City of Dryden

Dryden’s Francophone community is small but mighty. The fact that the community is only 6% Francophone has not stopped the local community from forming a French social club whose goal is to keep the culture, language and French heritage alive in Dryden.

This city can also boast having a French Catholic elementary school, an incredible advantage for official language minority communities living in remote areas. The school acts as a stronghold and an incubator for French culture in the everyday life of Drydenites.

Against all odds, French-speakers in Dryden continue to speak their mother tongue, and like in many other communities in the NWO region, one can always find a French-speaker hidden in a local business or organization who is more than willing to serve you in this beautiful language.

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 Living

Where Families, businesses and nature grow together

If you are looking for a place to call home, then look no further than Dryden. We’re a small city surrounded by forests and lakes and topped off with the Northern Lights. You may think you’ve moved to a wonder land. With affordable real estate and room to play, you can make your dreams come true in Dryden.

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Homes

Housing is both affordable and varied by location. Your choices include waterfront homes, rural properties and detached homes in the heart of the community. Here a home is affordable on one wage. To give you and an idea follow the links to local real estate listings.

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Healthcare

The Dryden Regional Health Centre (DRHC) operates as an accredited active community hospital with 41 beds. Services are provided with 31 active care beds and 10 rehab/chronic care beds. Acute services include general medicine, general surgery, critical care, paediatrics and obstetrics. Visiting surgeons provide gynaecology, orthopaedics and ENT services. Specialty clinics include dermatology, gerontology, gynaecology, cardiology, paediatrics, internal medicine, oncology, orthopaedics, radiology, rheumatology, ENT and psychiatry. Telemedicine is offered on site by a variety of specialists, as well as continuing education opportunities. Dryden is home to a variety of other Health Services including: dentists, optometrists, physiotherapists, chiropractors and registered massage therapists.

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Shopping

As a service and commercial hub to the region's population of 35,000.  Dryden is home to many independent shops, chain stores and restaurants.

Services & Telecommunications

Dryden is home to the services that people in many parts of the world have come to expect.  These included cellular (mobile) service, hi-speed internet access, water, waste water, electricity and natural gas.  In addition Dryden is served by its own Police Force as well as Ontario Provincial Police.  Our Fire service has 2 locations in Dryden.

Check out this link for a list of other services offered by the City of Dryden.

Looking for any of these services?  See the New Residents section below.

Looking for Services:
Working 

With a short or non existent commute you will find more time in the day to pursue your other passions and to spend with family and friends. Our more relaxed pace of work and less stressful way of life will leave you with more energy to do what you enjoy doing. Connect with the people you work with. They’re not strangers to you. In fact, they may even be your next door neighbour. Living and working here is much different, and we think much better, than living and working in a large urban centre.

Looking for help finding work?

Other sites you can check out for jobs
Learning 

Public school building

Dryden is served by Keewatin-Patricia District School Board, The Northwest Catholic District School Board and the Conseil Scolaire de District Catholique des Aurores boréales. Dryden is home to 6 elementary schools for Grades JK – 8 and Dryden High School for Grades 9-12, with caring staff who are fully invested in their student’s education. All these are within walking distance of most homes.

Post secondary education is offered through the Confederation College of Applied Arts & Technology who operate a campus in Dryden which offers many programs - full and part time, as well as evening courses. The office of Contact North, a distance education program, delivers courses from Confederation College, Lakehead University and other post secondary institutions from across Ontario. Course delivery is through independent courses, teleconferencing and/or video conferencing.

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Doing Business 

Industry and business investment will find an ideal place to grow in Dryden. The solid economic base of the exploration and mining, renewable energy, manufacturing, agriculture and tourism, provide a strong foundation for diverse business opportunities including innovative partnerships with our neighbouring First Nation communities.

Dryden offers ample opportunities and incentives to launch a new business or to relocate an existing one. Tax rates, and land costs are low, with no development charges, and the resource base is rich. The City is partnering with the private sector in a major community revitalization initiative to entice new development and activity in the municipality. Dryden serves as the region's financial, accounting, real estate, healthcare and transportation hub.

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Playing 

There is certainly no shortage of things to do in Dryden. You will find year round sports and entertainment for the whole family. Dryden is known for its diverse culture and outdoor adventures. Its beautiful parks, hiking trails and sandy beaches provide a wonderful opportunity for boating, swimming, windsurfing, and biking. Fishing and hunting are right on your doorstep with so many lakes that you can fish a different one everyday for a year. We also boast 3 golf courses with such affordable green fees that you can play every day. Enjoy the Pool & Fitness centre and learn to scuba dive. Or why not enjoy a night out at the Sunset Drive-In movie theatre.

In the colder months, our pine filled forests provide skiers, boarders, snowmobilers and outdoor adventurists with miles to discover. We have snowmobile trails that stretch west to the border with Manitoba and south to the border with the USA and beyond. Experience ice-fishing, snowshoeing, skating, pond-hockey or try your hand at kite skiing.If you want to stay in the warm then there is the Cinema 86 movie theatre and many restaurants and bars to enjoy a night out with friends, or to make new ones. There is something for everyone in Dryden.

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Organizations

Dryden boasts a wide variety of clubs and organizations.If there isn’t a formal club there may be an informal group of like minded people who share your interest. You can even start a group of your own. It’s straightforward and we are always interested in new things to learn and do.

Here are some links to learn more about our many local clubs and organizations.

Here is a listing of local churches and places of worship.
 New Residents

Dryden Ambassador Program - New to the community? Need help?The Ambassador Program volunteers are passionate and dedicated residents of Dryden who have received SuperHost certification. We are ready to assist you in finding what you need. Let us be your guides. We offer information and services to help you get settled in the community and find the things you need.

We can take you on a personalized guided tour of the City or answer questions and find information to help you get set up in your new home.  If you would like to visit in person, a qualified Travel Counsellor is available at our Visitor Centre located beside our 18 ft tall Mascot “Max the Moose” on Highway 17 to answer your questions.

The Ambassadors have a Facebook page and you can email us or a resident of Dryden with any questions you may have. To find us on Facebook type in Destination Dryden Ambassador Program in your “search for friends” box.

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Testimonials 

Andrea James

I moved to Dryden in 2007, after accepting a transfer. I moved from a small town in New Brunswick, and felt very much at home once I got here. Moving here was great for me, I was looking for a change and I found it. Northwestern Ontario is a unique place, so full of culture and community. I enjoy the many things that the Dryden area has to offer, fishing almost year round, the beautiful beaches and lakes in the summer, and the great walking trails that are in the city. The People of Dryden and the Deer are both friendly.

Robin & Kim Earl

Robin and Kim recently moved to Dryden from the UK.  We decided to move to Canada 4 years previous to our actual move.   Robin was offered a position with 3 choices of where we were to go.  Winnipeg, Regina and Dryden.  Neither of us are big city people (although we lived in the Greater London area over 20 years) and after reading up on our 3 options, Dryden was the outright winner for us.  The location, the community and a great place to start a family were all factors in our decision to move here. We couldn’t be happier with our decision.  The people have been welcoming and friendly.  It’s a small city with a close community.  Everyone still looks out for everyone else and the chance to experience all the wonderful things Northwestern Ontario has to offer and all right on our doorstep, we still can’t believe how lucky we are to be here.
 Where We Are
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