We live just outside of Aroland First Nation, far north of the heavily populated regions of southern Ontario. From our town of Nakina, you can’t really drive any further north; any roads north of Nakina are logging roads. Our town has a population of approx 600 and Aroland is around 350.
Our closet shopping mall, Tim Horton’s or McDonalds are in Thunder Bay, approximately 380 kms south-west. We are very far west in Ontario but Winnipeg is still 12 hours further west of us.
Where We Are
We live in Nakina, Ontario which is 22 kms from Aroland First Nation reserve #242. This area is approximately 1,300 kms northwest from the greater Toronto area and approximately 380 kms northeast of Thunder Bay, Ontario.
The best way to come from the Toronto area is to travel on Highway 400 north to #11 which takes you through the Muskoka area, on to North Bay, Kapuskasing, Hearst and then turn north at Geraldton for another 77 kms.
All around us is bush; nearly all of it is controlled by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) who contract it out to logging companies. Buchanan Forest Products controls most of the trees around our area and had a small sawmill just outside the town of Nakina, which has now closed.
We are just south of the muskeg of northern Ontario, so it is mainly flat with some small rolling hills. Many areas have been clear cut (see photo above) and left bare but there are quite a number of lakes. The hunting and fishing are some of the best around. Many sportsmen came from all over the northern USA to enjoy our wilderness.