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| Hearst Community Profile |
About HearstHearst has a vision of becoming an innovative cornerstone community for the world of tomorrow. Every member of the community will ensure that the wealth of human and natural resources present is used to sustain and enhance the lifestyle of its citizens, to create interesting career paths for the youth and to ensure that the development is socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable. Come and enjoy the hospitality of a bilingual community where 6000 warm-hearted residents (10,000 regionally) live and where 85% of that population is Francophone. Located in the heart of Northeastern Ontario and surrounded by nature, the community is located by the Mattawishkwia River, directly along Trans-Canada Highway 11. The community has a lot to offer and has a vision for the future. Come and visit us; you will be greeted with open arms. What you will find is very unique, attractive and you might be very pleased with what you will discover.
Our History:The region was originally frequented by the Cree and Ojibway tribes. Trading posts, located at key points along rivers, were established to enable the exchange of pelts and goods. The region was located in the ‘Great Clay Belt', a zone of fertile soil. Early agricultural practices in the area can be traced back to the First Nation people. Founded in the early 1900's by a handful of Europeans settlers, the Town of Hearst was originally known as Grant, but the name was changed in honour of Sir William Howard Hearst, the 7th premier of Ontario (1914-1919). Hearst, once a small settlement of farmers was incorporated as a town in 1922 under Mayor Gus McManus, Eventually, Hearst became a maintenance station for the National Transcontinental Railway, later renamed the Canadian National Railway, as well as a terminus for the Algoma Central Railway. The rail industry attracted many people to Hearst and as a result, the population and economy grew. A large portion of the inhabitants came from Quebec and today about 85% of the community is francophone. After World War II, family-owned lumber companies gave birth to its truly industrialized economic base and forestry became, and still continues to be, the main industry. Hearst is a major supplier of plywood, particle board and melamine. Because the forest is an integral part of Hearst's economy, the town has taken measures to maintain it as a sustainable resource. We encourage you to visit the following site for the short history of the local sawmills http://www.scierieshearst.com/indexEn.html
Education:Education is a pride in Hearst. Each year, contests and prizes both at the regional, provincial or even national levels are won by our youth and our local schools. Our schools are among the best in the province. Our High School has developed a well known expertise for technical specialties such as robotics and computer assisted design. Our students have been participating since the 90's to the national competition ‘Skills Canada', winning numerous medals. Hearst can also be honoured to be one of the rare 6000 people community to have post secondary institutions both at the collegiate (Collège Boréal) and university levels (Université de Hearst www.uhearst.ca ). The Université de Hearst was founded in the 50's and has for mandate to offer university level education to francophones in North-eastern Ontario. Education is a very important aspect to a healthy community that is moving forward.
Activities:In Hearst, we never run out of things to do. In 2006, Hearst was officially named the "Moose Capital" of Canada. Fishing, white water rafting, kayaking, canoeing and ATV are a few of the available outdoors activities. The Hearst region is heaven for snowmobilers, with its trail system that covers more than 1000 km, crisscrossing through the boreal forest. Cross country skiing, hockey, skating, curling, are just a few of our other winter activities. This Claude Larose recreation complex was built in 1979 and contains two indoor ice rinks. A youth drop-in centre, La Limite, is located on the second floor level of the arena and operates throughout the year, providing supervised social activities and a meeting place for children and teenagers between the ages of 12 and 18. In the summer months, when the ice is off of the concrete surfaces of both rinks, attention turns to a variety of special events. These events are organized to appeal to a broad range of interests in the community, from motocross racing to trade shows, concerts and circuses.
Arts & Culture:Experience Hearst's arts scene by visiting an art gallery, participate to an activity or take an arts course. The arts in Hearst make it a lively, vibrant and beautiful place to live! Consult the archives of the Conseil des Arts de Hearst web site to have the proof that arts is an important part of our community. Since 1997, the community has been hosting the 2nd largest francophone humour festival in the country. The Conseil des Arts de Hearst and the CINN-FM community radio station are two organizations important in our community that are leading the way in arts and culture. Several other organizations, businesses, and artists are collaborating to provide the residents with unique activities to our community. The arts council develops with its community an interest for the arts and the French-speaking culture. It offers artistic and cultural quality experiences which are memorable and meaningful. By exposing a diversified program, the arts council encourages a variety of artists. The Centre des Arts is newly renovated in a category A concert hall - one of the few in Northern Ontario. This conversion represented a $6 million project for the community. We invite you to visit the Conseil des arts web site: http://www.conseildesartsdehearst.ca  Economy:The main industry in Hearst is forestry. There are two sawmills, a planer mill, plywood, particle board and melamine facilities, and value-added transformation and assembly plants. These facilities have the latest technology to ensure effectiveness and their competitiveness in the global market. Together, they contribute in making Hearst one of the largest lumber producers in Ontario. The forestry sector is presently struggling throughout the country. The community has been developing strategies for the last few years to diversify our economic base. Some very interesting economic projects are presently on the drawing board. The bio-economy (value-added from the forest), the renewable energies, the mining industry and the foor-production sectors will play an important part in the community's future:
Geography:Geographic Area: North Eastearn Ontario Location/Getting There: Located along the Trans-Canada Highway 11, the Town of Hearst is strategically centered between Northern Ontario's main urban centers: Timmins, North Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste-Marie and Thunder Bay. Rouyn-Noranda (QC) is located to the southeast of Hearst. Adjacent communities:
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