"CANOE ROUTES TO THE WEST" - Mattawa - Ontario Provincial Plaques on Waymarking.com

Mattawa is an Algonquian word meaning “junction of waterways”. For the First Nations, the Mattawa River was a vital transportation corridor. Travelled by Etienne Brulé and Samuel de Champlain in 1610 and 1615, Europeans adopted it to access the Canadian interior. During the fur trade, west-bound voyageurs left the Ottawa River here at Mattawa. Travelling "the forks”, they faced 11 portages in the next 40 miles. It was considered by many to be the most difficult portion of the fur-trade route.

When the fur trade diminished and logging began in the 19th century, the route provided valuable access to white pine, adding to the Mattawa’s commercial importance. In 1881, the railway was built to Mattawa, bringing the river’s importance as a commercial route to an end. Today, it remains a popular canoe route for recreational paddlers.

[blockquote]The text on the plaque reads:
"Here, when the canoe was the porincipal means of travel, explorers, voyageurs, missionaries and others bound for the West, left the Ottawa River and followed the Mattawa River to Lake Nipissing, French River and the upper Great Lakes. For over 200 years, the Mattawa River formed part of the route linking the St. Lawrence River settlementds with the vast interior of the continent. Among the historic figures who passed here were: Samuel de Champlain, 1615, Jean Nicolet, 1620, fathers Brébeuf, 1626, and Lalement, 1648, Radisson and Groseillers, 1685, La Vérandrye, 1731, Sir Alexander McKenzie, 1794, and David Thompson, 1812." [/blockquote]

Address or location of plaque: in the park near the War Memorial at the corner of Main and Water Street Physical location of plaque: Park "Ontario Plaques" Website for this "Plaque": [Web Link] Description of any physical remains at site of "Historical Plaque": plaque is visible; no physical remains This 'Plaque' describes: A 'Location' Condition of sign: very good Is this a bilingual sign?: Yes ! What is the second/third language?: français A web-site for more details.: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   10/05/2022 The Burrow visited it 03/30/2021 Timo Explorer visited it 07/16/2017 ve0mow visited it 05/26/2014 libkin visited it 05/26/2014 SweetPea57 visited it

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