Historical Notes

The original Marten Falls settlement area was located near the site of one of the first inland Hudson's Bay Company trading posts, established in the 1600s. The boundaries of the Marten Falls reserve were fixed at a location opposite the trading post and were fully described in the Schedule of Reserves contained in the James Bay Treaty of 1905 - Treaty No. 9. The Marten Falls people also traded regularly at Fort Albany during the early 1900s. In 1922 the reserve relocated to its present site near the Town of Ogoki, approximately 65 km west of Marten Falls.

Industries

Almost half of the labour force is involved in government service industries, with the rest divided almost equally amongst construction, transportation, communications and other utility industries, trade industries, and non-government service activities. Local industries include a department store and a sawmill for local purposes.

Educational Facilities

Elementary

• Henry Coaster Memorial School, K-8 (federally operated)

Secondary

• students board in Thunder Bay

Community Services and Facilities

• one Roman Catholic and one Anglican church
• community hall, pool hall, skating rink
• health clinic with nursing assistant
• fly-in courts are held two to three times per year
• Child and Family Services worker provided through Tikinagan Child and Family Services in Sioux Lookout
• Ontario First Nations Policing Arrangements - one constable
• O.P.P. Geraldton Detachment

Communications

• telephone - Bell Canada
• radio - community radio station
• newspapers - Wawatay News
• television - TVOntario, community satellite dish

Utilities

• water - water main system with partial chlorination treatment facility; also six community wells
• sewage - septic system
• other waste - refuse site on reserve
• energy/electricity - diesel generator