Kapuskasing, Ontario
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Kapuskasing (2001 population 9,238) is a town on the Kapuskasing River in the Cochrane District of northern Ontario, Canada.
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Transportation
Kapuskasing is the largest community located directly along Highway 11 between Thunder Bay and Temiskaming Shores. The town is also served by Kapuskasing Airport with scheduled passenger service and general aviation. The word Kapuskasing means "bend in the river" as the Kapuskasing river bends within the town.
History and Industry
The town was founded in the early 20th century when the forerunner of the Canadian National Railway was built through the area. During World War I it was the site of an internment camp that held over 1,200 German, Austrian, Ukrainian, and Turkish prisoners.
After the war, a paper mill was established. The mill, now owned by Tembec, is still the town's major employer. The mill was the focus of the Reesor Siding 1963 Strike, which saw 3 union workers killed.
General Motors Canada operates the GM Cold Weather Development Centre at Kapuskasing. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada operates an agricultural experiment station, or Experimental Farm, close to the town.
Media
Kapuskasing's locally-originated media include English-language commercial radio station CKAP (branded as Moose FM), French-language community radio station CKGN, and the English-language Kapuskasing Northern Times and bilingual Le/The Weekender community newspapers.
People from Kapuskasing
- James Cameron, motion picture director
- Rayanne Dupuis, opera singer
- Kirk McCaskill, Major League Baseball pitcher for 12 seasons, since retired
- Kelly Vanderbeek, alpine ski racer