History of Ear Falls, Ontario, Canada

Many years ago, before the area was settled, the First Nations people discovered the abundant hunting and fishing in the area and named the impressive waterfall here on the English River "Otahwaka Powitek" after a spirit that they believed inhabited the area. This name that they gave to the area translates to English as "Ear Falls". Fur traders later discovered the trapping potential of the area, and in 1840 the Hudson Bay Company opened the Gold Pines Trading Post on Lac Seul. Gold Pines remained the main settlement until 1929 when Ontario Hydro built the dam on the English River in order to supply power to the growing gold mining industry. At this point the community was established in its current location. In 1947 the highway reached Ear Falls, and with it came the various lodges and growing tourist industry. In 1966 construction began on the Griffith Iron Ore Mine brining rapid growth to the town and becoming the main employer in the area until it's closure in 1986. One decade later brought the Avenor Sawmill, which is now owned and operated by Weyerhauser Canada and remains one of the area's major employers.