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| Manitouwadge is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located in the Thunder Bay District, at the end of Hwy. 614, 331 kilometres east of Thunder Bay and 378 km west of Sault Ste. Marie.
Manitouwadge translates into "Cave of the Great Spirit." It was founded by Noranda (now part of Xstrata) in the early 1950s to support the company's Geco copper mine. Other mines in Manitouwadge included the Willroy mine.
In the early 1980s, gold was discovered at Hemlo, near the intersection of highways 614 and 17, about 50 km south of the town. Noranda acquired the mining rights to a significant portion of the ground in that area, and built the Golden Giant Mine. It offered housing in Manitouwadge to many of the employees of the new mine, and the town boomed.
When the Geco mine closed in 1995, Manitouwadge's population decreased significantly. After peaking at nearly 4000 people in the early 1990s, it decreased to less than 3000 by 2001. With the closing of the Golden Giant Mine in 2006, the population dropped to 2,300.
While mining has always been at the forefront of Manitouwadge's economic activity, forestry also plays a significant part in the town's economy. The town is also turning itself into a retirement community, offering some of the lowest housing prices in the country.
Summer is open to many outdoor activities. Hunting and fishing are main attractions open to vacationers and residents.It is a great place for active living with a fully equipped gym, a large outside track, a great family pool and lots of trails for hiking in the summer as well as wilderness trails for snowmobilers in the winter. 8 different runs for downhill skiing and cross country trails as well. From the top of the ski hill enjoy a fantastic view of the whole town.
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