History
Temagami, a realm of deep waters and ancient pines, stretches across 12,000 square kilometers of untamed wilderness. The Temagami region, known as n'Daki Menan, meaning "Our Land", is the ancestral homeland of the local First Nations community, predominantly Anishinaabe.
Temagami was incorporated in 1968, initially as an Improvement District, transitioning to a Township ten years later. On January 1, 1998, it expanded significantly by merging with 17 unincorporated townships, becoming the Municipality of Temagami with official town status.
Lake Temagami Itself spans 20,210 hectares, adorned with 1,259 islands and over 850 kilometers of shoreline, sculpted by glaciers long gone. The shoreline is estimated to stretch between 512 and 616 kilometers, with the combined shores of its islands adding approximately 340 kilometers more.
At the crossroads of the boreal forest and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence woodlands, Temagami’s rugged landscape teems with life. Towering white and red pines crown rocky ridges, spruce and fir fill its dense forests, and northern evergreens blend with southern hardwoods in sheltered groves. Wetlands, with their floating bogs and marshes, add a vibrant, living mosaic.
For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples have thrived here, guided by the rhythms of the land.
European traders arrived in the 17th century, yet Temagami remained off the beaten path of major fur routes. The Hudson’s Bay Company established a trading post on Temagami Island in 1834, later relocating to Bear Island. By the late 19th century, surveyors, prospectors, and tourists discovered its allure, drawn by the wilderness and the railway’s arrival in 1904, connecting Temagami to the wider world.
Over the decades, Temagami evolved into a refuge for adventurers and dreamers. Its canoe routes and wild beauty became a magnet for those seeking escape and renewal. Yet it also became a contested space, where conservationists, Indigenous communities, and developers clashed over its future.
Today, Temagami is a tapestry of visions, each shaping its future. Its lakes, forests, and storied history endure as a testament to the resilience of the land and the spirit of its people.