Hearst, Ontario


Hearst is a town in the district of Cochrane, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Mattawishkwia River in Northern Ontario, approximately west of Kapuskasing, approximately north of Toronto and east of Thunder Bay along Highway 11. At Hearst, Highway 583 extends northward to Lac-Sainte-Thérèse and southward to Jogues, Coppell and Mead.

History

The town came into being due to the construction of the National Transcontinental Railway in 1913. Established as a divisional point, Hearst is 208 km west of Cochrane and 201 km east of the divisional point of Grant. There is some historical ambiguity with the name Grant as the original site of Hearst was also called Grant and was changed to Hearst in 1911.
Hearst was named to honour William Howard Hearst, then Ontario Minister of Forests and Mines and later Premier of Ontario. It was incorporated in 1922. Many settlers to the town originally came from the province of Quebec. Many also came from Europe and other regions in Canada and the USA.

Demographics

Economy

Hearst has a long tradition of being a "lumber town". Currently the major employers include a Tembec hardwood and softwood facility as well as a plywood mill operated by Columbia Forest Products.

Arts and culture

93.7% of Hearst's population is francophone.
Different cultures can be found in Hearst such as Finn, Slovak, Bulgarian, Chinese, Portuguese, Greek, Ukrainian, First Nations and also Black Canadians.
The town is home to the Université de Hearst, a federated school of Laurentian University in Sudbury. The Hearst Public Library was founded on December 17, 1974. In its beginning, the library was situated in the basement of the Hearst High School where it shared its space with the school library. On June 4, 1984, the library moved to its present location, 801 George Street. The primary industry of Hearst is forestry, with both mills and tree-planting organizations. Hearst is a four-season destination. Many years ago, the town proclaimed itself the Moose Capital of Canada. Local outdoor activities include fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, camping, swimming, canoeing, and golf.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Hearst is served by Hearst Municipal Airport.
Hearst was the northern terminus for a Canadian National Railways-operated passenger train service from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, running over the tracks of the former Algoma Central Railway.
Hearst is the northern terminus for Ontario Northland's coach service.

Education

Hearst has both elementary and high schools. It also has the Université de Hearst, a post-secondary institution federated with Laurentian University in Sudbury. Education can also be sought at the collegiate level with the Collège Boréal.

Media

Hearst's only local newspaper service is provided by Le Nord.

Radio

Hearst's only local radio service is provided by CINN-FM, a community radio station. All other radio stations available in the community are rebroadcasters of stations from Kapuskasing, Timmins or Sudbury.
FrequencyCall signBrandingFormatOwnerNotes
FM 90.3CBON-FM-26Ici Radio-Canada PremièreTalk radio, public radioCanadian Broadcasting CorporationRebroadcaster of CBON-FM
FM 91.1CINN-FMCINNFM 91.1Community radioRadio de l'Épinette NoireFranco-Ontarian community radio
FM 91.9CBCC-FMCBC Radio OneTalk radio, public radioCanadian Broadcasting CorporationRebroadcaster of CBCS-FM
FM 92.9CHYK-FM-3Le LoupFrench hot adult contemporaryLe5 CommunicationsRebroadcaster of CHYK-FM
FM 94.5CKHT-FMMoose FMAdult contemporaryVista Broadcast GroupRebroadcaster of CKAP-FM

Television

Hearst was previously served by CBCC-TV and CBLFT-TV-5, rebroadcasters of the Toronto-based CBLT-DT and CBLFT-DT respectively, but the transmitters were shut down in 2012 due to budget cuts at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Notable people