Hearst

The self-proclaimed "Moose Capital of Canada", Hearst is a town of 5,500 people (2016) in Northern Ontario. It is named after William Howard Hearst, the seventh Premier of Ontario.

Understand
Hearst has a long tradition of being a lumber town. The major employers include a Tembec hard and soft wood facility, and a plywood mill operated by Columbia Forest Products.

History
The town was built because of the construction of the National Transcontinental Railway in 1913 (now the Canadian National Railway). Established as a divisional point, Hearst is 208 km west of Cochrane and 201 km east of the divisional point of Grant. There is some historical ambiguity with the name Grant as the original site of Hearst was also called Grant and was changed to Hearst in 1911.

Hearst was named to honour William Howard Hearst, then Ontario Minister of Forests and Mines and later Premier of Ontario. It was incorporated in 1922. Many settlers to the town came from the province of Quebec. Many also came from Europe and other regions in Canada and the USA.

By car
Hearst has Highway 11 (Trans-Canada Highway) passing through it. Highway 11 runs northwest from North Bay. This route was extended from Hearst through Geraldton to Nipigon in 1943, as a final gravel link which enabled the first complete trip across Canada by motorcar in 1946. This road is now a two-lane paved provincial highway.

By bus

 * Operates a route several days per week between Hearst and Sudbury including stops in Kapuskasing, Cochrane and Timmins. Travel time to Hearst from Kapukasing is 1.75 hours, from Cochrane is 3.25 hours, from Timmins is 4.75 hours, and from Sudbury is 9.5 hours.

By snowmobile
OFSC trails connect snowmobilers to various Northern Ontario communities. A trail permit is required to ride on the trails.

By plane
Charter flights (or your own aircraft) only;  does not have scheduled service.

Do
Local outdoor activities include fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, camping, swimming, canoeing, and golf.

Buy

 * Downtown shops along Front Street

Go next
The next gas station westbound on Highway 11 is in Longlac, 208 km away. Fill your tank before leaving town.