![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6968449.1721308803!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Industry on the upswing in Manitouwadge
Manitouwadge is looking for a few new people to call neighbour. The small town in northern Ontario is seeing an upswing thanks to an increased demand for natural resources.
"Manitouwadge is like a hidden gem," said Mayor-elect Jim Moffat.
“People travel here for the wilderness, the fresh air, it's just a great place to be.”
Manitouwadge is a town of about 2,000 people located on Highway 614, smack dab in the middle between Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie.
The name means 'cave of the great spirit' in Ojibway, a testament to early residents of the area.
"Work-wise, there is a lot of forestry work in Manitouwadge, there are many miners who still live in Manitouwadge and they travel to the local mine at Hemlo or they fly in and fly out," said Moffat.
The long-time local politician said nature is also a recreational must for many.
"You can't beat the snowmobiling out here, lots of snow in the wintertime. We have the best ski hill on the north shore," he said.
"Summertime we've got a great golf course there and fishing, hunting galore."
CLOSE TO BARRICK GOLD
The job bank on the town's website currently has several openings for high-level jobs.
Barrick Gold is also a short commute from the town.
One of the employers helping to sustain the town is Manitouwadge Contracting Ltd. Owner Craig Schut said you can't beat the lifestyle.
"It's a very small, tight-knit community, small in the middle of nowhere," he told CTV News.
"You go around and ask people what brought them here and most people like myself will tell you it was a short-term job. Twenty years later and I'm still here."
Schut said it was mining that really helped create the town. Forestry has always been there.
"We don't have a facility for forestry in town, we deliver the product to other areas," he said.
"We're a stump-to-dump operation for forestry. We rely on ourselves for all aspects of it. So we do everything from building the roads, to harvesting the timber, to processing the timber and looking after getting that timber and all that maintenance that is required in getting that to the mills. We do it all in-house with our employees and direct contractors."
"We are a fully furnished community, we have a wonderful hospital, we have schools," added Schut.
"This is about a small as town as you can get where you have everything. Nobody gets trucked anywhere – a lot of other communities, your kids are on the highway for an hour or two on a school bus. We're very lucky. We're self-sufficient but there is, in between mining and forestry, a need for people here."
Cost of living has been a common joke for many of them. Until recently, it didn't cost much to set up shop.
"For a long time, that was the running gag. You pay more for your vehicle than you do for your housing, but now people are catching on and our values are going up so if you're coming up here, hurry up," laughed Moffat.
A decent price to pay for community, in a peaceful setting full of nature.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6968454.1721308962!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
'One screen, two movies': Conflicting conspiracy theories emerge from the Trump rally shooting
A former president is wounded in a shooting, the gunman quickly neutralized, and all of it is caught on camera. But for those who don't believe their eyes, that's just the start of the story.
6 bodies were found in a Bangkok hotel room with no signs of violence. Police think they know why
Should visitors to Thailand be concerned about their safety after six people were found dead in a locked hotel room in Bangkok?
BREAKING Two listeriosis deaths in Ontario linked to plant-based milk recall: MOH
Two deaths as a result of a listeriosis outbreak linked to a plant-based milk recall are in Ontario, provincial health officials confirmed Thursday.
More Americans are searching online about moving to Canada. But will they come here?
In the last few weeks, there has been a surge in the number of Americans searching online about moving to Canada and recent political events appear to have been a major catalyst.
Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly visiting China
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly is visiting China, according to China’s foreign ministry, in what was an unannounced trip.
RNC takeaways: Biden isn't the only older man keeping health details under wraps
Republicans welcomed JD Vance as Donald Trump's running mate on the same night devoted to blasting U.S. President Joe Biden's leadership on the world stage. Here are some takeaways from Day 3 of the RNC.
Former safety minister wants 'protective zones' for MPs' offices as threats increase
Former public safety minister Marco Mendicino is calling for the creation of 'protective zones' around political constituency offices to shield members of Parliament and their staff from a rising tide of threatening behaviour.
Days after shooting, Trump to address Republican National Convention on final day
Days after Donald Trump was injured in a shooting at a rally in Pennsylvania, the former U.S. president is expected to address the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin.
Mississauga, Ont., nursing home evacuated of more than 100 residents amid flooding
First responders say it took nearly 12 hours to rescue more than 100 residents from a flooded Mississauga, Ont., long-term care home after torrential rain pummelled the Greater Toronto Area on Tuesday.