Bear Brook is a small creek in the Eastern Ontario

Eastern Ontario

Eastern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario which lies in a wedge-shaped area between the Ottawa River and St. Lawrence River...

 region, mostly located within the municipal boundaries of Ottawa

Ottawa

Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

 and Clarence–Rockland

Clarence–Rockland

Clarence-Rockland is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada, in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell on the Ottawa River. Clarence-Rockland is located immediately to the east of Ottawa and is considered part of Canada's National Capital Region in the census....

. It forms in the fields and forests just north of Edwards

Edwards, Ontario

Edwards is a village at the headwaters of Bear Brook in eastern Ontario, Canada. Edwards is within the City of Ottawa jurisdiction. Population: 531...

, and flows in a mostly eastern direction to its mouth in the South Nation River

South Nation River

The South Nation River is a river in Eastern Ontario, Canada. It springs from forests and marshes located north of Brockville and it flows 175 km northeast to empty into the Ottawa River north of Plantagenet...

. Communities along the brook include Edwards

Edwards, Ontario

Edwards is a village at the headwaters of Bear Brook in eastern Ontario, Canada. Edwards is within the City of Ottawa jurisdiction. Population: 531...

, Carlsbad Springs

Carlsbad Springs, Ontario

Carlsbad Springs is a community on Bear Brook in eastern Ontario, Canada; it is currently a part of the city of Ottawa.-Mineral Spa-Hotel Era: 1870–1930:This community outside of Canada's capital city of Ottawa was first known as Eastman's Springs...

, Bearbrook, Cheney, and Bourget

Bourget, Ontario

Bourget is a village in eastern Ontario, Canada, near the Cobbs Lake Creek, in the city of Clarence-Rockland in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell.It was named after Ignace Bourget, who was bishop of Montréal from 1841 to 1876....

.

In the mid 19th century, during the early days of colonization, the Bear Brook was used by loggers for floating timber

Log driving

Log driving is a means of log transport which makes use of a river's current to move floating tree trunks downstream to sawmills and pulp mills.It was the main transportation method of the early logging industry in Europe and North America...

 to sawmills, a few of which operated in Carlsbad Springs from 1854 to 1905. It was also used by settlers for transportation to their homestead

Homestead (buildings)

A homestead is either a single building, or collection of buildings grouped together on a large agricultural holding, such as a ranch, station or a large agricultural operation of some other designation.-See also:* Farm house* Homestead Act...

s. However the brook was too small and dry in the summer, and its use for transportation was quickly discontinued upon completion of Russell Road

Russell Road (Ontario)

Russell Road is a road in eastern Ontario, Canada.Russell Road originally ran from Montreal Road in Ottawa along the east bank of the Rideau River and then bent east where Tremblay Road is now, and then south and east until the border of Clarence Township, Ontario and the Township of Alfred and...

. All the surrounding mature forests have been logged, and consequently the brook drains faster.