Devlin / La Vallee

Devlin is two towns west of Fort Frances on Highway 11.  It seems pretty small.  I’ve found a few lodges online with Devlin addresses (one even listed as being in ‘North Devlin’) but otherwise I haven’t found much else.

La Vallee is on Highway 11 just west of Fort Frances.

La Vallee might have a francophone community, but I can’t confirm that.  I assume that it is something of a bedroom community for those who find the hustle and bustle of Fort Frances a little overwhelming.  The town celebrated its centennial in 2004.

This might be a farmhouse in La Vallee, Ontario.  Or it might be a house somewhere else.

This might be a farmhouse in La Vallee, Ontario. Or it might be a house somewhere else.

I couldn’t find much else on the internet about La Vallee.  There is a wikipedia stub on the town but for whatever reason it’s written in Polish.  The town has a school, an outdoor rink, a community centre, a daycare, a baseball diamond, a couple of churches, and a

post office.  I think there are two cemeteries somewhere around town as well.  In the summer the town hosts two bass fishing derbies and on mother’s day there is a local fish fry.

One interesting thing which appears to be in town is Mud Lake, an old western-style faux-village built by a local couple.

La Vallee and Devlin Ontario share a municipal office, on Highway 11

La Vallee municipal office in Devlin. (Credit: User P199 at Wiki Commons.)

Emo

Emo. So many possibilities.

The home of the 16th century Villa Emo?

The inspiration behind whiny, over-emotional, largely pre-teen rock?

The humble beginnings of an Irish oil company?

The birthplace of comedian Emo Philips?

Alas, Emo, Ontario is none of the above.  However, Emo is a town of about 1000 on Highway 11 midway between Fort Frances and Rainy River. A small agricultural town, Emo may be reminiscent of many of the small farming communities that dot southern and eastern Ontario, making it unique for something this far north.

Emo, Ontario, Highway 11, highway11.ca

What is this, Temiskaming? Emo’s main drag is cute cute cute. (Photo: User P199 at Wiki Commons.)

Like most of Canada, Emo was settled by people looking for free land and eventually became a little outpost on the Rainy River in 1889.

It soon became the centre of the agricultural industry in northwestern Ontario, and today is home to the Emo Agricultural Research Station.  The research farm began as a crop check in Pinewood in 1985, but moved to Emo in 1990 as they outgrew their surroundings.  Today the farm does research on oilseeds, forages, and cereals.  You can visit on pasture nights held in early June and late September, as well as during their annual open house in late July.  There is also a farm settlers’ museum run by the local Women’s Institute. The fact that Emo has a local Women’s Institute just screams “rural farming community” – I love it.

Emo provides good fishing opportunities due to the Clearwater/Pipestone Lakes found just north of the town.  There is stock car racing at the Emo Speedway.  Emo is also home to the Norlund Chapel (pictured), which ranks as one of the smallest usable churches in North America – it can only hold 8 people at a time.

Emo one-upped Barwick's tiny lighthouse with their own tiny chapel.

Emo one-upped Barwick‘s tiny lighthouse with their own tiny Norlund Chapel.

There are some places to stay in Emo, but since I’ve never been there, I can’t give any informed opinions.  I found listings on the internet for True North Outposts and Cabins, Little Moose Lodge, and Pipestone Lodge.  There is also a hardware store, variety stores, a food and jam shop, and a little grocer in town.

Other Emo events include spring fever days in April, the annual Emo Walleye Classic in May, and a fall fair the third week in August.  There are events held by the snowmobile club in the winter as well.

Emo municipal office, Ontario Highway 11 highway11.ca

We’ll end this profile of Emo with the obligatory shot of the municipal office. (Photo: User P199 at Wiki Commons.)

 

Barwick

Barwick, Ontario, on Highway 11 highway11.caBarwick is a village of around 900 people just west of Emo.

Barwick has Riverfront Park which provides nice views of the Rainy River.  There is a boat launch and some picnic pavilions. Apparently, the area provides some nice birdwatching.  There is also St. Paul’s Heritage Church in town.  I assume it’s old.

Barwick is also home to a lighthouse, not an old one but one built in 2003.  There is some talk that there were lighthouses on Lake of the Woods in the past, but no confirmation of one being in Barwick.

Barwick, Ontario's lighthouse, highway11.ca

AHOY MATEY…I see a miniature lighthouse. (Photo: User P199 at Wiki Commons.)

That’s what’s cool about so many towns on Highway 11 – when someone gets inspired, the community tends to get something done.The Chapple Museum is home to Barwick’s history.  It is located at a former trading post, and now displays material from local farms, the old Hudson’s Bay Company post, local artists, and is home to a war memorial.

There is a gas station, a RV/campground, a garage, a Christian school, four churches and an oriented-strandboard plant.  You can take tours of the Voyageur Panel OSB plant by calling 807-274-2000 in the summer.

And like all the surrounding villages, Barwick tries to lay claim to the Native historical centre as a local attraction, but it is in Stratton, one town west.

Pinewood and Dawson

Does Pinewood exist?  Staring at the maps I always wondered, but I now know.

Pinewood, Ontario, on Highway 11 highway11.ca

Sometimes I think this website really is a tour of the municipal offices of Highway 11, and not their towns. (Photo: User P199 at Wiki Commons.)

Thanks to emails from Richard and Katie, I’ve been informed that Pinewood is a hamlet of about 30 houses 18 kilometres east of Rainy River.

Although the town used to support farming and the railway, when the trains stopped stopping it seems Pinewood went the way of many small towns in northern Ontario.

There doesn’t seem to be many services in town – the old hotel and shops have closed. Pinewood has quite a large baseball diamond which sees quite active use in the summer. The town has a post office (in a resident’s home, no less), a cemetery and a playground. Nearby, the community of Dawson continues farming.

Sleeman

The Sleeman everyone knows and loves“One thing that will last a long time is the hockey, played under the Highway 11 concrete bridge that crosses the Sleeman Creek. If anyone should ever venture under there (winter would be best) they would find the names of many children through the years that play the great Canadian game under there, including mine.” — Richard, via email

No, it’s not the home of Honey Brown.  Sleeman Honey Brown is brewed in Guelph, not in Sleeman, Ontario.

Sleeman is is about ten kilometres east of Rainy River on the banks of the Rainy River. Sleeman is a hamlet of about 11 people located at the junction of highways 11 and 621. There’s a Lowes Lumber and a post office in town, but that’s it.

I am told that Sleeman started out along the river where a general store, post office and restaurant were a popular stop for the steamers and logging boats that jammed the Rainy River in the 1800s. Apparently much of the original store still stands – today, it is a residence at the end of Worthington Rd #5.

Sleeman was forced to shift gears from shipping to trains when the Canadian Northern Railway finished its bridge in Beaver Mills. As the trains sapped boat traffic, the town relocated to the railway about 1.5 miles north. The rail and new roads to the north and west brought much traffic and Sleeman grew to have a coffee shop and three general stores. Sleemaners know how to keep their heritage — two of them are still standing today. One is the current but renovated Lowes Lumber, while the other, located on First Street, is used as a storage shed since its closure around 1990. At one time, Sleeman had a church, a garage and car sales centre, a rail terminal, and like all northern Ontario towns, a local watering hole at the ‘luxury’ hotel. Sleeman peaked around 1950 and that’s when the decline started.View of the river from Sleeman, OntarioFormer resident Richard wrote of his fond memories growing up in Sleeman:

“As a boy I remember playing in the abandoned church, and when the natural gas line went through watching them demolish the brick store that happened to be in their way, or picking up the mail at the post office through the window that had also passed many groceries not so long before. One of my best friends lived at the site of the old garage and we often played around the ramps (there were no hoists then) or marveled at the old gas and oil signs. One of the best memories was Desi’s Drive in, a fast food restaurant that opened in the 60’s. Many nights were spent there with ice cream and many memories were built especially by my older siblings who probably have better memories than ice cream (lmao.) It closed in the early 80’s and a few years ago the garage that was out back burned to the ground taking with it the last remaining timbers of the old luxury hotel.

Thanks to Richard for the history on both Sleeman and Pinewood. Help add to this by emailing me at info (at) highway11 (dot) ca or by posting your thoughts below.