The Towns and Cities of Northern Ontario
New Liskeard - James Bay Frontier
Like its sister communities of Haileybury and Cobalt, New Liskeard grew and prospered from the silver mining boom. While Haileybury became the administrative center of the Tri-town area and Cobalt became a mining town, New Liskeard became the commercial and industrial center for the agriculture region. The first settlers were attracted to �The Little Claybelt� because of its rich deposits of clay and top soil and 110 years later, farming still sustains a major part of the community.
Besides the usual seasonal activities, New Liskeard boasts one of the more popular agricultural fairs in the region. With approximately 550 farms in the area, there is usually something for everybody. This fair is usually preceded by a downtown parade and involves the annual crowning of the Lioness Harvest Queen.
New Liskeard is home to the Tri-Club Monster Poker Run, an annual snowmobile event that attracts participants from all over the province.
In November, all the merchants outline their businesses with white lights for the Christmas season and the huge trees in Cenotaph Park are decorated to light up the town.
This year marks a special year for New Liskeard and its residents. The town is celebrating its anniversary with a ten day event from June 26�th through July 6, 2003. With an overall theme of �Return, Remember, Relive� the town and the Temiskaming District Secondary School are celebrating their 100�th birthday while the New Liskeard Cubs celebrate their 50�th.
If you�re planning to take in the festivities this summer, be sure to include a side trip to Pete�s Dam Park, a phased out hydro project that still attracts many visitors due to its wonderful scenery. Pete�s Dam Park can be found on Highway 65, just west of New Liskeard. After your nature walk, head west again and look for the signs advertising Thornloe Cheese Factory. Drop in and talk to the very friendly people there and walk away with some superb cheese. They have something for every cheese lover.
