North Bay and Duchesnay Falls – Lake Nipissing’s Gateway to the North
This pretty northern railway town along the shores of Lake Nippising is always a lovely stopoff. Although long removed from its glory days, this important crossroads where Samuel de Champlain once canoed, and fur traders sailed down Lake Nippising to the Georgian Bay via the French River, still holds a surprising charm although it is not nearly as lively as it once was.
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North Bay
Although long used by voyageurs, fur traders and first nations, North Bay and the Lake Nipissing area more generally would not become settled until the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in 1882, when it was settled by John Ferguson. North bay was the northernmost extent of the Brockville and Ottawa Railway (Canada Central Railway (CCR)) and when CP took over operation in a merger, North Bay became a hub point for the transcontinental railroad. In 1902 it became the terminus for the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway (T&NO) in 1902, connecting the silver boom town of Cobalt and its neighbour Haileybury. The town was later connected to Canadian Northern Railway in 1913, the precursor to CN rail. With all this infrastructure converging on one location, it is no surprise that the town developed as fast as it did. The railways also helped north bay develop its own lumbering and mining sectors, important industries in both the Ottawa and Lake Temiskaming Areas.
Speaking of which, the area around the rail tracks in downtown north bay are at the cultural heart of the city where you will find the old railway station dating from 1903, now the North Bay Museum dedicating to telling the story of this northern city.
Today, railways still separate the town from its waterfront on Lake Nipissing, so much much so that I did not realize until I started walking around that the town actually had a beach, an a pleasant one at that! Acess can be had not far from the North Bay museum where a tunnel will take you under the tracks to the sandy beach.
Another attraction is the first house that the Dionne Quintuplets lived in, once located in the nearby town of Corbeil, it moved into North Bay and turned into a museum. It was was once one of the towns premier attraction, yet seems to have fallen in to relative obscurity in an era where trashy (and maybe even exploitative – “thanks” TLC) television shows such as “Nineteen Kids and Counting” or “John and Kate Plus Eight” exist and give you a full glimpse at this time of phenom. The attraction was almost torn down but for the efforts of locals to conserve the house. For those of you not familiar about the lives of the quints they were taken from their parents under a guardianship and paraded around like circus animals. Full fledged celebrities they appeared in media and film. When returned to their parents blew heir fortune
North Bay’s downtown is fairly typical of a 19th and 20th century railway town and Main Street reflects this. Unfortunately as orderly and as well preserved as it is the town seems to be pretty devoid of crowds or people.
One of the few distinguished structure lies just north-west of the main street where the stone build Cathedral of the Assumption dominates the landscape.
Duchesnay Falls
North Bay’s most popular hike is surely Duchesnay Falls, a walk up a long waterfall with a side trail heading up the Laurentian Escarpment with a lookout over the Lake Nipissing.
The start of the trail is located at a parking lot just off Highway 11, just east of North Bay. From here you will take a trail taking you up a long 70 meter high cascade running down the hillside.
The bottom of the falls has the largest drop but the real charm lies in the full run of the falls, especially as seen from the top of the falls.
In the summer, when the water is low you can walk across the falls, and soak you feet, yet in the spring the flows will be too high. Here is a short video of the falls themselves.
Eventually the trail will veer off into the woods, where it will cut across under some power transition lines. Here you will find some white and red trillium flowers, Ontario’s official flower.
Eventually the path will head upwards and you will have to climb up large boulders to the lookout.
From here you can enjoy a view of Lake Nipissing and its islands.
Lakeview Lookout (Highway 17)
Just west of the Duchesnay Falls, along Highway 17, you will find a pleasant lookout that you can park at. The view of Lake Nipissing is pleasant but this is not a must-visit attraction.
