McGarry, Ontario

Gold in the area was originally reported in the late 1800s by Chief Ignace Tonené of the Temagami First Nation. He staked a claim near the north arm of Larder Lake but claimed it was stolen. He reported it, but Indian Affairs was unable to help. Tonené's claim was jumped by European settlers and later developed into the Kerr-Addison Mine. Adjacent to the Kerr-Addison Mine, the Chesterville gold mine was developed, operating from 1939 until 1952. Virginiatown was built to house the Kerr Addison workers. In 1946, McGarry was incorporated as an Improvement District, which changed to Township in 1962. In 2016, the nearby Tournene Lake (or Lac Tournene in French), was officially re-named as Chief Tonene Lake. Beaverhouse First Nation In 2018, Beaverhouse First Nation submitted a claim to the Government of Ontario, asserting the community is a distinct First Nation and did not sign Treaty 9, or any other treaty. On April 19, 2022, Beaverhouse First Nation was officially recognized as a First Nation under Section 35 of Canada’s Constitution. == Demographics ==

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, McGarry had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. Mother tongue (2021): • English as first language: 56.0% • French as first language: 37.9% • English and French as first languages: 3.4% • Other as first language: 1.7% ==Economy==

McGarry's economy has historically been supported by the mining industry, and struggled when the mines were not producing. The Armistice Gold mine was purchased by Bonterra Resources from Kerr Resources in 2016, and gold exploration and modelling was done to update the resource to a National Instrument 43-101 Compliant Resource. Gold Candle Ltd. and investors purchased the historic Chesterville Gold Mines and Kerr Addison Gold Mines property in 2016, and conducted a feasibility study and gold exploration with Canadian Exploration Services Limited on the old Chesterville Gold Mines and Kerr Addison Gold Mines property. ==Tourism==

McGarry hosts several events, including an annual fish derby at Larder Lake, and a Labour Day weekend music event at the McGarry community centre. Gem Lake Maple Bedrock Provincial Park is located in McGarry Township. Sport fishing is permitted within Gem Lake Maple Bedrock Provincial Park. McGarry Township Forest Conservation Reserve, shared with McFadden Township, is located in McGarry Township. == Notable people ==

• J. T. Kearns • Ignace Tonené ==See also==