Emo, Ontario

Emo is a small rural township, located along the Rainy River near the southwestern corner of northern Ontario, Canada, on the U.S. border directly north of the state of Minnesota. Emo had a population of 1,333 in the Canada 2016 Census.

Emo
Township (single-tier)
Township of Emo
Emo is located in Ontario
Emo
Emo
Coordinates: 48°38′N 93°50′W
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
DistrictRainy River
Settled1880s
Incorporated1899
Government
 • TypeTownship
 • MayorHarold McQuaker
 • Federal ridingThunder Bay—Rainy River
 • Prov. ridingKenora—Rainy River
Area
[1]
 • Land203.09 km2 (78.41 sq mi)
Population
 (2016)[2]
 • Total1,333
 • Density6.6/km2 (17/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
Postal code
P0W 1E0
Area code807
Websitewww.emo.ca

It is known for its stock car races, its picturesque, family-friendly waterfront park, the annual Rainy River Agricultural Fair (cattle industry is key in the area) and the Emo Walleye Classic fishing tournament.

History

Emo was officially created on July 1, 1899, and celebrated its centennial in 1999. Emo's first reeve was Alexander Luttrell, an Irishman who named the town after a namesake village in Ireland near where he was born. The council was composed of Charles Fisher, John Dungey, Benjamin Phillips, and Thomas Shortreed.[3]

The post office, Emo River, dates from 1887.[4]

Climate

Emo has a four-season humid continental climate with extreme temperature differences between summer and winter. The daily mean difference between January and July is as much as 34 °C.[5]

Climate data for Emo
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 7.5
(45.5)		 13.0
(55.4)		 20.0
(68.0)		 32.0
(89.6)		 32.5
(90.5)		 37.0
(98.6)		 36.0
(96.8)		 35.0
(95.0)		 33.5
(92.3)		 29.0
(84.2)		 22.0
(71.6)		 9.0
(48.2)		 37.0
(98.6)
Average high °C (°F) −9.4
(15.1)		 −5.3
(22.5)		 1.5
(34.7)		 10.7
(51.3)		 18.4
(65.1)		 22.9
(73.2)		 25.3
(77.5)		 24.5
(76.1)		 18.1
(64.6)		 10.3
(50.5)		 0.2
(32.4)		 −7.8
(18.0)		 9.1
(48.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) −16.1
(3.0)		 −12.3
(9.9)		 −5.0
(23.0)		 3.5
(38.3)		 10.8
(51.4)		 15.5
(59.9)		 18.4
(65.1)		 17.4
(63.3)		 11.7
(53.1)		 4.8
(40.6)		 −4.4
(24.1)		 −13.2
(8.2)		 2.6
(36.7)
Average low °C (°F) −22.7
(−8.9)		 −19.2
(−2.6)		 −11.7
(10.9)		 −3.7
(25.3)		 3.1
(37.6)		 8.6
(47.5)		 11.4
(52.5)		 10.4
(50.7)		 5.2
(41.4)		 −0.7
(30.7)		 −9.0
(15.8)		 −18.7
(−1.7)		 −3.9
(24.9)
Record low °C (°F) −49.0
(−56.2)		 −49.0
(−56.2)		 −43.0
(−45.4)		 −27.5
(−17.5)		 −11.0
(12.2)		 −3.5
(25.7)		 −0.5
(31.1)		 −3.5
(25.7)		 −7.5
(18.5)		 −20.0
(−4.0)		 −44.0
(−47.2)		 −46.0
(−50.8)		 −49.0
(−56.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 32.5
(1.28)		 24.4
(0.96)		 31.6
(1.24)		 45.4
(1.79)		 78.3
(3.08)		 130.0
(5.12)		 110.0
(4.33)		 85.0
(3.35)		 82.6
(3.25)		 62.2
(2.45)		 51.9
(2.04)		 35.5
(1.40)		 769.4
(30.29)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 32.2
(12.7)		 20.9
(8.2)		 21.3
(8.4)		 12.9
(5.1)		 1.3
(0.5)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 1.3
(0.5)		 10.0
(3.9)		 36.5
(14.4)		 33.9
(13.3)		 170.3
(67)
Average precipitation days 10 9 8 12 14 13 12 12 13 12 11 12 138
Source: Environment Canada[6]

Local government
Municipal office

Emo is located in the Rainy River District. The current serving (acclaimed) mayor is Harold McQuaker, while Lisa Teeple, Harrold Boven, Phil Whatley, and Gerald Weiringa serve as councillors. Elections are held every four years, in October.

Amenities

Emo is about halfway between two bridges to the United States, one at Fort Frances (approximately a 30-minute drive) and the other at Rainy River (about 40 minutes by road). It is identified in many cycling resources as an excellent overnight stopping point because of the facilities (shelter, showers and bathrooms) available in the waterfront park.

There are many volunteer groups and a strong sense of community in Emo. In Emo's Lion's Park, a picturesque riverfront area, a new play structure was funded through volunteer fundraising efforts, and a 2005-2006 fiscal year grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation . The park is also home to the Emo Spray Park, a $500,000 community-driven project completed in July 2010. A safe way for kids to engage in water play, the spray park attracts thousands of visitors in the summertime.

The spring brings the opening of the walleye fishing season, and the annual Emo Walleye Classic.

The Emo Speedway draws race participants and fans from the central United States, Northwestern Ontario and Manitoba. The track is a 600-metre, high-banked dirt oval track which operates every Saturday from May through Mid-September.

Emo is also home to four different religious denominations, including Knox United Church of Canada,[7] as well as Baptist, Catholic, and Christian Reformed churches.

The Emo Food Bank and Thrift Shop, located in what was formerly the Anglican Church, helps hundreds of area residents in need every year.

Initially located in private homes of local women, the town library was moved to the schoolhouse in 1940 and to its own building in the 50s.

Demographics
Emo, Ontario
historical populations
YearPop.±%
19911,275—    
19961,366+7.1%
20011,331−2.6%
20061,305−2.0%
20111,252−4.1%
20161,333+6.5%
[8][2]

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Emo had a population of 1,204 living in 472 of its 521 total private dwellings, a change of -9.7% from its 2016 population of 1,333. With a land area of 202.28 km2 (78.10 sq mi), it had a population density of 6.0/km2 (15.4/sq mi) in 2021.[9]

Canada census – Emo community profile
202120162011
Population1,204 (-9.7% from 2016)1,333 (+6.5% from 2011)1,252 (-4.1% from 2006)
Land area202.28 km2 (78.10 sq mi)203.09 km2 (78.41 sq mi)203.54 km2 (78.59 sq mi)
Population density6/km2 (16/sq mi)6.6/km2 (17/sq mi)6.2/km2 (16/sq mi)
Median age41.2 (M: 41.2, F: 41.2)40.5 (M: 39.3, F: 41.1)41.4 (M: 40.3, F: 41.9)
Private dwellings521 (total)  472 (occupied)554 (total)  483 (total) 
Median household income$94,000$75,593
References: 2021[10] 2016[1] 2011[11] earlier[12][13]

Emo Walleye Classic

The Emo Walleye Classic is a two-day catch and release fishing tournament held annually in Emo, during the final week of May each year.[14] It takes place on the Rainy River, which marks the border between Minnesota and Ontario.

Upwards of sixty Canadian and American teams of two participate each year, each paying a participation fee ($500 in 2015). An organizing committee and many local volunteers assist at the event, and many local businesses and individuals sponsor the event.[14]

On each morning of the tournament, anglers head upstream and downstream from the Emo waterfront to their chosen fishing spots. The weigh-ins are held in the evenings at the Emo/LaVallee Community Centre where results are posted live. On the final day of the tournament, the top ten teams from day one are brought into the arena with their boats.

Classic history

The tournament began in 2002 with forty-four participating teams, and has grown since then, with thirty-eight teams competing in 2013. The first winners were Harvey Cochrane and Oliver Gibbons who won as a result of the leading team having three fish over the legal size. In 2008 Doug McBride of Devlin, Ontario and Steve Ballan of Fort Frances, Ontario became the first team to win the tournament twice.[14]

Past winners
  • 2020: Tournament cancelled due to COVID-19
  • 2019: Dan Pollard and Josh Pollard; Weight: 15.69 lbs
  • 2018: Les Morrison and Oliver Gibbons; Weight: 19.53 lbs
  • 2017: Les Morrison and Oliver Gibbons; Weight: 22.03 lbs
  • 2016: Ted Heyens and Kelvin Caul; Weight: 23.94 lbs
  • 2015: Bill Godin and Ralph Galusha; Weight: 13.70 lbs
  • 2014: Bill Godin and Ralph Galusha; Weight: 17.84 lbs
  • 2013: Les Morrison and Oliver Gibbons; Weight: 20.16 lbs
  • 2012: Paul Allan and Hason Rostek; Weight: 17.13 lbs
  • 2011: Rod Woodgate and Dylan Swire; Weight: 19.67 lbs
  • 2010: Bill Godin and Ralph Galusha; Weight: 11.32 lbs
  • 2009: Ted Heyens and Kelvin Caul; Weight: 24.98 lbs
  • 2008: Doug McBride and Steve Ballan; Weight: 24.89 lbs
  • 2007: Bill Godin and Ralph Galusha; Weight: 19.47 lbs
  • 2006: Todd Grennier and Eric Lessman; Weight: 16.12 lbs
  • 2005: Doug McBride and Steve Ballan; Weight: 25.82 lbs
  • 2004: Dale Hartlin and Dan Pollard; Weight: 20.28 lbs
  • 2003: Todd Baker and Greg Stahn; Weight: 19.22 lbs
  • 2002: Harvey Cochrane and Oliver Gibbons; Weight: 15.00 lbs[14]

Records
Biggest fish

2005 Tournament - Day 2 - Doug McBride and Steve Ballan: 10.02 lbs

Biggest catch

2005 Tournament - Day 2 - Doug McBride and Steve Ballan: 15.06 lbs

Highest tournament two-day total

2005 Tournament - Doug McBride and Steve Ballan: 25.82 lbs[14]

See also

References
  1. "2016 Community Profiles". 2016 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. August 12, 2021. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
  2. "Census Profile, 2016 Census - Emo, Township". Statistics Canada. 8 February 2017. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  3. Our Town's Past Archived 2011-07-09 at the Wayback Machine: Official Visitor's info from the township
  4. Hamilton, William (1978). The Macmillan Book of Canadian Place Names. Macmillan. p. 146. ISBN 0-7715-9754-1.
  5. "Emo Radbourne, Ontario Travel Weather Averages (Weatherbase)".
  6. "Emo Radbourne, Ontario". 25 September 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  7. "Emo-Devlin United Churches".
  8. Statistics Canada: 2001, 2006, 2011 census
  9. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Ontario". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  10. "2021 Community Profiles". 2021 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. February 4, 2022. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  11. "2011 Community Profiles". 2011 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. March 21, 2019. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
  12. "2006 Community Profiles". 2006 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. August 20, 2019.
  13. "2001 Community Profiles". 2001 Canadian Census. Statistics Canada. July 18, 2021.
  14. Emo Walleye Classic Homepage - www.emowalleye.com
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