Harricana River
Encyclopedia
The Harricana River is a river in western Quebec
and northeastern Ontario
, Canada. It is 533 kilometres (331.2 mi) long, has a drainage area of 29300 square kilometres (11,312.8 sq mi), and has a mean discharge of 570 m³/s (745 yd³/s) . While 80% of its drainage area is in Quebec , the river flows for a short distance through Ontario before it ends in Hannah Bay
off James Bay
.
Because of its undeveloped nature, easy upstream access, and the possibility to paddle to and take out at Moosonee
, the Harricana River is popular for canoeing
trips to James Bay.
, one more significant lake follows: Lake Obalski.
North of Amos the river crosses lush boreal forests, where extensive logging
takes place. Toward its mouth at Hannah Bay, the forest gradually decreases and is replaced with many wetlands. Here the Harricana has considerable speed and a flat relief, flowing through undeveloped wilderness.
As a tributary of the James bay, and thus of the Hudson Bay, the Harricana River and its basin were part of Rupert's Land
, de facto property of the Hudson's Bay Company
by exclusive charter of 1670. But not until 1801, Alexander MacKenzie mapped the entire route of the river for the first time and identified it by name Harricanaw. In 1835, the map of Bradford called it Harricana. The Rupert's Land Act 1868 transferred the river and its basin to the Dominion of Canada and was officially annexed to the Province of Quebec in 1898. Thereafter colonization and settlement on the upper Harricana began in earnest.
In 1906, Henry O' Sullivan explored the shores of Harricana and in 1908, the first camps were established on its banks at the rapids. These were provisioning camps for the transcontinental railroad construction. A few years later, in 1910, the first colonists arrive and found the town of Amos at the place where the railroad crosses the river.
word Nanikana, meaning "the main way" or "Biscuit River", depending on the source. Biscuit refers to the unusual flat stones, sand, limestone and clay concretions, which are found in the river, called Pierres de fée or "fairy stones."
Through history various spellings have been reported: anâkona (Algonquin), uhnahkoonah (Ojibway) and ayukoona'w (cree). The Algonquins also use the name Inikana, meaning "river route". A segment of the river was called Wajaha Sibi, which means "river to the bay".
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and northeastern Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada. It is 533 kilometres (331.2 mi) long, has a drainage area of 29300 square kilometres (11,312.8 sq mi), and has a mean discharge of 570 m³/s (745 yd³/s) . While 80% of its drainage area is in Quebec , the river flows for a short distance through Ontario before it ends in Hannah Bay
Southern James Bay
Southern James Bay is a Canadian coastal wetland complex in northeastern Ontario bordering James Bay and Quebec. It was designated as a wetland of international importance via the Ramsar Convention on May 27, 1987...
off James Bay
James Bay
James Bay is a large body of water on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. Both bodies of water extend from the Arctic Ocean. James Bay borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario; islands within the bay are part of Nunavut...
.
Because of its undeveloped nature, easy upstream access, and the possibility to paddle to and take out at Moosonee
Moosonee, Ontario
Moosonee is a town in northern Ontario, Canada, on the Moose River approximately south of James Bay. It is considered as "the Gateway to the Arctic" and has Ontario's only saltwater port...
, the Harricana River is popular for canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
trips to James Bay.
Geography
The Harricana originates at Lac Blouin just north of Val-d'Or. From here De Montigny and Lemoine Lakes add to it before it flows through a series of lakes such as Malartic, La Motte, and Figuery Lakes. After flowing through the town of AmosAmos, Quebec
Amos is a ville in northwestern Quebec, Canada, on the Harricana River. It is the seat of Abitibi Regional County Municipality.Amos is the main city on the Harricana River, and the smallest of the three primary cities — after Rouyn-Noranda and Val-d'Or — in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Quebec...
, one more significant lake follows: Lake Obalski.
North of Amos the river crosses lush boreal forests, where extensive logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
takes place. Toward its mouth at Hannah Bay, the forest gradually decreases and is replaced with many wetlands. Here the Harricana has considerable speed and a flat relief, flowing through undeveloped wilderness.
Tributaries
Notable tributaries of the Harricana River include (in downstream order):- Berry River
- Desboues River
- Miniac River
- Octave River
- Coigny River
- Plamondon River
- Samson River
- Turgeon River
- Theo River
- Wawagosic River
History
The Harricana was first used by the Algonquins as a river route.As a tributary of the James bay, and thus of the Hudson Bay, the Harricana River and its basin were part of Rupert's Land
Rupert's Land
Rupert's Land, or Prince Rupert's Land, was a territory in British North America, consisting of the Hudson Bay drainage basin that was nominally owned by the Hudson's Bay Company for 200 years from 1670 to 1870, although numerous aboriginal groups lived in the same territory and disputed the...
, de facto property of the Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
by exclusive charter of 1670. But not until 1801, Alexander MacKenzie mapped the entire route of the river for the first time and identified it by name Harricanaw. In 1835, the map of Bradford called it Harricana. The Rupert's Land Act 1868 transferred the river and its basin to the Dominion of Canada and was officially annexed to the Province of Quebec in 1898. Thereafter colonization and settlement on the upper Harricana began in earnest.
In 1906, Henry O' Sullivan explored the shores of Harricana and in 1908, the first camps were established on its banks at the rapids. These were provisioning camps for the transcontinental railroad construction. A few years later, in 1910, the first colonists arrive and found the town of Amos at the place where the railroad crosses the river.
Toponymy
The river's name originates from the AlgonquinAlgonquin language
Algonquin is either a distinct Algonquian language closely related to the Ojibwe language or a particularly divergent Ojibwe dialect. It is spoken, alongside French and to some extent English, by the Algonquin First Nations of Quebec and Ontario...
word Nanikana, meaning "the main way" or "Biscuit River", depending on the source. Biscuit refers to the unusual flat stones, sand, limestone and clay concretions, which are found in the river, called Pierres de fée or "fairy stones."
Through history various spellings have been reported: anâkona (Algonquin), uhnahkoonah (Ojibway) and ayukoona'w (cree). The Algonquins also use the name Inikana, meaning "river route". A segment of the river was called Wajaha Sibi, which means "river to the bay".