Magnetawan, a township located in the Almaguin Highlands region of the Parry Sound District in Ontario, Canada, is a place of rich history and stunning natural beauty. The township was formed in 1998 through the amalgamation of the Township of Chapman and the Village of Magnetawan, along with the unincorporated geographic Townships of Croft and Spence. The name Magnetawan, derived from the Algonquin language, translates to "swiftly flowing river."
The first inhabitants of the region were the Hurons, Ojibway, and Algonquins, who used the area for hunting and fishing during the summer months. European exploration began in the early 19th century, but settlement was slow until the government offered free land grants in 1853. The construction of the colonization road from Rosseau to Nipissing in 1866 accelerated settlement, and the Free Grand Land and Homestead Act of 1868 attracted new immigrants. The village of Magnetawan was mapped out in 1873, and by 1879, steamships began carrying cargo and passengers over the 20 miles reach from the rapids at the village upstream to Burk's Falls. A lock completed in 1886 enabled navigation west of the rapids, and larger steamships began operating. The last steamship used the river in 1934.
Core rock samples taken by Walfried Schwerdtner in the surrounding area reveal a predominance of foliated Grenville Gneiss. The township comprises the communities of Ahmic Harbour, Ahmic Lake, Cecebe, Cedar Croft, Chikopi, Dufferin Bridge, Magnetawan, North Seguin, Oranmore, Pearceley, Port Anson, and Port Carmen, as well as the ghost town of Spence.
Magnetawan is home to several lakes and rivers, including Old Man's Lake, Ahmic Lake, Lake Cecebe, Magnetawan River, Beaver Lake, and Horn Lake. Ahmic Lake is particularly known for its diverse fish species, including Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Pickerel(Walleye), Crappie, Sunfish, Rock Bass, Whitefish, Catfish, Perch, and Northern Pike.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Magnetawan had a population of 1,753 living in 825 of its 1,717 total private dwellings, a change of 26.1% from its 2016 population of 1,390. With a land area of 526.31 km2, it had a population density of 3.3/km2 in 2021. Prior to amalgamation in 1998, the population total in 1996 was 1,324. As of 2021, 90% of the population speaks English as their first language, 2% speak French, and 7.4% speak other languages.
Magnetawan offers a variety of attractions, from a museum to picturesque waters. The downtown area features a general store/restaurant, a museum, Lions Pavilion Park, farmers market, little shops, locks/dams, and a LCBO store. The village also has a school, churches, a golf course named Ahmic Lake Golf Club, a post office, municipality offices, and a municipality pavilion. Resorts and rentable cottages are available for visitors, with Woodland Echoes and Ahmic Lake Resort being two of the biggest resorts. Other unique attractions include Echo Rock on Lake Cecebe, the shipwreck of the steamboat Wenoah in Lake Cecebe, the Trans-Canada Trail, hand-operated dam and locks, Knoepfli and Fagans Falls, the Lighthouse on the Magnetawan River, Echo Beach Cottage Resort, Camp Kahquah, golfing, horseback riding, fishing and boating in the local lakes, hunting, and snowmobiling and dog sledding.
