Chapleau is in the Lake Superior North Shore region of Northern Ontario. A small and somewhat remote township of around 1,900 people, it is the starting point for exploring some of the most pristine natural settings in the north, including the largest game preserve in the world.
Understand
[edit]Chapleau owes its existence to the Canadian Pacific Railway. When the rail line was built through the area in 1885, Chapleau was chosen as a divisional point, and the town formed around it.
- Chapleau Crown Game Preserve
- Forestry
Tourist information
[edit]- Chapleau Tourist Information Centre, 94 Monk Street (in the Historic Centennial Museum), ☏ +1 705-864-1330. Jul-Aug: daily 9AM-5PM.
Get in
[edit]- Hwys 101, 129
- Airport
- Rail
Get around
[edit]
Map of Chapleau
See
[edit]- 1 Chapleau Centennial Museum, 94 Monk Street. Jul-Aug: daily 9AM-5PM. It commemorates the town's local and railway history. The monuments on display represent important aspects of the town's history and identity, such as railway workers and the Canadian Pacific Railway; First Nations, Franco-Ontarian and Anglo-Canadian peoples; and the timber industry.
Do
[edit]- 1 The Shoals Provincial Park (along Hwy 101 approx 50km west of Chapleau). This provincial park once hosted a 44-site frontcountry campground along with other amenities, but was essentially placed in stasis by provincial funding cuts in 2013. While the main roadway is gated off, non-motorized access to the park is still permitted. The park offers hiking, fishing and canoeing opportunities. There is a public boat launch on Prairie Bee lake, and five backcountry campsites accessible by canoe.
- 2 Chapleau Crown Game Preserve. A fur-bearing animal preserve area that covers some 7,000 km² in the Algoma and Sudbury Districts. All animals are protected from hunting and trapping in the preserve. Animals present in the preserve include: Moose, American black bear, Red fox, Canada lynx, Timber wolf, Marten, Beaver, Otter, Mink, Ruffed and spruce grouse, Bald eagle, and Loon. The Algoma Central Railway passenger train provides access to the western portions of the preserve.
