Red Lake, Ontario, is a charming municipality in the Canadian province of Ontario. Situated 535 km northwest of Thunder Bay and less than 100 km from the Manitoba border, Red Lake is an enclave within the Unorganized Kenora District. The municipality is a blend of six small communities—Balmertown, Cochenour, Madsen, McKenzie Island, Red Lake, and Starratt-Olsen. As per the Canada 2016 Census, the population of Red Lake was 4,107.
The name 'Red Lake' has an intriguing origin story rooted in local legend. According to the tale, two men from the Chippewa tribe stumbled upon a large moose. After killing the moose, its blood drained into a nearby lake, turning the water red. This incident gave the area its name, which was officially approved on 7 December 1909.
Archaeological surveys suggest that First Nations people have inhabited the Red Lake area for 2,000 years. The Sioux and Cree tribes were the first to settle, followed by the Ojibwe people 200–300 years ago. The discovery of gold in 1897 by the R.J. Gilbert expedition marked a significant turning point in the area's history. The remoteness of the site delayed further exploration until 1922 when a report by Dr. Everend Lester Bruce indicated the presence of gold-bearing quartz in the greenstone around the lake. This discovery led to a surge in economic, industrial, and population growth with the development of gold mines.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Red Lake had a population of 4,094 living in 1,703 of its 1,899 total private dwellings. This represented a slight decrease of -0.3% from its 2016 population of 4,107. With a land area of 602.93 km2, the population density of Red Lake was 6.8/km2 in 2021.
Red Lake experiences a warm-summer humid continental climate. Snow usually starts falling around late October or early November and starts melting around March. The long winter is ideal for snowmobiling, ice fishing, skiing, ice hockey, and downhill sliding. The summer offers a moderate climate with little humidity, perfect for fishing, camping, boating, canoeing, and hiking.
Red Lake is located at the northern terminus of Highway 105, making it the northernmost town in Ontario located on a primary King's Highway. The town acts as a cargo, passenger, and tourism hub for Northwestern Ontario, servicing over twenty northern fly-in communities. Red Lake Airport is a "mini-hub" facilitating travel to and from all northern communities in Northwestern Ontario.
Red Lake boasts the Red Lake Regional Heritage Centre, a museum showcasing local art and history. It is also close to Woodland Caribou Provincial Park and Pakwash Provincial Park. The area is a prime location for summer sport fishing, with the lake containing several types of fish including walleye, northern pike, lake trout, whitefish, and sauger. Other popular recreational activities include golfing at the Red Lake Golf and Country Club, swimming at Rahill and Kinsmen Beach, and exploring the many bays and arms of Red Lake by boat. Hunting is another activity that attracts tourism, especially during the fall season. Red Lake is known for its abundance of game, including moose, ruffed grouse, spruce grouse, duck, and bear.
