Once known for gold mining, today this 7,500 resident town’s main are working in the pulp, paper, lumber manufacturing and high-quality printing industries. Dryden has its own modern airport and is surrounded by forests and lakes, making it an ideal place for anyone who loves to fish, hunt, golf, ski, or snowmobile. The town, on the shores of Wabigoon Lake, is home to the Dryden Stock Car Races as well as a cinema and drive-in theater.
The town was founded in 1895 by provincial agriculture minister John Dryden (1840-1909)when he opened an experimental farm on nearby Wabigoon Lake.
Dryden is the second-largest city in the Kenora District of Northwestern Ontario, and is the smallest community in the province of Ontario designated as a city. Dryden and Kenora are the only cities in Ontario located in the Central Time Zone.
Dryden Attractions
Aviation and Fire Management Centre
95 Ghost Lake Rd, PO Box 850, Dryden, ON P8N 2Z5
5 km east on Highway 501, just before the airport
807-937-7350 Fax: 807-937-7349
Tours include viewing the fleet of fire detection aircraft including the CL-215 amphibious water bomber, the only aircraft in the world specially made for firefighting.
Dryden and District Museum
15 Van Horne Ave, Dryden, ON P8N 2A5
(807) 223-4671
Numerous pioneer and Indian artifacts dating back as early as the 1800’s to present day.
Elgi’s Sheep Farm
20km west on Highway 17 at Minnitaki.
20232 ON-17, Minnitaki, ON P0V 2E0
1-800-465-2966
Tours available of the working farm and manufacturing facilities. Take in the farm show, which includes sheep shearing and sheep dogs in action. The farm is also home to Canada’s largest wool and sheepskin specialty shop. Minutes away you can visit the Oxdrift Wild Game Farm offering tours of exotic wildlife, from llamas to reindeer.
Maximillian the Moose
Highway 17, near the Dryden Information Centre.
Visit Max, the town mascot who stands 6 meters high and weighs 9 tons.