elliot lake ontario

Ontario's most affordable town comes with a fire tower overlooking a beautiful lake

As if there weren't already countless reasons to escape the skyrocketing rent prices and wild traffic of Toronto, it turns out Ontario's most affordable city is also one of its most beautiful.

Elliot Lake, located between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie is constantly flexed on Instagram, making cities like Toronto and Vancouver jealous as it showed off the view off its fire tower, stunning lake and tree line among other features.

Despite a population of barely 10,000, Elliot Lake also boasts two beaches and a nearby wildlife sanctuary.

The whole thing sounds like a fantasy world and yet real estate listings in the area show some homes for as little as 100k.

The fire tower itself is simply named the Fire Tower Lookout and built to be a replica of a fire ranger's lookout station, providing a 360 degree view of lakes, forestry, and former mine sites.

Nearby is also the Ranger's Heritage Centre,  a cabin built to house the tower watchman and his wife in the 1950s. Alongside that are also a playground and a number of walking trails.

Elliot Lake is about a six hour drive from Toronto so if you're planning a visit, camping in nearby Mississagi Provincial Park or a cottage rental are decent options.

Lead photo by

Rishabh Dhingra


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