North Bay (Ontario)

North Bay is a city of approximately 53,000 people (2021) in Ontario. It has about 72,000 people in its metropolitan area (2021).

Understand
North Bay calls itself the "gateway to Northern Ontario". The region was first populated by Indigenous peoples, and was explored and charted by French explorer Samuel de Champlain in the early 1600s.

History
The site of North Bay was on the main canoe route west from Montreal. Apart from Indigenous people, voyageurs and surveyors, there was little activity in the Lake Nipissing area until the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in 1882. The CPR started its westward expansion from Callander Station (later renamed Bonfield), just to the east of North Bay, which was the point where the Canada Central Railway (CCR) ended. In 1882, John Ferguson decided that the north bay of Lake Nipissing was a promising spot for settlement. North Bay was incorporated as a town in 1891.

North Bay was selected as the southern terminus of the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway (T&NO) in 1902 when the Ontario government established a development road to serve the Haileybury settlement. During construction of the T&NO, silver was discovered at Cobalt and started a mining frenzy in the northern part of the province that continued for many years. The Canadian Northern Railway was built to North Bay in 1913.

North Bay grew through a strong lumbering sector, mining and the three railways in the early days.

The Dionne Quintuplets were born in Corbeil, Ontario, on the southern outskirts of North Bay in 1934. Their births had a tremendous impact on tourism in the area, and may have saved the economy in the district during the Depression and beyond. North Bay and area lived off this legacy well into the 1960s. Many visitors to the area discovered lakes and summer retreats that were easily accessible and the businesses thrived on tourism.

In 1951, as a result of rising tensions in the Cold War, the Royal Canadian Air Force established an air base at North Bay. Construction of RCAF Station North Bay took three years, during which it became the largest industry in the community, a status it held for more than four decades. In 1963, the North American Air Defence Command (NORAD) opened its Canadian operations centre at the base. Manned by American and Canadian military personnel, the centre, situated 60 storeys underground to withstand a nuclear strike, monitored Canada's northern, east-central and Atlantic airspace, identifying and tracking all air traffic in this airspace, and responding to airborne emergencies, crime, and suspicious, unknown and potentially hostile aircraft. In 1983 this responsibility was expanded to all of Canada, and in October 2006 the base's NORAD operations moved into a new facility above ground where it continues to provide surveillance, identification and tracking of aircraft, and warning and response to emergencies, attacks and other crises, for the air sovereignty of Canada and North America.

By the 21st century the base was no longer the city's top industry. The current engines driving North Bay's economy are the university and college population, and the North Bay Regional Health Centre, opened in January 2011. Tourism and a stable provincial government service centre also contribute to the robust economy.

By car
Highway 11 and Highway 17 briefly combine into a single road while they pass through North Bay. Highway 11 northwest of North Bay and Highway 17 are both part of the Trans-Canada Highway.

From Toronto, take Highway 400 north to Barrie and then take the Highway 11 cutoff just north of the city. From Sudbury (and the west), take Highway 17 east. From Ottawa, follow Highway 17 west through Mattawa. From Timmins, take Highway 101 east to Matheson and then follow Highway 11 south. From Rouyn-Noranda, take Highway 101 south (in Quebec) which becomes Highway 63 (in Ontario) south.

Airlines
Canadian airlines operating to North Bay:
 * Seasonal flights operate to North Bay.
 * Seasonal flights operate to North Bay.
 * Seasonal flights operate to North Bay.

By bus

 * Operates a daily bus route to North Bay from Rouyn-Noranda (4.5 hours). For Rouyn-Noranda, the operator has services that travel to Montreal and Val-d'Or.
 * Service from Toronto, Ottawa, Timmins, Cochrane, Sudbury, and connecting service from Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, and Winnipeg. Routes traveling to North Bay:
 * Between Toronto and North Bay including stops in Huntsville, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Washago (some trips), Orillia (stop trips), and Barrie. Travel time to North Bay from Toronto is 4.75-5.25 hours, from Barrie is 3.25-4 hours, and from Huntsville is 1.25-1.5 hours.
 * Between North Bay and Timmins including stops in Temagami, Cobalt, Temiskaming Shores (Haileybury, New Liskard, Dymond), Kirkland Lake, and Matheson. Timed connection is available at Matheson from Cochrane. Travel time to North Bay from Cobalt is 2 hours, from Kirkland Lake is 3.75 hours, from Matheson is 5.25 hours, from Timmins is 6 hours, and from Cochrane is 6.25 hours.
 * Between Ottawa and Sudbury including stops in Kanata, Arnprior, Renfrew, Pembroke, Petawawa, Mattawa, and North Bay. Travel time to North Bay from Ottawa is 5.25 hours, from Arnprior is 4 hours, from Pembroke is 2.75 hours, from Petawawa is 2.25 hours, and from Sudbury is 1.5 hours.

By train
As of 2024, there is no train service to North Bay. Ontario Northland's Northlander train used to serve the city, but it was cancelled in 2012. There are plans to restore the service sometime in 2026.

Get around
North Bay Transit is an efficient public transit system servicing the city and ski-hills (in the winter months).

Do



 * There are a number of multi-purpose trails in and around the city.
 * There are a number of multi-purpose trails in and around the city.
 * There are a number of multi-purpose trails in and around the city.

Budget
There are many parks in the region that are great for camping. Visit http://www.parkscanada.ca for more information on camping in the region.
 * NU Accomodations: 100 College drive, North Bay https://booking.nipissingu.ca/accommodations
 * NU Accomodations: 100 College drive, North Bay https://booking.nipissingu.ca/accommodations

Go next
North Bay is surprisingly central despite its perceived location. Sudbury (west along Highway 17) and Muskoka (south along Highway 11) are only an hour and a half away by car. Ottawa and Toronto are both within a few hours' driving distance as well. Timmins is about 360 km to the north.


 * Algonquin Provincial Park is south of North Bay, less than two hours' drive.
 * Mattawa — a point of departure for canoeing or boating on the Ottawa River