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History

The Township of Ignace was established in 1879 when the Canadian Pacific Railway was built through the area. Ignace was named by Sir Sandford Fleming after his Iroquois guide, Ignace Mentour. The Township became a railway division point mid-way between Kenora and Fort William (Thunder Bay), with marshaling and maintenance facilities, station, employee houses and railroad YMCA.

The Township was incorporated in 1908 and continued as a railroad town for another half-century. By the 1950’s, changes in rail transport forced the CPR to begin cutting back operations in Ignace. The Trans-Canada Highway was built in the late 1930’s, opening up the country for further development and new opportunities including growth in the service sector and establishment of tourist camps. The building of the Trans- Canada Pipeline through the Township in the 1950’s and the construction of Highway 599 in the 1960’s provided further stimulus for growth within the community.

Persistent growth in Ignace occurred throughout the 1960’s as a result of continued expansion of forestry operations and rapid development of mining interests in the area. Along with the influx of miners and their families, the area also became home for some 150 employees of Canadian Forest Products Limited (the forerunner of Resolute Forest Products). This rapid increase in population provided for substantial community development, including the construction of over 100 new housing units, modern sewage and water treatment facilities, a public elementary/secondary school, a French Catholic elementary school, a recreation facility and numerous new businesses. Ignace continued to flourish into the mid 1980’s until the downsizing and ultimate closure of the mines in 1991, coupled with the downsizing of forestry jobs due to mechanization.

Transportation plays a key role in the local economy given that the CP railway, the Trans-Canada Highway and the Trans-Canada Pipeline runs through the Township. Tourism is a staple of the area’s economy with a number of fishing and hunting resorts in the vicinity. The community is now promoting Highway 599 as the best route to the ‘Ring of Fire’ mineral wealth in the far north and is a prime candidate in the site selection process for a deep geologic repository for used nuclear fuel. The Township continues to explore this possibility with the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) which is responsible for used nuclear fuel.