This Is My Town: Matheson

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Matheson, ON.

Inc. 1906

Pop: 2,438 (2016 census)

“650 000 acres of paradise” read the signs coming into Black River-Matheson.  The towns in Black River-Matheson (Monteith, Val Gagne, Ramore, Holtyre, and Matheson) are quaint, clean, and rural – marking the transition between Ontario’s true north and the farms of Temiskaming.

Matheson was not always the name of this town. When first founded the town was named MacDougall’s Chute – ‘MacDougall’ being the name of a local First Nations trapper and ‘Chute’ pointing to its mining origins.  The government renamed it Matheson in 1906 as they built the railway through the region to transport timber, ore, and wheat back to southern Ontario. Fun fact, today, a hunk of gold ore sits at Queen’s Park in Toronto as a testament to the riches formerly found in the Matheson area!

One of the most famous things Matheson is known for was the Matheson Fire. Also known as the Great Fire of 1916, the fire was the largest forest fire at the time and still stands today as Ontario’s most deadly, killing more than 220 people and burning more than 500 000 acres.  The fire formed a 64 km front from Porquis Junction to Ramore – completely destroying all the communities in its path.

Today, Downtown Matheson has the Cozy Corner, a variety store, Northern Treasures Gifts, banks, grocery stores and more. It has become quite the tourist attraction with it being the last stop for many travellers heading to Quebec or Timmins. If you’d like to learn more about Matheson or plan your trip today, click here: Black River-Matheson Home Page

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