Moonbeam, Ontario

Moonbeam is a township in Ontario, Canada, located in the Cochrane District. It is located between the communities of Fauquier and Kitigan along Ontario Highway 11, south of René Brunelle Provincial Park. It is known for its roadside flying saucer, which is also featured prominently in promotional material. The town is most famously referenced in the song "Fly" by the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip off of their 2006 album World Container.

Moonbeam
Township (single-tier)
Township of Moonbeam
Canton de Moonbeam
Novelty UFO and visitor centre in Moonbeam
Moonbeam
Coordinates: 49°21′N 82°09′W
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
DistrictCochrane
Settled1912
Incorporated1922
Government
 • TypeTownship
 • MayorNicole Fortier Levesque
 • Federal ridingAlgoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing
 • Prov. ridingMushkegowuk—James Bay
Area
 • Land235.58 km2 (90.96 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)[2]
 • Total1,231
 • Density5.2/km2 (13/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Postal Code
P0L 1V0
Area code(s)705
Websitewww.moonbeam.ca
Flying Saucer of Moonbeam

Origin of the name Moonbeam

The name "Moonbeam" is attributed to early pioneers who allegedly witnessed flashing lights falling from the sky, which they called "moonbeams". These lights fell down or reflected in a creek that flows west from Strickland to Rémi Lake and was called Moonbeam Creek. These lights could have been Northern Lights that often appear with the moon light.[3]

Another suggestion is that the name came from the passengers on the Transcontinental Railway, who would be traveling for many miles through dark forests and when they came to the natural clearing near Moonbeam would be struck by the brilliance of the moon-lit snow. Nevertheless, there is no documented proof of the exact source of this name.[3]

Rémi Lake was named after a Great Trunk Pacific Railway worker who drowned there in 1905.

History

The National Transcontinental Railway, connecting Quebec City with the Canadian Prairies, was completed by 1912 and provided new access to agricultural land and natural resources of northern Ontario. This attracted colonizers from Montreal, Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, and Saint-Jovite, to the Moonbeam area, looking for land to cultivate or mine.[3]

Timeline:

  • The first family to get established in Moonbeam was Théodule and Valentine Léonard in 1909.
  • The first baby born in Moonbeam was Marie Régina Lecuyer in 1914.
  • The priest, founder of Moonbeam, was Ovila François Paquette O.M.I. in 1916.
  • The first school to open its doors was in September 1919.
  • The first church to be built in Moonbeam was in 1919-1920, called Nativité de Moonbeam.
  • The first cottage to be built on the Rémi Lake is the cottage of a rich tourist from Rochester New-York, Mr. Buelle in 1920.
  • The first Reeve of Moonbeam was Joseph Girouard in 1922.
  • The first St-Jean Parade was in 1922.
  • The incorporation of the District of Fauquier was January 9, 1922.
  • The first doctor in the region was Doctor Nicole in Fauquier in 1924.
  • The first airplane in Moonbeam was a Curtiss HS-2L flown by Captain C.A. Schiller in 1925.
  • The first butter-production firm was open in 1927. It cost $3689.00 to build and $5954.00 for all the machinery.
  • The first doctor to open its doors in Moonbeam was Doctor Soucie in 1934.
  • 1930–1940, the speed limit was raised to 15 miles per hour.
  • 1930–1940, all stores were restricted to not sell tobacco to kids less than 18 years of age.
  • The chapel at Rémi Lake celebrated its first mass in 1960.
  • The sewage system in the village was installed November 1, 1965.

List of mayors

Mayors from incorporation in 1922 to present:[4]

  • Joseph Girouard (1922–1923)
  • Célestin Desgroseillers (1924–1928)
  • Vital Filion (1929–1931)
  • Cléophas Desgroseillers (1932–1935)
  • Albert Gaudreault (1936–1938)
  • Guillaume Soucie (1939–1942)
  • Ernest Léonard (1943–1946)
  • Alexandre Lacroix (1947–1950)
  • Jos. Aimable Turcotte (1951 and 1955–1958)
  • Francis St-Aubin (1952–1954)
  • Stanislas Lavoie (1959–1972)
  • Raymond Bouchard (1972–1978)
  • Gaëtan Filion (1979–1985)
  • Olivain Fullum (1985–1997)
  • Claude D'Amours (1997–2000)
  • Gilles Audet (2000–2018)
  • Nicole Fortier Levesque (2018–present)

Demographics
Canada census – Moonbeam, Ontario community profile
2016 2011 2006
Population: 1231 (11.8% from 2011) 1101 (-15.2% from 2006) 1298 (8.1% from 2001)
Land area: 235.58 km2 (90.96 sq mi) 235.65 km2 (90.98 sq mi) 235.17 km2 (90.80 sq mi)
Population density: 5.2/km2 (13/sq mi) 4.7/km2 (12/sq mi) 5.5/km2 (14/sq mi)
Median age: 52.4 (M: 53.7, F: 51.6) 46.9 (M: 47.5, F: 46.3)
Total private dwellings: 545 843 907
Median household income: $73,830 $55,093
References: 2016[5] 2011[1] 2006[6] earlier[7]

Population:[8]

  • Population in 2016: 1231
  • Population in 2011: 1101
  • Population in 2006: 1298
  • Population in 2001: 1201
  • Population in 1996: 1322
  • Population in 1991: 1330

Mother tongue:[9]

  • English as first language: 18.4%
  • French as first language: 78.8%
  • English and French as first language: 1.2%
  • English, French and Other as first language: 0.4
  • Other as first language: 1.2%

See also

References
  1. "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. July 5, 2013. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  2. "Moonbeam census profile". 2016 Census of Population. Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  3. Jean Lagacé (2009-11-10). "Did you know?". Corporation of the Township of Moonbeam. Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  4. "Moonbeam Mayors". Corporation of the Township of Moonbeam. 2009-11-10. Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2009-12-18.
  5. "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. February 21, 2017.
  6. "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. March 30, 2011. Retrieved 2012-02-21.
  7. "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. February 17, 2012.
  8. Statistics Canada: 1996, 2001, 2006 census
  9. "Moonbeam Census Profile". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2017-12-22.
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