Minnow Lake

Around 1883 when the railway reached Sudbury, a sawmill was built on the shore of Black Lake. We now call it Minnow Lake. Today the area of Minnow Lake is built up with many homes and businesses, but back in the 1880's it was all forested area.

The sawdust, slabs of wood and other reside formed a peninsula into the lake. Smelting methods destroyed much of the vegitation in the area and to this day the lake appears murky and coated in algaa.

A member of the French nobility, Count Nicholas Julian Frederic du Caillaud, owned much of the land in the Sudbury area. He owned Minnow Lake, Bell Park and Flour Mill areas. The Count would travel the world, but always visited Sudbury each summer. He wanted to retire in the area but died in 1919. At this time the Barry family took possession of the Minnow Lake property.

The two islands in Minnow Lake are named after the count. The large one is named Du Caillaud and the smaller is named Romanet.

The Barry family divided up their land into sections including what is now known as New Sudbury. You can imagine how much land they owned when you think of the size of New Sudbury spanning to Minnow Lake. The family opened the first post office and general store in Minnow Lake. The store is still standing today.

The Barry home, which was vacant when Mrs. Barry passed away in 1999 at the age of 89, is preserved as a historical site. It is currently used as an office.

Minnow Lake can be reached by following Howey Drive from downtown Sudbury, or by turning at the Tim Horton's on the Kingsway and following the street.

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