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Before settlement by Europeans, the Dryden area was inhabited by the Anishinaabe. They used the shore by the Wabigoon River as a camping site, calling it Paawidigong ("the place of rapids" in Ojibwe).[5] The settlement was founded as an agricultural community by John Dryden, Ontario's Minister of Agriculture in 1895. While his train was stopped at what was then known as Barclay Tank to re-water, he noticed clover growing and decided to found an experimental farm the following year. The farm's success brought settlers from southern Ontario and the community came to be known as New Prospect. In 1886, gold was discovered near the area, also attracting people. In 1897, the community was renamed to Dryden to honour the minister of agriculture. It incorporated as a town in 1910 and as a city in 1998 after merging with the neighbouring township of Barclay.[5][6][7][8]
One of the earliest industries in the area was pulp and paper. A paper mill was built in the town in 1910 because of the abundance of wood suitable for kraft pulping as well as energy from the Wabigoon River. The town came into national consciousness because of mercury contamination. In the 1970s, it became known that the Dryden pulp and paper operations discharged ten tons of mercury directly into the Wabagoon River over a span of eight years. The mercury caused persistent environmental damage, poisoned river systems and lakes, and led to members of the Grassy Narrows community suffering severe mercury poisoning known as Minamata disease.[6][9][10][11][12]
Dryden experiences a humid continental climate (Dfb) with short, warm summers, and long, cold winters. The highest temperature ever recorded in Dryden was 39.4 °C (103 °F) on 11 July 1936. The coldest temperature ever recorded was −46.7 °C (−52 °F) on 11 February 1914.[17] Compared to the rest of the province, the annual temperature range is wider and precipitation is more concentrated in the summer.[18]
Population figures for 2001 onwards are for the amalgamated City of Dryden.
Population figures before 2001 are for the former Town of Dryden.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Dryden had a population of 7,388 living in 3,314 of its 3,574 total private dwellings, a change of -4.7% from its 2016 population of 7,749. With a land area of 65.58 km2 (25.32 sq mi), it had a population density of 112.7/km2 (291.8/sq mi) in 2021.[21]
The population centre, or urban area, of Dryden had a population of 5,586 in the 2016 census, a 0.9% increase from 2011. The median value of dwellings in the urban area is CA$150,505, significantly lower than the national median of $341,556. The median household income (after-tax) in Dryden is $58,624, almost on par with the national average at $61,348.[4]
The city's population peaked at 8,198 measured in the 2001 Canadian Census and is slowly declining due to lack of support for an aging population and high taxes.[22] 21% of the population was 65 years and over as of the 2016 census compared to 16.7% in the entirely of Ontario. The median age of 46.2 was nearly 5 years older than the provincial median of 41.3.[1][23]
In 2016, approximately 1,465 residents (19.3%) considered themselves to have an Aboriginal identity. 220 residents (2.9%) belonged to a visible minority group (i.e. people who are not Aboriginal and "non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour"). The largest group was Filipino, representing about 80 residents (1% of the population).[1]
In the 2011 National Household Survey, 4,970 residents (66.8% of the respondents) stated that they were Christian, while 2,455 (33.0%) did not affiliate with any religion. 0.1% identified as Buddhist, while a further 0.1% practised traditional Aboriginal spirituality.[24]
Dryden is home to the 5.6-metre (18 ft) tall "Max the Moose" statue on the Trans-Canada Highway, which has been described as the "mascot" of the city. It was built in 1962, out of a metal frame and concrete plaster.[30][31][32]
Several annual music concerts are held featuring local musicians. "Come Together" is an annual December 27 or 28th concert, and "Kickin' Country" is a mid April country show. Both featuring local acts. The "Blue Moon Festival" is a daylong event that is held on or near a blue moon calendar event in the summer months.
Dryden is home to a variety of arts groups. "Theatre 17" is a community theatre group under the direction of Judith Hamilton that stages theatrical productions, including Noises Off and Tony and Tina's Wedding. The DRAC (Dryden Regional Arts Council) is an artists group that organizes yearly art tours, art shows and also operates a retail store known as Naked North Art Gallery. The Dryden Community Band is a group of musicians who perform under conductor Ryan Graham.
The city council is composed of six councillors and a mayor. As with the rest of Ontario, municipal elections occur every 4 years.[37] Currently, Dryden's mayor is Greg Wilson, elected 2018.[38] Previous mayors of Dryden have included Craig Nuttall (elected in 2010 and 2014), Anne Krassilowsky (elected in 2002 and 2006), and Roger Valley in the 1990s.[39][40][41]
The Dryden pulp mill, also known as the Reed Mill, is a paper and pulp mill in Dryden, Ontario. During the 1960s and 70s, mercury poisoning from the mill caused one of Canada's worst environmental disasters: Dryden Chemicals Ltd dumped mercury into the English-Wabigoon River, upstream of Grassy Narrows First Nation, poisoning the fish which were their staple food.[42] Members of the Grassy Narrows and the Whitedog communities downstream from the mill suffered severe mercury poisoning.[43]
The first iteration of the mill was initially built by Charles and Grant Gordon in 1909 on the west side of the Wabigoon River[44] From the early twentieth century to the twenty-first century, the forest industry has played a significant role in Dryden's economy.[45]
In 2019, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that Weyerhaeuser Company and Resolute Forest Products—previously known as Abitibi-Consolidated—are responsible for remediating the mercury contamination.[46] The environmental poisoning continues to cause significant health problems for the First Nations communities downstream.[46][47] The Government of Canada is building a $20 million clinic to treat the First Nations "suffering from mercury poisoning".[48]
The Dryden Fire Service, a volunteer fire department, operates out of two fire stations and responds to about 250 incidents annually. It was established in 1908 with Alex Kennedy as Fire Chief.[53] They also raise public awareness about fire safety.[54] The service comprises five full-time staff and around forty volunteers.[55] The City of Dryden also operates a landfill and recycling facility.[56]
Media
Dryden is currently served by several radio stations, including:
Dryden previously had a community newspaper, The Dryden Observer, originally known as the Wabigoon Star, but it stopped publishing in 2019. The mayor of Dryden noted that the newspaper had provided a local sense of identity.[63] CKQV operates an online local news source called DrydenNow, and CKDR also has a news division.[64][65]
^ ab"Dryden A". Canadian Climate Normals. Environment Canada. 31 October 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
^Statistics Canada[permanent dead link] Population and Dwelling counts, census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses, sorted by province, then sorted by type. Dryden has the smallest population for any city (CY). Retrieved 5 September 2007.
