A History of Larder Lake, Ontario

Almost 5000 years ago, natives settled on the shores of Larder Lake. It was a beautiful land, with pristine waters for fishing and vast lush forests for hunting. The natives found plentiful rock to quarry for their arrowheads, and the remnants of an old native campground can still be seen today. If you look closely at the flat, well trod rockbeds that lead into the waters in some areas, you will see the deeply etched lines, where for centuries, the canoes were dragged to the waters.

As the north began to develop, and Europeans discovered the huge availability of timber and furs, the native encampments dismantled, and modernization began to take hold. In the early 1900's the area was bustling with the activities of loggers and trappers, and then, there was the discovery of gold in the area.

By the early 1950's, Larder City, as it was known, was a bustle of activity. New families were helping the area to grow, and the men were working steady in the surrounding gold mines, and in logging.

By the early 80's, the town had started to shrink. With the expanding availability of education, people no longer had to rely on mining and the wilderness to support their familes. Young people started to make their homes in the cities, where work was readily available.

What was left of Larder Lake, Ontario?

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