north to safety. After the fire, the mill industry relocated. The population of Rainy River quickly declined from more than 2000 people to less than 800. No alternative economy was developed to support a larger population. The town of Rainy River pivoted industry to railway and hunting/fishing tourism. But the railroad and the growing hunting/fishing tourism industry have helped the town to survive. At one time it was the site of a rail round house and associated jobs. In the 1960s the Rainy River Boat company operated here, and in the 1970s Arctic Cat Apparel manufactured related clothing. The decline of these industries has affected the rural town. Demographics In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Rainy River had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. Government Federal representation The town is in the Canadian electoral district of Thunder Bay—Rainy River, which elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent it in Parliament. Don Rusnak, a member of the Liberal Party, was elected in 2015. City Mayor and Council The city is headed by Rainy River Mayor and six elected city councillors. Notable people Bronko Nagurski, Hall of fame NFL player James Arthur Mathieu, businessman and politician Angela Bulloch, sound and installation artist See also The Great Fire of 1910 SS Keenora (river ship) Ontario and Rainy River Railway References External links Municipalities in Rainy River District Single-tier municipalities in Ontario Towns in Ontario