Tomiko

History

Tomiko is situated at mileage point 27.5 in Stewart Township on the Ontario Northland Railway. The community started out in an isolated location as a siding, station, water tower and section village. The railway established a townsite and by 1906, 354 residents settled in Tomiko. There was also a Baptist Church.

The community was solely based on railway maintenance and lumbering. A few small mills opened to produce ties and lumber for the railway’s needs. By 1910 the village had two stores, a small school and post office, opened in 1906. They built nearly two-dozen homes along with a two bunkhouses; one for the railway men and the other for the lumbermen.

Tomiko’s life was very brief. The church closed by 1916. By 1921 the village declined to the point where there was only the section village and one store left. A few families subsisting off trapping and other prospects remained to form the remaining 63 residents.

After the depression began, the railway trimmed down their crews and Tomiko dwindled to fewer than 20 residents. The school closed around the same period. During the 1940’s the section village rebounded to 30-40 residents. With more school children in the immediate area, the government introduced a railway school car to educate all the children along the line from North Bay to Cobalt. The larger stop was at Tomiko. The car would remain on the siding for one week every month.

By 1957 the railway converted most of the line to diesel. Consequently they no longer needed the water tower and extra crews. By 1961 only 17 permanent residents remained. In 1966 the population dropped even lower – to 13 – after they railway removed the last section crews for good. The bunkhouse remained open for occasional use. The post office closed in 1966 and store in 1968. By 1971 Tomiko was completely empty. Today only three original homes remain. The new station, built in the 1940s, still stands and is used occasionally as a bunkhouse.