EARLY HISTORY

The Ottawa Valley has been home to the Algonquin people since time immemorial, and for at least 8000 years prior to Europeans arriving in North America in the early 1600s. Evidence of Indigenous settlement is abound in Madawaska Valley, and particularly around its waterways, which were used as travel routes and settlements. The Township is located on the traditional unceded territory of the Omàmìwininì (Algonquin) Peoples and within the boundaries of the Algonquin land claim.

European settlers used the waterways of our region after their arrival in the mid 1600s for use during the fur trade, and permanent settlement began when logging activities increased. Between 1858 and 1910, the area now known as the Madawaska Valley attracted settlers from Poland and other European countries, including Ireland, Germany, and England, and three distinct population centres were formed.

BARRY’S BAY

The history of Barry’s Bay begins with Opeongo Road, a “colonization road” created in the 1850s to encourage agricultural settlement. Free 100-acre lots were offered to European immigrants, and Barry’s Bay was one of many communities along its route to spring up. Incorporated in 1933 but settled decades previously, Barry’s Bay was once a lumber depot that boomed once the railway came through in 1894. The railway brought further business and services to Barry’s Bay and the population grew. 

Barry’s Bay became the largest community in the region, home to services such as the local high school and hospital (both opening in the 1960s). The railway station and water tower from this era remain standing, with the Station serving as a visitor information centre and local area museum, and the tower carrying the distinction of being the last remaining wooden water tower in the province.

COMBERMERE

On the shores of the mighty Madawaska River, Combermere (once known as Dennison’s Bridge, with the name Combermere replacing it in 1880) was settled in the mid-1800s with stores, depots, churches, hotels, and homes built around the river. The first post office opened in 1865, and Combermere became known for its natural resources: lumber mills sprouted in the community, fishing and hunting lodges opened, and Combermere and the Madawaska were important travel points for material leaving the nearby Craigmont mines. 

After the mines closed, Combermere’s focus turned to tourism, becoming a flourishing seasonal stop for American and Canadian tourists alike, including such attractions as the Radcliffe Hills ski chalet, Crooked Slide Park, and the countless recreational opportunities provided by the Madawaska River. 

WILNO

Wilno, recognized as the oldest Polish and Kashubian settlements in Canada, was permanently settled in 1858 and took its name from the city of Vilnius in Poland. In 1894, the Canada Atlantic Railway arrived in town and a hotel and restaurant opened to support it, still open today as the Wilno Tavern. Other businesses, a post office, and a community grew around the railway and the farms tucked away in the hills. 

Today, you can visit the Wilno Heritage Park to step into the shoes of early settlers and learn more about the strong cultural background of the community. The Wilno hills continue to attract visitors from across the globe to explore the region. 

AMALGAMATION

In 1998, the municipalities of the Village of Barry’s Bay, Sherwood Jones and Burns, and Radcliffe signed an amalgamation proposal following mandates from the province. The new Township of Madawaska Valley was officially formed on January 1 2001.

Trucks containing logs and lumber still roll through our communities on a daily basis and many residents work in the lumber industry. The railway line that once brought lumber and tourists through the region is now a municipally-owned recreational trail, which can take you on your bike, ATV, snowmobile, or own two feet from Madawaska Valley’s borders in Wilno through towards Whitney to the west. Tourism has replaced natural resources as the main driver of our economy, with the population of our communities booming in the summer months thanks to our countless lakes and rivers. 

Madawaska Valley remains connected to its heritage and many residents are the descendants of those who cleared the land generations ago, alongside the new resident and visitors that make up our communities.

The Township of Madawaska Valley is made up of the amalgamated municipalities of: Radcliffe, Sherwood Jones and Burns, and the Village of Barry's Bay. Learn more about our past mayors and reeves below.