Kirkland Lake, Ontario, is a vibrant town and municipality nestled in the Timiskaming District of Northeastern Ontario. With a population of 7,981 as per the 2016 Statistics Canada data, this community is steeped in history and offers a wealth of attractions for tourists. The town's name is derived from a nearby lake named after Winnifred Kirkland, a secretary of the Ontario Department of Mines in Toronto. Today, Kirkland Lake comprises Teck Township, Swastika, Chaput Hughes, Bernhardt, and Morrisette Township.
Kirkland Lake was built on gold, but it's also renowned for its hockey players. Hockey broadcaster Foster Hewitt famously dubbed Kirkland Lake "the town that made the NHL." The town celebrates this legacy through Hockey Heritage North, now renamed Heritage North. Until January 1, 1972, the town was known as Township of Teck. However, a by-law introduced on July 20, 1971, changed the municipality's name to Town of Kirkland Lake, effective from January 1, 1972.
Gold in the Kirkland Lake region was first reported in the late 1800s by Chief Ignace Tonené of the Temagami First Nation. Despite his claim being jumped (stolen), no action was taken on his report. In his honor, Chief Tonene Lake was named. Chief Ignace Tonené later played a significant role in forming the Beaverhouse First Nation.
The discovery of gold continued with Tom Price finding a boulder containing gold in 1906. By 1911, significant claims were made along the Main Break, leading to the establishment of several mines. The Teck-Hughes mine was particularly notable for the development of Teck cable for sturdy electrical transmission, now used worldwide.
Kirkland Lake's early years saw numerous mines, including the Teck-Hughes, Lake Shore, Kirkland Minerals, Wright-Hargreaves, Sylvanite, Tough-Oakes-Burnside (later Toburn), and Macassa Mine. The Kirkland Lake camp produced gold worth $636,667 in 1918, rising to a value of $17,000,000 in 1930. By 1934, the production had reached $34,000,000, and 2,000,000 tons were being milled annually.
Kirkland Lake, Ontario, is located in the resource-rich Precambrian Shield, an ancient geological core of the North American continent. The town includes the townships of Teck, Bernhardt, and Morrisette. The area is home to a variety of wildlife, including moose, beaver, muskrat, snowshoe hare, and numerous predators. The many wetlands and lakes support a diversity of bird species, making it a haven for nature lovers.
Kirkland Lake is situated within the Abitibi greenstone belt and the Abitibi gold belt. The main geological feature in the Kirkland Lake Camp is the Kirkland Lake Break, or Main Break, a vein located along a thrust fault extending east to west and dipping steeply to the south. Gold occurs in quartz veins in spatial relationship to this fault.
Kirkland Lake enjoys four distinct seasons. Spring and autumn offer a mix of warm sunny days and crisp, cool nights. Summers are comfortably warm, with dry air and temperatures reaching into the mid-20-degree Celsius range (mid-70s Fahrenheit). Winter temperatures may seem brisk, but high winds and high humidity are rare, allowing residents to take full advantage of outside recreational activities.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Kirkland Lake had a population of 7,750 living in 3,775 of its 4,353 total private dwellings, a change of -2.9% from its 2016 population of 7,981. With a land area of 261.29 km2 (100.88 sq mi), it had a population density of 29.7/km2 (76.8/sq mi) in 2021.
Kirkland Lake, Ontario, is a hub of arts and culture. The area supports a strong tourist industry throughout the year, with summers attracting anglers, hunters, and campers, and winters drawing snowmobile enthusiasts. Local attractions include the Kirkland Lake Miners' Memorial, Blueberry Festival, Toburn Mine, Wright-Hargreaves Park, and the annual Homecoming Week and Winter Carnival.
Kirkland Lake is served by Ontario Northland bus and railway services, the Kirkland Lake Airport, local transportation for people with disabilities, and local taxi services. Connections to the Timmins/Victor M. Power Airport and Rouyn-Noranda Airports are also available.
Kirkland Lake has also made its mark in popular culture. The town was the filming location for the drama film Termini Station.
