Moose Factory (Ont.)

Moose Factory is a community in the Cochrane District, Ontario, Canada. It is located on Moose Factory Island, near the mouth of the Moose River, which is at the southern end of James Bay. It was the first English-speaking settlement in lands now making up Ontario and the second Hudson's Bay Company post to be set up in North America after Fort Rupert. The settlement is mainly inhabited by the Moose Cree of Moose Cree First Nation, the northern two-thirds of the island being governed by the First Nation as the Factory Island 1 reserve. However, Weeneebayko General Hospital, which provides healthcare services to the people of the island and surrounding area, lies outside of the reserve lands and employs a diverse group of people. In all, the community has between 2,300 and 3,900 residents as of 2026. The term "factory" refers to the jurisdiction of a factor (a business agent or merchant in charge of buying or selling) of the Hudson's Bay Company.