Fryatt

Introduction

Fryatt was a small railway hamlet that began as a small whistle stop on the National Transcontinental Railway (NTR) around 1915. The federal government built the NTR in part to fulfill a commitment to the provinces of Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. Ostensibly they provided the railway to increase colonization to help those provinces attract new residents and develop new industries in the northern reaches. Improving political capital was the other purpose. New railways were an easy sell to the public in the early 1900s.

The rich clay belts of northern Ontario were a big attraction to the farmers. Furthermore, the presence of a railway offered an easy means of shipping and were an instant attraction to farmers. By 1921 Fryatt had a store and railway station. Within a few short years there was a post office, French-speaking separate school and a blacksmith shop.

Fryatt thrived until the late 1940s, when decline began to set in. Most people left by the end of the 1960s. Today, other than a few cellar holes, the area has reverted to farmland. Learn more