Temiskaming Shores

History

The Ottawa River, which drains into and out of Lake Timiskaming, has been a well-travelled route from the earliest times, and served as the point of access to the Temiskaming area. Native peoples travelled this route since the earliest times. Fort Temiscamingue was established in 1695 by French explorers. In 1794 the Hudson's Bay Company established Abitibi House on Lake Abitibi, to the north. In 1886, Alexander H. Telfer led a survey trip up Lake Timiskaming and gave a report to the Temiskaming Settlers' Association. By this time, the Quebec side of Lake Timiskaming was also being settled, and steamboats, the primary mode of transportation in the area, were ferrying new settlers into the area.
William Murray (1840–1906) and Irvin Heard (1871–1956) were the first European settlers in the New Liskeard area, arriving in 1891. The settlers founded a prosperous agricultural center, taking advantage of the rich soil in the Little Claybelt region. New Liskeard was founded soon after settlers began to arrive in Dymond. New Liskeard was named after Liskeard in Cornwall, England.
Haileybury was founded in 1889 by Charles Cobbold Farr, who named the newly founded town after the Haileybury and Imperial Service College, his former school in England. Farr encouraged settlement in the area, penning his own promotional pamphlet, entitled "The Lake Temiskamingue District", in an effort to attract new settlers to the region. Marketed to settlers as prime agricultural land, Haileybury had only a handful of residents until the arrival of the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario Railway in the early 1900s, and the subsequent discovery of large silver deposits in neighbouring Cobalt in 1903. During the Cobalt Silver Rush, Haileybury became a 'bedroom community' that served the needs of the many miners, mine owners and managers. These mine managers and owners were responsible for the construction of the row of stately homes, nicknamed 'Millionaire's Row' that stretched along the waterfront on what is now Lakeshore Road, many of which still stand today.
Dymond still functions largely as an agricultural centre, while the commercial and industrial interests in the area have mostly shifted operations to the former town of New Liskeard. Haileybury maintains its status as a judicial seat, and is also home to the new city hall. A strong link to agriculture means that Temiskaming Shores has largely avoided the boom-and-bust cycle typical of most mining- and forestry-dependent small towns in Northern Ontario. Temiskaming Shores has also become a popular retirement and recreational destination, with small retirement communities like the Bayport Village being developed in the former town of Haileybury.

By car

Highway 65 runs west from the Quebec border, through Dymond and on towards Elk Lake and Matachewan. Most will come in through Highway 11 (Trans-Canada Highway), from the south (North Bay) or north (Timmins, Cochrane).

By bus

Ontario Northland runs two buses a day from North Bay to New Liskeard (1hr 50min-2hr 10min, $35, January 2017).

By plane

Earlton-Timiskaming Regional Airport (YXR), a half-hour drive north-northwest of New Liskerad, is the closest airstrip, but it does not have scheduled passenger service or customs facilities. They advertise "no landing fees for private airplanes".
The closest airports with scheduled passenger service are YYB Jack Garland Airport (YYB) in North Bay and Rouyn-Noranda Airport (YUY) in Rouyn-Noranda; each is nearly two hours away by car.

Haileybury and New Liskeard are roughly 8 km apart, so a motor vehicle is key. The Tri-Town Transit bus service connects the two, hourly on weekdays and Saturdays, every 2 hours Sundays, and no service on holidays. $3.25 fare. The long distance between destinations makes taxis an expensive alternative.

• Burnt Island - Located in the middle of Lake Temiskaming the island was at one time home to a few farms, but most of which have since been abandoned. Perhaps not the most outstanding tourist destination, it still makes a good boat trip in summer, or a trek across the frozen lake in the winter.

• North on Tap

  address: Temiskaming Shores/Haileybury
  Featuring live music and craft beer.

• Wabi River Kayak Challenge

  address: Temiskaming Shores/New Liskeard
  In August.

• Farmer's Market - Both Haileybury and New Liskeard have a Farmer's Market which operates through the summer months selling whatever is in season. Despite having a shorter growing season, Northern Ontario supports a substantial agricultural output and visitors should take advantage of the generous prices all to common at markets. The market in New Liskeard is by the Waterfront, as is the market in Haileybury. The one in Haileybury is contained with an elaborate clock tower building which is slightly off-center and is between the beach and the marina.
• Timiskaming Square is the city's only shopping mall. It is in the Dymond area at 883,303 Highway 65 (47.51 N, 79.67 W). It has 21 stores, anchored by Food Basics. Large Walmart and Canadian Tire stores are nearby.

• Gilli's Truck Stop

  phone: +1 610 905-1353
  address: 997490 ON-11, New Liskeard
  Family restaurant. Great food in a fun setting.

• R U Hungries Food & Pizzeria

  phone: +1 705 630-5151
  address: 468 Ferguson Avenue, Haileybury
  Good & cheap take-out pizzas, pepperettes, jerky, and cheese.

• King George Tavern

  phone: +1 705 647-4403
  address: 40 Wellington St, New Liskeard, ON
  This is the spot for the younger crowd, can be quite busy Fridays/Saturdays.

• Rooster's Bar & Grill

  phone: +1 705 647-9500
  address: 2 Cedar Avenue East, New Liskeard, ON
  Popular on Thursday nights after 9PM for 'Wing Night'.

• Auberge Country Inn

  address: 200 Drive in Theatre Rd, New Liskeard, ON

• Edgewater Motel

  address: 1267 Lakeshore Road, New Liskeard, ON

• Leisure Inn

  address: 509 Ferguson Avenue, Haileybury, ON

• Waterfront Inn

  address: 2 Cedar Avenue, New Liskeard, ON
  A comfortable, clean, well-run hotel on the north shore of Lake Temiskaming. Continental-style breakfast is included in the room price. 40 rooms on two floors, but no elevator.

• Wheel Inn Motel

  address: 208 Armstrong Street, New Liskeard, ON

Rogers cell coverage is *very* sketchy, especially in Haileybury. Telus and Bell/NorthernTel are mostly reliable.

Silver Centre

The remnants of one of the original mining settlements in Northern Ontario. Highway 567 passes through Silver Centre, continuing to another former mine site Ragged Chutes. One can see old mine ruins or a real ghost town. There's also a virtually untapped natural environment which one can go see at their own pace at any time.
Logging operations are ongoing in the region; in the winter the road is poor quality at best.

• Cobalt (south of Temiskaming Shores) might be an interesting day trip. The business hours of most attractions there are seasonal, so call before you go.
• Connections to Eastern Ontario, Central Ontario, and Northwestern Ontario are available from North Bay.