Ontario has seen hundreds of colonial settlements come and go over the past two centuries. Some are lost to time. The community of Sapawe gradually diminished, but not in the hearts and minds of the people who lived there.
This summer the Museum of Atikokan presents a unique exhibit about the community of Sapawe. The town no longer exists, but the history of the settlement and lives of the people who lived there have been snatched from obscurity and documented. Early settlement history of mining, the lean years of The Great Depression and finally steady employment with a lumber mill, all before the great changes brought on by the end of the Second World War are brought together in this exhibit.
What were the factors that defined life in those early settlements across northwestern Ontario? The availability of lumber, and ore supply, and, crucially, the rail line. What was it like to grow up in Sapawe? From November 1930 to until the first school was built in 1949 children waited for the school car to stop in Sapawe. The school car was a Canadian National Railway Pullman coach customized to accommodate a classroom and living quarters for the schoolteacher. This innovative approach to delivering education in remote communities was unique to Canada. The school car meant a great deal to the community. It was a rolling library, a social centre and most importantly the place to listen to Hockey Night in Canada with Foster Hewitt.
The Museum of Atikokan is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm, evenings and weekends by appointment. Contact the Museum staff at 807-697-6585 for a guided tour or after hours viewing. The Museum is located at 204 Main Street East. The Museum of Atikokan captures the region’s unique history: geology, industry, artists, writers, and sport. Each year visitors are welcomed from all parts of Canada and the United States. Admission is by donation; parking is adjacent to the entrance.
Atikokan is on the doorstep of one of Ontario’s most traditional wilderness areas, as Quetico Provincial Park stands among the best for its beauty and its ruggedness. We’re only too happy to have you here, whether it’s for a day, for a week, or a lifetime. We are the Canoeing Capital of Canada. We are the Gateway to Quetico Provincial Park. We are Naturally Wild.