The river has played an important and continuous role in the local economy from the days of the fur trade, through the timbering era, and now contributes to the tourism industry.

Numerous people have attempted to explain the rationale for the name "Spanish" in what was once historically part of New France.

According to local legends a French Jesuit Father was travelling in the area in the 1700s and encountered a Spanish speaking woman with children.

Another variant of the story has it that it was in fact a Spaniard who had fled the Spain-controlled lower Mississippi Valley during the fur trade days and had taken refuge along the North Shore and married into a local Ojibway community.

John McBean, HBC Factor at the La Cloche Trading Post recorded the name Eskimanetigon in his map of 1824.

The earliest version of the Spanish Indian Residential Schools was originally a log cabin in Wiikwemkoong, Manitoulin Island from 1850 to 1911.

Reverend Joseph Sauve and Father Paquin undertook to build, design and supervise construction.

The Spanish Public Library offers a variety of services for the local community and travelling tourists.

The library has an extensive children's section, access to high speed internet, fax machine, photocopier, and a wide range of books and magazines.

The annual concert was cancelled in June 2017 due to low ticket sales, especially in light of the events taking place to celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary.

Ontario Northland provides intercity motor coach service to Spanish as a stop along its Sault Ste.