Assiginack (/əˈsɪɡɪnæk/)[2] is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, located on Manitoulin Island. An Ontario Historical Plaque was built on the grounds of the Assiginack Museum by the province to commemorate the Manitoulin Treaties' role in Ontario's heritage.[3]
The township is named after Jean-Baptiste Assiginack, an Odawa chief who supported the signing of the Manitoulin Treaty of 1862.[4]
The principal community in the township is Manitowaning. Smaller communities in the township include Bass Creek, Bidwell, Clover Valley, Eagles Nest, Hilly Grove, The Slash, Squirrel Town and Vanzant's Point.
Manitowaning is the administrative centre of Assiginack township. The town was founded in 1836 as a centre of the island's Aboriginal education.[5] Manitowaning Bay is a natural harbour, and the community has a marina with good docking facilities. From its early history, Manitowaning was a regular port of call for schooners and steamboats from many points on the Great Lakes. Manitowaning was the first and last scheduled stop on Manitoulin Island for the ships of the Owen Sound Transportation Company. The old steamboat wharf is now part of the community's Museum Heritage Complex, home of the SS Norisle. The town is home to the De-ba-jeh-mu-jig Creation Centre. Cardwell Street in Manitowaning continues east of the community, becoming the primary access road to the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Reserve.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Assiginack had a population of 1,008 living in 447 of its 710 total private dwellings, a change of -0.5% from its 2016 population of 1,013. With a land area of 224.89 km2 (86.83 sq mi), it had a population density of 4.5/km2 (11.6/sq mi) in 2021.[1]
| 2021 | 2016 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,008 (-0.5% from 2016) | 1,013 (+5.5% from 2011) | 960 (+5.0% from 2006) |
| Land area | 224.89 km2 (86.83 sq mi) | 226.72 km2 (87.54 sq mi) | 227.87 km2 (87.98 sq mi) |
| Population density | 4.5/km2 (12/sq mi) | 4.5/km2 (12/sq mi) | 4.2/km2 (11/sq mi) |
| Median age | 53.6 (M: 53.2, F: 54.0) | 50.3 (M: 50.1, F: 50.5) | |
| Private dwellings | 710 (total) 447 (occupied) | 730 (total) | 707 (total) |
| Median household income | $73,500 | $63,189 |
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| Source: Statistics Canada[1][9][8] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Places adjacent to Assiginack | |
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