Temiskaming Shores

Temiskaming Shores is a city in Northeastern Ontario.

The city of Temiskaming Shores encompasses the towns of Dymond, Haileybury, and New Liskeard. Although a city in name, the population of "The Tri-Town Area" is quite small — just under 10,000 in 2016. However, it is the biggest community in the region, with North Bay, Timmins, and Rouyn-Noranda being the closest cities, all well over 100 km away.

History
The Ottawa River, which drains into and out of Lake Timiskaming, has been a well-travelled route from the earliest times, and served as the point of access to the Temiskaming area. Native peoples travelled this route since the earliest times. Fort Temiscamingue was established in 1695 by French explorers. In 1794 the Hudson's Bay Company established Abitibi House on Lake Abitibi, to the north. In 1886, Alexander H. Telfer led a survey trip up Lake Timiskaming and gave a report to the Temiskaming Settlers' Association. By this time, the Quebec side of Lake Timiskaming was also being settled, and steamboats, the primary mode of transportation in the area, were ferrying new settlers into the area.

William Murray (1840–1906) and Irvin Heard (1871–1956) were the first European settlers in the New Liskeard area, arriving in 1891. The settlers founded a prosperous agricultural center, taking advantage of the rich soil in the Little Claybelt region. New Liskeard was founded soon after settlers began to arrive in Dymond. New Liskeard was named after Liskeard in Cornwall, England.

Haileybury was founded in 1889 by Charles Cobbold Farr, who named the newly founded town after the Haileybury and Imperial Service College, his former school in England. Farr encouraged settlement in the area, penning his own promotional pamphlet, entitled "The Lake Temiskamingue District", in an effort to attract new settlers to the region. Marketed to settlers as prime agricultural land, Haileybury had only a handful of residents until the arrival of the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway in the early 1900s, and the discovery of large silver deposits in neighbouring Cobalt in 1903. During the Cobalt Silver Rush, Haileybury became a 'bedroom community' that served the needs of the many miners, mine owners and managers. These mine managers and owners were responsible for the construction of the row of stately homes, nicknamed 'Millionaire's Row' that stretched along the waterfront on what is now Lakeshore Road, many of which still stand today.

Dymond still functions largely as an agricultural centre, while the commercial and industrial interests in the area have mostly shifted operations to the former town of New Liskeard. Haileybury maintains its status as a judicial seat, and is also home to the new city hall. A strong link to agriculture means that Temiskaming Shores has largely avoided the boom-and-bust cycle typical of most mining- and forestry-dependent small towns in Northern Ontario. Temiskaming Shores has also become a popular retirement and recreational destination, with small retirement communities like the Bayport Village being developed in the former town of Haileybury.

By car
Highway 65 runs west from the Quebec border, through Dymond and on towards Elk Lake and Matachewan. Most will come in through Highway 11 (Trans-Canada Highway), from the south (North Bay) or north (Timmins, Cochrane).

By bus

 * A bus route operates 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.

By plane
Earlton-Timiskaming Regional Airport, a half-hour drive north-northwest of New Liskerad, is the closest airstrip, but it does not have scheduled passenger service or customs facilities. They advertise "no landing fees for private airplanes".

The closest airports with scheduled passenger service are in North Bay,  in Rouyn-Noranda, and  in Sudbury. No airport shuttle connects these airports to Temiskaming Shores.

Get around
Haileybury and New Liskeard are roughly 8 km apart, so a motor vehicle is key. The Temiskaming Transit bus service connects the two from 6AM to 11PM, hourly on weekdays, every 2 hours weekends, and no service on holidays. $3.75 per adult, $3.50 for a student or senior (55+), free for children (July 2023). The long distance between destinations makes taxis an expensive alternative.

See

 * Burnt Island - an island in the middle of Lake Temiskaming that was at one time home to a few farms, but most of which have been abandoned. Perhaps not the most outstanding tourist destination, it still makes a good boat trip in summer, or a trek across the frozen lake in the winter.
 * Burnt Island - an island in the middle of Lake Temiskaming that was at one time home to a few farms, but most of which have been abandoned. Perhaps not the most outstanding tourist destination, it still makes a good boat trip in summer, or a trek across the frozen lake in the winter.

Buy

 * Farmers' Market - Haileybury and New Liskeard each have a farmers' market which operates through the summer months selling whatever is in season. Despite having a shorter growing season, Northern Ontario supports a substantial agricultural output and visitors should take advantage of the generous prices all to common at markets. The market in New Liskeard is by the Waterfront, as is the market in Haileybury. The one in Haileybury is contained with an elaborate clock tower building which is slightly off-centre and is between the beach and the marina.

Connect
Rogers cell coverage is very sketchy, especially in Haileybury. Telus and Bell/NorthernTel are mostly reliable.

Silver Centre
The remnants of one of the original mining settlements in Northern Ontario. Highway 567 passes through Silver Centre, continuing to another former mine site Ragged Chutes. One can see old mine ruins or a real ghost town. There's also a virtually untapped natural environment which you can go see at your own pace at any time.

Be warned that (unlike in nearby Cobalt) none of the old mine shafts are fenced off or stabilized. Also, the area remains private property. While it is possible to visit Silver Centre, simple sightseeing is discouraged.

Logging operations are ongoing in the region; in the winter the road is poor quality at best.

Go next

 * Cobalt (south of Temiskaming Shores) might be an interesting day trip. The business hours of most attractions there are seasonal, so call before you go.
 * Connections to Eastern Ontario, Central Ontario, and Northwestern Ontario are available from North Bay.
 * It's less than a half-hour drive on Highway 65 east to Notre-Dame-du-Nord in Abitibi-Témiscamingue in Quebec. From there, one can take Route 101 north to Rouyn-Noranda or south to Ville-Marie.