Marathon, Ontario

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Coordinates: 48°45′N 86°22′W / 48.75, -86.367
Town of Marathon, Ontario
Motto: Built On Paper - Laced With Gold! Superior In The Long Run
Location of Marathon, Ontario
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Region	Northwestern Ontario
District	Thunder Bay District
Government
- Mayor	Rick Dumas
- CAO	Brian Tocheri
- Councillors	Terry Fox Ray Lake Roger Souckey Kelly Tsubouchi
Area
- Land	170.48 km² (65.8 sq mi)
Elevation	180 m (591 ft)
Population (2006)
- Total	3,863
- Density	22.7/km² (58.8/sq mi)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal Code	P0T 2E0
Area code(s)	807
Website: Town Website

The Town of Marathon is located in Thunder Bay district, Ontario, Canada, on the north shore of Lake Superior north of Pukaskwa National Park, in the heart of the Canadian Shield.

1 History
2 Geography and Demographics
3 Economy and Transportation
4 Education
5 Recreation and Tourism
6 Culture and The Arts
7 Trivia
8 Surrounding Communities
9 External links

[edit] History

As long ago as 500 BC the area was inhabited by Ojibway Natives who lived along the Pic River and there are still their descendants living in the area today.

Often referred to as "The Thon" by its residents, Marathon of today was born as a railroad community named Peninsula, due to its location on a peninsula on Lake Superior. Constructing the railroad, between 1881 and 1883, over the region's terrain was a great engineering feat. At the time of the construction, some 12,000 men and 5,000 horses worked out of the town.

It has been said, but not verified, that certain sections of track would be laid one day, only to be devoured by the earth the next. Like most railroad communities, once the railroad had been completed Peninsula's population dwindled considerably, and by 1935, the census of the town was just 23.

It wasn't until a pulp mill was constructed in town, between 1944 and 1946, that the population rose back to 2,500, and the town's name was changed, first to Everest, Ontario - after D.C. Everest, president of Marathon Corporation of Wisconsin, owners of the pulp mill in the town - then, later the same year, to Marathon, in honor of the paper company itself. The Everest name was discarded due to sounding too close to Everett, Ontario.

In the early 1980s, gold was discovered at Hemlo Ontario, an uninhabited area adjacent to the Trans Canada highway some 40 km east of Marathon. By the late 1980s, three mines were running at Hemlo, with two of the three mines locating their employees in Marathon, which effectively doubled its population making it the largest town along the North Shore between Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay.

[edit] Geography and Demographics

Personal residences encompass an area starting from Lake Superior, and stretch out to a new subdivision near Penn Lake, an in-town campsite and beach in the eastern portion of the town. The Pic River is located outside of the town's eastern limits.

The town is adjacent to the Peninsula Harbour and has several coves including Carden Cove, Sturdee Cove and Craddock Cove, all three located west-northwest of Marathon. Penn Lake is a local lake within the town where tourists can enjoy camping and water sports.

Heron Bay is a town located to the south of Marathon, and shares the post office and phone prefix. The Pic River First Nation is located on the outskirts of Pukaskwa National Park.

[edit] Economy and Transportation

Marathon's economy was built on pulp, but since the mid 1980s has included gold mining operations. The pulp mill is owned by Marathon Pulp Inc. Hemlo Operations, until recently, operated three gold mines in the area: Williams Operating Corporation, David Bell and Golden Giant (Decommissioned 2005).

Marathon is home to the largest indoor shopping mall between Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie, and several brand name businesses are located elsewhere in the community including Canadian Tire, SAAN, Movie Gallery, Pizza Hut, A&W, and more.

Marathon is located 2 km west of Trans Canada Highway 17, to which it is connected via Peninsula Road (formerly Highway 626). The town is served by the Canadian Pacific Railway and a geographically important airport (CYSP) just north of the Trans-Canada Highway, approximately 4 km (2½ mi) northeast of the town.

[edit] Education

Marathon is served by five schools. Three public schools - Margaret Twomey Public School Elementary, Marathon High School Secondary and École Secondaire Cité-Supérieure - and two separate schools - Holy Savior Catholic School and École Val des Bois.

[edit] Recreation and Tourism

Marathon has a children's park named after Del Earle, one of the town's founders.

There are numerous hotels in the town, including Travelodge, Harbour Inn, Peninsula Inn, Wayfare Inn and the Zero 100 Motor Inn.

Marathon has a challenging 9 hole golf course, Cross-country skiing trails and down hill skiing, and the only indoor swimming pool between Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie.

Recent developments in the town include a new skatepark, basketball courts and the refinishing of the tennis courts.

Marathon has two junior hockey teams. The Marathon Renegades a Tier II Junior "A" team and the Superior Eagles a "AAA" Midget team. Marathon also supports minor hockey and an active figure-skating club.

[edit] Culture and The Arts

Marathon's art and culture community ebbs and flows like the lake that it sits upon. What is "going on" at any given time generally depends on who is living in the community, what they have to offer and how much energy they might have.

In recent years, the following have been available: community entertainment series, choir, coffee houses & culture jams, writer's group, art gallery, house concerts, art and photography displays, quilting group, ceramic club, craft show, various art classes and more.

A summer music series, ["Concerts in the Parking Lot!"] , began in July 2006 and is held every summer Wednesday evening in front of the Pizza Hut in the centre of town. This casual series focuses on both local and "away" talent and features a variety of musical genres.

[edit] Trivia

In his 1967 Radio documentary The Search for Pet Clark, Famous Canadian Pianist and Composer Glenn Gould spoke of Marathon at length, saying among other things that "Marathon is a Timber town of some 2600 souls and it clings to the banks of a fjord which indents the coast of Lake Superior. Due to a minor miscalculation of one of the company's engineers as to the probable course of the prevailing winds, the place has been overhung since its inception two decades ago with the pulp and paper stench that serves to proclaim the monolithic nature of the town's economy, even as it discourages any supplemental income from the tourist trade."