Petawawa

The town lies on the west bank of the Ottawa River, at the confluence of the Petawawa River. Situated across the Ottawa River from the Laurentian Mountains, and east of Algonquin Park, Petawawa is a favorite stop for outdoor enthusiasts, anglers, hikers, canoers, and kayakers.

Ontario Highway 17, Greyhound bus lines, Ontario Northlands bus service from Ottawa and the local commercial airport (Pembroke Airport) located in Petawawa, all provide access to this town.

Petawawa's primary employer is the Canadian Government. Most of Petawawa's residents work as civilian employees, or as members of the Canadian Forces at CFB Petawawa which is home to 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group and 4 Canadian Division Support Group.[2]

Another major employer is Chalk River Laboratories located nearby in Chalk River.[3]

The earliest settlement in the Petawawa area was inhabited by the Algonquin First Nation. The name of Petawawa originates from a local Algonquin language word, biidaawewe, meaning "where one hears a noise like this". The spelling of the name of the town was Petewawa until at least 1916.[4] There are no sources showing when the official name was changed from Petewawa to Petawawa, but photographs after 1916 with the former spelling have not been found.[5] While the records of the official name change are non-existent, it has been speculated that the influx of immigration to the area changed the pronunciation of the word from its native roots to a more European pronunciation. Over time this may have changed the spelling of the Town's name into the present day format.

In the late 19th century, the area was surveyed and settled by emigres from Scotland, Ireland and Germany. The land was unsuitable for crops, but the heavily forested surroundings were useful for logging. Petawawa was incorporated as a township in 1865. The Canadian military acquired land in the area in 1905, which later became Canadian Forces Base Petawawa. During this period it was used as an internment camp for German POWs during World War I.[6] and World War II. Later, it became home to the Canadian Airborne Regiment before it was disbanded in 1995. Today, it is one of Canada's largest ground forces bases with members deployed throughout the world on various missions supporting the United Nations in peacekeeping or the War on Terror.

In 1961, the urban area of Petawawa was incorporated as a separate village. On July 1, 1997, the village and township re-amalgamated to form the Town of Petawawa. [7]

Petawawa has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) with long, cold, snowy winters and warm summers.

View from Petawawa ski hill

In addition to the primary urban core of Petawawa, the town also comprises the communities of Black Bay, Kramer Subdivision, Laurentian View, McGuire, Petawawa Point, Pine Meadows, Pine Ridge, Pinehurst Estates and Riverview.

Entertainers

• Tony Grace, CTV news anchor[10]
• Tom Green, comedian/actor[10]
• Joshua Hopkins, opera singer[10]
• Tommy Mac, Hedley bassist[10]

Sports

• Roy Giesebrecht, retired NHL hockey player[10]
• Austin Ingram, para-athlete[10]
• Lloyd Mohns, retired NHL hockey player[10]
• Matthew Peca, NHL hockey player for the Ottawa Senators
• Joe Reekie, retired NHL hockey player[10]
• Mike Rowe, retired NHL hockey player[10]
• Ray Sheppard, retired NHL hockey player[10]

Journalists

• Phillip (Phil) Ambroziak, award-winning journalist & editor[10]

• List of communities in Ontario
• List of townships in Ontario
• List of francophone communities in Ontario

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Petawawa.

• Media related to Petawawa at Wikimedia Commons
• Town of Petawawa, Ontario Official Website
• Department of National Defence Canada - CFB Petawawa
• The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 517, Petawawa Ontario
• Petawawa Public Library