John Cletheroe's
USA and Canada Holiday Hints

Espanola, Ontario

Location

Espanola lies on Highway 6 just south of its junction with Highway 17, that section of the Trans-Canada Highway which runs along the north shore of Lake Huron between Sault Ste Marie and Sudbury. Highway 6 runs south to Manitoulin Island.

Description

Espanola is not only a very convenient stopping point but also a good base for touring the very pleasant Manitoulin Island.

Judging by the people we spoke to in Espanola and who have sent me comments about this page via EMail, opinions vary and tend to run deeply regarding the presence of the large factory (a wood pulp, paper and sawmill, I believe) located at the north end of the town. Most people would I think agree with my opinion that it is extremely unsightly, though no more so than similar factories the world over. Many of the towns' inhabitants object to the unpleasant smell which often emanates from the factory, although how far this smell extends into the town depends on the strength and direction of the wind - normally it is only detectable in the immediate vicinity of the plant. From the point of view of the prosperity of the town and the people who work in the factory, no doubt the plant is regarded as being a vital asset. For visitors, the presence of the factory can very largely be ignored, and we can most certainly still highly recommend the town of Espanola as a good place to stay. If you do happen to notice the smell from the factory and it worries you, then there are several motels on the south side of town well away from it.

When we last visited Espanola in the summer of 1997 the range of fast food restaurants was surprisingly limited for a town and surrounding catchment area of its size. However Michael Guay, a resident of the town, kindly sent me this information (in July 1999):

I just wanted to give you a little update on this quaint town. Since you wrote this a lot has happened, especially in the fast food department. Commercial restaurants have decided to take us over and we now have a Wendy's, a McDonald's, a Subway, a Tim Horton's and a Country Style Donuts. Although they're great I would love to see a little note under restaurants about Roger Rabbit's. I am in no way connected with this restaurant but it is the place to go for great homemade food. We have also built a large community centre with an arena swimming pool, squash courts gym and very much more. Our mill has been bought by Domtar (it was previously owned by EB Eddy).

Historical Notes

The name "Espanola" is thought to have arisen from the fact that in the middle of the eighteenth century a band of Ojibway Indians who lived in this area bought back a Spanish woman after a journey south into the United States. Later, French explorers were amazed to discover some of the Indians speaking Spanish and so named their village "Espagnole" which over the course of time has became corrupted into the present-day name of Espanola. The nearby town of Spanish was presumably named for the same reason.

The mill mentioned above was used as a Prisoner of War camp during World War II.

In the Area

Ontario

Great Lakes

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Most recently modified 18-Sep-99