Economy

thumb|right|Nipigon Public Library

The chief industries in Nipigon are forest products, fishing, and tourism. Timbering has been common sporadically to the north, the northwest and further north within Lake Nipigon basin, along with parts of the southwest.

Nipigon is a setting off point for fishing excursions onto Lake Superior and the Nipigon River system leading up to Lake Nipigon. Fish varieties common to this area include Atlantic salmon, lake trout, speckled trout (the world's largest speckled trout was caught in the Nipigon River in 1915, weighing in at ), rainbow trout, walleye, northern pike, bass, and perch.

Recreation

Nipigon and the surrounding area have a wide array of outdoor recreational activities for all times of the year. A select number of cliffs in the Nipigon area are being developed into rock climbing destinations.

Transportation

thumb|right|The [[Nipigon River Bridge, originally opened in 1937, forms the narrowest transportation bottleneck between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in Canada.]]

Nipigon is served by several transportation corridors:

  • Highway 11
  • Highway 17, both part of the Trans-Canada Highway
  • Canadian Pacific Railway

There are two bridges at the east end of town spanning the Nipigon River: one is a single-track railway bridge for the Canadian Pacific Railway, and the other is a two-lane highway bridge constructed by the Province of Ontario. With the exception of the Canadian National Railway transcontinental rail line, the two bridges are the narrowest east-west land link in Canada's transportation system. Both Highways 11 and 17 and the Canadian Pacific Railway route all their traffic across those bridges.

The Nipigon River Bridge is a pair of two-lane cable-stayed bridges, the first of their kind in Ontario, replacing the 1937 bridge. On January 10, 2016, the first bridge heaved apart but did not collapse, resulting in traffic having to reroute through the United States. However, one lane was re-opened to traffic 17 hours later.

Nipigon has Ontario Northland motor coach service on its Sault Ste. MarieThunder Bay route.

Notable people

Nipigon is the birthplace of two time world curling champion Allan A. "Al" (the Iceman) Hackner, who won The Brier in 1982 and 1985.

See also

  • List of townships in Ontario

References

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