Sioux Lookout, a town in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, is known locally as the "Hub of the North". Located approximately 350 km northwest of Thunder Bay, it has a population of 5,272 people, an elevation of 390 m, and its boundaries cover an area of 536 km2, of which 157 km2 is lake and wetlands.
In addition to the town of Sioux Lookout itself, the municipal boundaries include the community of Hudson and the Pelican flag stop located west on the Canadian National Railway (CNR) transcontinental main line; the railway point Superior Junction located on the CNR transcontinental main line to the east; and the Alcona flag stop, located on a CNR branch line to the southeast and south of Superior Junction.
Sioux Lookout's name comes from a local mountain and First Nations story. This mountain, known as Sioux Mountain, was used in the late 18th century by the Ojibwe to watch for any oncoming Sioux warriors looking to ambush their camp. Present-day Sioux Lookout was incorporated in 1912 and was then a terminal and junction on the National Transcontinental Railway. For many years, Sioux Lookout was simply a railway town. When gold was discovered in Red Lake, it became one of the leading aviation centers in Canada during the twenties and thirties.
The boundaries of Sioux Lookout were significantly expanded on January 1, 1998 to include a number of unorganized geographic townships surrounding the town itself. Sioux Lookout experiences a humid continental climate (Dfb) with long, cold winters and short, warm summers.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Sioux Lookout had a population of 5,839 living in 2,340 of its 2,647 total private dwellings, a change of 10.8% from its 2016 population of 5,272. As an ethnically diverse community, Sioux Lookout has a large Indigenous population (1,955 people) along with a smaller number of individuals from all over the world.
Sioux Lookout's annual Blueberry Festival has been held the first week of August since 1983. The festival includes a number of sporting events, charitable fundraisers, blueberry themed food, historical walks, musical performances, a car & truck show, a farmers' market, and much more.
Hunting and fishing are popular pastimes in Sioux Lookout. The annual Walleye Weekend Tournament, organized by the Sioux Lookout Anglers and Hunters Group, is held the second weekend of June with several cash prizes available to be won. Ecotourism is growing rapidly with outfitters such as Goldwater Expeditions providing kayak, ski, and snowshoe rentals while also providing ecology based adventures, cultural education, and ecological interpretation.
Sioux Mountain, Cedar Bay Recreational Facilities, and Ojibway Provincial Park are among the sites of interest in Sioux Lookout.
New residential zones have been created in response to Sioux Lookout's continued population growth. In the past decade, Sioux Lookout has renovated its train station and built several new buildings including a new elementary school, a new high school, grocery store, youth centre, court house, hospital, and clinic.
Sioux Lookout Airport was opened in 1933; at the time it was the second busiest airport in North America next to Chicago. Today, the airport is a mini-hub facilitating travel to and from all northern communities in Northwestern Ontario.
