Wawa's Golden Hills & Mountains of Iron

Wawa's Golden Hills and Mountains of Iron. . , Gold and Iron! What more could a mining town possibly want? The cry of "GOLD" in 1897 transformed the quiet fur trading country of Michipicoten into a bustling miniature Klondike. The Michipicoten Ojibway couple of Louise Towab and William Teddy uncovered a rich vein of gold during a picnic on the scenic shoreline of Wawa Lake. Hundreds of prospectors flocked to the region panning and picking their way through Wawa's forests searching for their fortunes. , The short-lived gold fever that struck Wawa led to the unexpected discovery of iron ore in 1898 by prospectors Ben Boyer and Alois Goetz. Rock samples made their way into the hands of Francis Hector Clergue, an American entrepreneur who at once recognized the ore for its potential in the form of a great steel empire in Sault Ste. Marie. , Within 2 years, Clergue and his newly formed Lake Superior Power Corporation immediately began operations at Helen Mine on top of the massive mountain of iron bordering Wawa Lake's northern shoreline. In order to transport the iron ore to the newly built furnaces at Algoma Steel 230 kilometres south in Sault Ste. Marie, Clergue gave life to the Algoma Central Railway, Michipicoten Harbour, Algoma Central Steamship Lines, Sault Ste, Marie Pulp and Paper Company and Algoma Power Company. , For the next 100 years Wawa was a vibrant centre of mining activity in Northern Ontario. Mine shafts and communities dotted the hills surrounding Wawa Lake. During the depression era of the 1930's, Wawa was experiencing an unprecedented gold boom. Fully functional communities like Parkhill had a population of 300 gold miners, workers and their families. , With the demand for steel and iron during World War II, a sinter plant was built in Wawa to treat the increased tonnage of siderite iron from the Helen Mine. Workers and families from the newly abandoned gold mines relocated to Wawa. Attracted to the high wages and vibrant Canadian lifestyle, Wawa became home for many European immigrants after the end of the war. , For 60 more years Wawa residents and Algoma Ore carved a unique community out of the rugged Northern Algoma landscape. Complete with a hospital, schools, churches, arena, airport, movie theatre, bowling alley and all the necessary services to make Wawa a lively community able to enjoy the benefits of the mineral rich landscape. When Algoma Ore ceased operations in 1998, Wawa's iron mine was the last operating underground iron mine in North America. , As with many resource based economies, Wawa's mining industry has experienced a number of boom and bust eras. While mining is no longer the main source of Wawa's economic survival, gold, diamonds and a growing collection of other minerals continue to entice prospectors and mining speculators with the potential wealth still hidden beneath our feet.