Kapuskasing Travel Guide

Kapuskasing, Ontario lies in the heart of the Great Clay Belt. The topography of the region is very flat, dotted with numerous small lakes and muskeg bogs. Also in the heart of Canada's boreal forest the region is drained by rivers running north to James Bay. The district is heavily forested, mostly by thick stands of black spruce that have commercial value as pulpwood.

Owing in part to its unique history as a pulp and paper centre, Kapuskasing has long been known as the model town of the north. When community and corporate leaders got together back in the 1920s to build a company town next to the mill, they decided to make it a "model town", complete with planned parks, its own power supply company and a traffic circle in the downtown.

While this is a community that openly enjoys winter with the Festival of Lights and numerous snowmobile events, the town also knows how to celebrate summer in style. One of the biggest events is the Kapuskasing Lumberjack Heritage Festival, an official event on the competition circuit for the professional lumberjacks. The event includes activities such as axe-throwing, log rolling and pole climbing.

The Lumberjack Festival is a time when the whole community comes together to celebrate it's forestry heritage. It's also a perfect time to enjoy the best of summer with picnics in the park, outdoor pubs, street dances and concerts.

The area has long, very cold winters. The summer growing season is short and often punctuated by killing frosts. Visitors often comment on the deep blue of the sky during clear weather. Wildlife is abundant. Species such as moose, black bear, lynx and red fox are commonly seen in the area. Lakes and rivers are well populated with pickerel, northern pike and yellow perch. Fishing and hunting are very popular recreational activities locally.