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A Brief History of Dryden
22 May 2010
Dryden, Ontario
The city of Dryden is located in Northwestern Ontario. The Dryden area was originally part of the Ojibway nation. Prior to settlement the indigenous inhabitants of the area used the shores by the rapids of the Wabigoon River as a camping and meeting place. They called this special area Paawidigong, meaning "The Place of the Rapids" in the Ojibway language. A settlement was founded in 1895 by John Dryden, who was Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture at the time. Pulp and paper came to Dryden in 1910, the year Dryden officially became a town. In 1998, Dryden amalgamated with the neighbouring township of Barclay to form the new city of Dryden.
Pulp and paper remains the city’s principal industry with agriculture, tourism and mining also contributing to the local economy.
Recent Federal Government Support for Dryden
In the last two years the Federal Government has contributed significantly to economic and social development in Dryden. Examples include:
• $22,700,000 under the Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program for two capital improvements at the Domtar Dryden Mill that will allow the mill to produce more renewable energy and improve its energy efficiency. This will allow the mill to reduce the amount of power it purchases — balancing its power budget and offsetting greenhouse gas emissions. (announced on May 22, 2010).
• $154,000 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the City of Dryden under the Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage Program. (announced on January 19, 2010).
• $9,966,666 million towards a new state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant in Dryden under the Building Canada Fund (announced on June 5, 2009).
• $1,470,000 towards the expansion of Dryden’s Industrial Park and the Norwill Subdivision through the Community Adjustment Fund (announced on August 27, 2009).
• $600,000 towards water meter implementation in Dryden under the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund (announced on June 5, 2009).
• $265,833 towards upgrades of baseball diamonds in the City of Dryden under the Recreational Infrastructure Program (announced on July 7, 2009).
