, is also located within the community of Monteith.
The origin of the town's name, Iroquois Falls, is a subject of debate. Some attribute it to invasions by the Iroquois on Huron or Ojibway villages, while others believe it was named by settlers or the First Nations people themselves.
The town was built as a company town by Frank Harris Anson, owner of the Abitibi Power and Paper Company. Influenced by the garden city movement of urban planning, Anson was committed to building an elaborate town. He hired a Chicago architectural firm to design the landscaping and houses, and work crews began clearing land in 1913. The town's park and commercial developments were clearly separated from the paper mill, and the residential streets curved with a focus on the centre of the town.
A large church was built, the first English Catholic Parish in Northern Ontario, and today remains a historic landmark. Anson's company town had a hospital, a school, and a company hotel. Employee homes were designed with gambrel roofs to resemble New England farmhouses, and their design and location reflected the employee's rank at the mill.
Much of the town was destroyed by fire in 1916, but Anson continued his beautification program during the 1920s as the community rebuilt. The town's avant-garde style earned it the nickname "Anson's Folly". The town was incorporated in 1915, and a board of trade was chartered in 1926.
Iroquois Falls falls within the northern periphery of the humid continental climate (Dfb) despite extreme January and February record lows that exceed that of many subarctic regions. In January 1935, the town set the record low temperature for Ontario of −58.3 °C (−73 °F).
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Iroquois Falls had a population of 4,418 living in 1,977 of its 2,153 total private dwellings, a change of -2.6% from its 2016 population of 4,537. With a land area of 599.03 km2 (231.29 sq mi), it had a population density of 7.4/km2 (19.1/sq mi) in 2021.
The Jus Jordan Arena and curling rinks were completed in 1955, entirely through the volunteer effort of townspeople. The arena is currently home to the Iroquois Falls Storm and was formerly home to the Abitibi Eskimos, Iroquois Falls Jr. Eskis and Iroquois Falls Eskis of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League.
Each summer brings the "Search for Moby Pike" fishing derby on Lake Abitibi. 'MusicMusicMusic' was an annual live event on the second weekend of August, and featured local musicians raising funds for community charities. The Porquis Blues Festival, later renamed the Porquis Music Festival, was an annual festival in Porquis Junction, a small community south-west of Iroquois Falls. The last festival was in 2022.
Canadian musician Stompin' Tom Connors sang "May, the Millwright's Daughter" on his 1967 album The Northlands' Own Tom Connors, paying tribute to the town's industrial heritage.
