Ottawa River

This is about the river in Canada. For other uses, see Ottawa River (disambiguation)

History

This river was an important trade route for the Algonquin people, who called it Kitchissippi, "Great River". Some early European explorers, possibly considering the Ottawa River to be more significant than the Upper Saint Lawrence, applied the name River Canada to the Ottawa River and the Saint Lawrence River below the confluence at Montreal. As the extent of the Great Lakes became clear and the river began to be regarded as a tributary, it was variously known as the Grand River or Great River before the present name was settled upon.

Related Topics:
Algonquin - Great Lakes

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In 1615, Samuel de Champlain and Étienne Brûlé, assisted by Algonquin guides, were the first Europeans to travel up the Ottawa River and follow the water route west to Georgian Bay that would be used by French fur traders for the next two centuries.

Related Topics:
1615 - Samuel de Champlain - Étienne Brûlé - Georgian Bay - French - Fur trade

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In the early 19th century, the Ottawa River and its tributaries were used to gain access to large untouched forests of white pine. A booming trade in timber developed and large rafts of logs were floated down the river. In 1832, the Ottawa River was connected to Lake Ontario via the construction of the Rideau Canal.

Related Topics:
19th century - White pine - 1832 - Lake Ontario - Rideau Canal

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A number of hydroelectric dams have been constructed on this river. However, it is still extensively used for recreational boating.

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Communities along the Ottawa River include:

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• Notre-Dame-du-Nord, Quebec
• Ville-Marie, Quebec
• Témiscaming, Quebec
• Mattawa, Ontario
• Deep River, Ontario
• Petawawa, Ontario
• Pembroke, Ontario
• Waltham, Quebec
• Fort-Coulonge, Quebec
• Portage-du-Fort, Quebec
• Braeside, Ontario
• Arnprior, Ontario
• Quyon, Quebec
• Aylmer, Quebec
• Hull, Quebec
• Ottawa, Ontario
• Gatineau, Quebec
• Orleans, Ontario
• Angers, Quebec
• Masson, Quebec
• Rockland, Ontario
• Thurso, Quebec
• Plasance, Quebec
• Papineauville, Quebec
• Montebello, Quebec
• Fassett, Quebec
• L'Orignal, Ontario
• Grenville, Quebec
• Hawkesbury, Ontario
• Saint-André-Est, Quebec
• Rigaud, Quebec
• Saint-Placide, Quebec
• Hudson, Quebec
• Oka, Quebec
• Vaudreuil-sur-le-lac, Quebec
• Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec
• Pincourt, Quebec
• Pointe-des-Cascades, Quebec