Lake Temagami
Encyclopedia
Lake Temagami, formerly spelt as Lake Timagami, is a lake
in Nipissing District
in northeastern Ontario
, Canada, situated approximately 80 km north of North Bay
. The lake's name comes from Te-mee-ay-gaming, which means "deep water by the shore" in the Ojibwa language
.
is located at the end of the northeast arm of the lake. It extends almost 50 km from north to south and about 35 km from east to west. There are approximately 1,259 islands, the largest of which is Temagami Island
. The lake's outflow is the Temagami River
which in turn flows into the Sturgeon River. A number of peninsulas are associated with the lake, such as the McLean
, Cynthia
and Joan
peninsulas.
The lands surrounding the lake are part of the Canadian Shield
, one of the largest single exposure of Precambrian
rocks in the world which were formed after the Earth's crust cooled. Part of Lake Temagami lies in the Temagami Magnetic Anomaly
, an egg shaped geologic structure stretching from Lake Wanapitei
in the west to Bear Island
. It has striking similarities to the Sudbury Basin
, which is one of the richest mining camps in the world. The hills in the Temagami area are remnants of the oldest mountain range
s in North America
, that date back during the Precambrian
era. These enormous mountains were taller than any that exist today. The uplifting was accomplished as enormous pressure caused the earth to buckle in a process called folding
. Other processes, such as volcanic activity and geologic fault
ing in which the earth cracks open also contributed to the formation of these mountains. Over millions of years, these enormous mountains were gradually eroded to the land we know it today in Temagami.
The rocks that form Temagami to this day are igneous, metamorphic
and sedimentary
. The area has good potential to host diamond
iferous kimberlite
s and more diamond bearing kimberlites may continue to be discovered in the area. The Temagami area also contains some pillow lava
about 2 billion years old, indicating that great submarine volcano
es existed during the early stages of the formation of the Earth
's crust
.
The northeast arm of Lake Temagami is underlain by a strong fault zone of sheared felsic
to intermediate metavolcanic rock
s that is approximately 1200 m (3,937 ft) wide. This fault zone, known as the Northeast Arm Deformation Zone
, and the associated metavolcanic rocks are associated with the Temagami greenstone belt
, an Archean
greenstone belt
characterized by felsic
-mafic
volcanic rock
s.
Lake Temagami and its surrounding lakes provide endless opportunities for canoe camping
. There are over 2,000 km of interconnecting canoe routes.
The region contains some of the largest remaining stands of old growth red
and white pine
forests in Ontario.
In 1834, the Hudson's Bay Company
opened a fur trading
post on the lake, which operated during the 19th century. The Forest Reserves Act of 1898 established the Temagami Forest Reserve on the shores and adjacent lands of the lake in 1901. It was created to reserve the forests for future logging by restricting settlement. In 1904 it was increased to 15000 km² (5,791.5 sq mi). As a result of this reserve, the building of cottage
s and resort
s was only permitted on the lake's islands. This restriction is still in force today. Lake Temagami is popular for cottage vacationing: the number of cottages on Lake Temagami are estimated between 630 and 746. In addition there are 9 youth camps
, and 12 commercial lodges.
Keewaydin Canoe Camp is based on Devil's Island
, in the shadow of Devil's Mountain and across from Granny's Bay in the northern section of the lake. Keeywaydin, founded in 1892, is one of several camps on Lake Temagami whose focus is on wilderness canoe trips using traditional equipment such as cedar and canvas canoes and wannigans. Since it began running trips in Ontario in 1902, it is the earliest known private business on Temagami besides for the HBC
post on Bear Island. Camp Wigwasati, on the southwest arm, began running canoe trips in the Temagami wilderness in 1930. Wigwasati is now known as Camp Temagami. A few kilometers south of Keeywaydin, Camp Wabun has run canoe trips in the area since 1933. Keeywaydin, Temagami and Wabun were boys camps when founded but have since all become co-ed. Appleby College
's northern campus is located on Rabbit Nose island, opened in the mid 1970s it provides a launching point for their Northward Bound program which takes place in January, February, May and June.
A copper mine opened on Temagami Island
in 1954 called Copperfield's Mine
. It produced 34,000,000 dollar
s Canadian and was considered to mine
the purest copper ore in Canada
. The mine closed in 1972.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in Nipissing District
Nipissing District, Ontario
Nipissing District, Ontario is a district in Northeastern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. It was created in 1858. The district seat is North Bay.In 2006, the population was 84,688...
in 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, situated approximately 80 km north of North Bay
North Bay, Ontario
North Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...
. The lake's name comes from Te-mee-ay-gaming, which means "deep water by the shore" in the Ojibwa language
Ojibwe language
Ojibwe , also called Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of the Algonquian language family. Ojibwe is characterized by a series of dialects that have local names and frequently local writing systems...
.
Geography
The lake is irregularly shaped with long north, northeast and southwest arms, shorter northwest and south arms and several smaller bays. The town of TemagamiTemagami, Ontario
Temagami, formerly spelt as Timagami, is a region and a municipality in northeastern Ontario, Canada, in the District of Nipissing with Lake Temagami at its heart....
is located at the end of the northeast arm of the lake. It extends almost 50 km from north to south and about 35 km from east to west. There are approximately 1,259 islands, the largest of which is Temagami Island
Temagami Island
Temagami Island, formerly spelt as Timagami Island, is an island in Lake Temagami in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the largest island within the lake, with Bear Island coming second. The island has many hiking trails that lead into the old-growth forest that is a mix of large white and red...
. The lake's outflow is the Temagami River
Temagami River
The Temagami River, formerly spelled as Timagami River, is a river in the Nipissing District of Ontario, Canada, west of the community of Marten River in the Temagami region. Its source is Lake Temagami and flows through Red Cedar Lake. It is well known for its outstanding whitewater stretches...
which in turn flows into the Sturgeon River. A number of peninsulas are associated with the lake, such as the McLean
McLean Peninsula
The McLean Peninsula is a peninsula in Northeastern Ontario, Canada, situated at the southern end of Lake Temagami. It is the largest portion of land entirely surrounded by Lake Temagami and is connected to the mainland in the south by an isthmus....
, Cynthia
Cynthia Peninsula
The Cynthia Peninsula is a peninsula in Northeastern Ontario, Canada, situated at the northern end of Lake Temagami. It has a north-south trend surrounded by two portions of Lake Temagami; Ferguson Bay to the east and the North Arm to the west...
and Joan
Joan Peninsula
The Joan Peninsula is a peninsula in Northeastern Ontario, Canada, situated in the central portion of Lake Temagami. It is surrounded by three portions of Lake Temagami; Granny Bay to the north, the Northwest Arm to the west and another arm of Lake Temagami to the east that connects with Granny Bay...
peninsulas.
The lands surrounding the lake are part of the Canadian Shield
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien , is a vast geological shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American or Laurentia craton. It is an area mostly composed of igneous rock which relates to its long volcanic history...
, one of the largest single exposure of Precambrian
Precambrian
The Precambrian is the name which describes the large span of time in Earth's history before the current Phanerozoic Eon, and is a Supereon divided into several eons of the geologic time scale...
rocks in the world which were formed after the Earth's crust cooled. Part of Lake Temagami lies in the Temagami Magnetic Anomaly
Temagami Magnetic Anomaly
The Temagami Magnetic Anomaly, also called the Temagami Anomaly or the Wanapitei Anomaly, is a large buried geologic structure in Ontario, Canada, stretching from Lake Wanapitei in the west to Bear Island in Lake Temagami....
, an egg shaped geologic structure stretching from Lake Wanapitei
Lake Wanapitei
Lake Wanapitei occupies a meteorite crater in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. It is located near the large Sudbury meteorite crater but is not related to it....
in the west to Bear Island
Bear Island (Lake Temagami)
Bear Island is an island in Lake Temagami of Northeastern Ontario, Canada. With an area of , it is the seconed largest island in Lake Temagami after Temagami Island...
. It has striking similarities to the Sudbury Basin
Sudbury Basin
The Sudbury Basin, also known as Sudbury Structure or the Sudbury Nickel Irruptive, is a major geologic structure in Ontario, Canada. It is the second-largest known impact crater or astrobleme on Earth, as well as one of the oldest....
, which is one of the richest mining camps in the world. The hills in the Temagami area are remnants of the oldest mountain range
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
s in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, that date back during the Precambrian
Precambrian
The Precambrian is the name which describes the large span of time in Earth's history before the current Phanerozoic Eon, and is a Supereon divided into several eons of the geologic time scale...
era. These enormous mountains were taller than any that exist today. The uplifting was accomplished as enormous pressure caused the earth to buckle in a process called folding
Fold (geology)
The term fold is used in geology when one or a stack of originally flat and planar surfaces, such as sedimentary strata, are bent or curved as a result of permanent deformation. Synsedimentary folds are those due to slumping of sedimentary material before it is lithified. Folds in rocks vary in...
. Other processes, such as volcanic activity and geologic fault
Geologic fault
In geology, a fault is a planar fracture or discontinuity in a volume of rock, across which there has been significant displacement along the fractures as a result of earth movement. Large faults within the Earth's crust result from the action of tectonic forces...
ing in which the earth cracks open also contributed to the formation of these mountains. Over millions of years, these enormous mountains were gradually eroded to the land we know it today in Temagami.
The rocks that form Temagami to this day are igneous, metamorphic
Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". The protolith is subjected to heat and pressure causing profound physical and/or chemical change...
and sedimentary
Sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rock are types of rock that are formed by the deposition of material at the Earth's surface and within bodies of water. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause mineral and/or organic particles to settle and accumulate or minerals to precipitate from a solution....
. The area has good potential to host diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
iferous kimberlite
Kimberlite
Kimberlite is a type of potassic volcanic rock best known for sometimes containing diamonds. It is named after the town of Kimberley in South Africa, where the discovery of an diamond in 1871 spawned a diamond rush, eventually creating the Big Hole....
s and more diamond bearing kimberlites may continue to be discovered in the area. The Temagami area also contains some pillow lava
Pillow lava
Pillow lavas are lavas that contain characteristic pillow-shaped structures that are attributed to the extrusion of the lava under water, or subaqueous extrusion. Pillow lavas in volcanic rock are characterized by thick sequences of discontinuous pillow-shaped masses, commonly up to one metre in...
about 2 billion years old, indicating that great submarine volcano
Submarine volcano
Submarine volcanoes are underwater fissures in the Earth's surface from which magma can erupt. They are estimated to account for 75% of annual magma output. The vast majority are located near areas of tectonic plate movement, known as ocean ridges...
es existed during the early stages of the formation of the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
's crust
Crust (geology)
In geology, the crust is the outermost solid shell of a rocky planet or natural satellite, which is chemically distinct from the underlying mantle...
.
The northeast arm of Lake Temagami is underlain by a strong fault zone of sheared felsic
Felsic
The word "felsic" is a term used in geology to refer to silicate minerals, magma, and rocks which are enriched in the lighter elements such as silicon, oxygen, aluminium, sodium, and potassium....
to intermediate metavolcanic rock
Metavolcanic rock
In geology, metavolcanic rock is a type of metamorphic rock. Such a rock was first produced by a volcano, either as lava or tephra. Then, the rock was buried underneath subsequent rock and was subjected to high pressures and temperatures, causing the rock to recrystallize...
s that is approximately 1200 m (3,937 ft) wide. This fault zone, known as the Northeast Arm Deformation Zone
Northeast Arm Deformation Zone
The Northeast Arm Deformation Zone, also known as the Northeast Arm Zone of Deformation, is a zone of deformation in Strathcona Township of Temagami, Ontario, Canada. It extends along the northeast arm of Lake Temagami. The Link Lake Deformation Zone just to the north is interpreted to be an...
, and the associated metavolcanic rocks are associated with the Temagami greenstone belt
Temagami greenstone belt
The Temagami greenstone belt, also known as the Temagami volcanic belt and the Temagami metavolcanic belt, is a small 2.7 billion year old greenstone belt in the Temagami region of Northeastern Ontario, Canada...
, an Archean
Archean
The Archean , also spelled Archeozoic or Archæozoic) is a geologic eon before the Paleoproterozoic Era of the Proterozoic Eon, before 2.5 Ga ago. Instead of being based on stratigraphy, this date is defined chronometrically...
greenstone belt
Greenstone belt
Greenstone belts are zones of variably metamorphosed mafic to ultramafic volcanic sequences with associated sedimentary rocks that occur within Archaean and Proterozoic cratons between granite and gneiss bodies....
characterized by felsic
Felsic
The word "felsic" is a term used in geology to refer to silicate minerals, magma, and rocks which are enriched in the lighter elements such as silicon, oxygen, aluminium, sodium, and potassium....
-mafic
Mafic
Mafic is an adjective describing a silicate mineral or rock that is rich in magnesium and iron; the term is a portmanteau of the words "magnesium" and "ferric". Most mafic minerals are dark in color and the relative density is greater than 3. Common rock-forming mafic minerals include olivine,...
volcanic rock
Volcanic rock
Volcanic rock is a rock formed from magma erupted from a volcano. In other words, it is an igneous rock of volcanic origin...
s.
Lake Temagami and its surrounding lakes provide endless opportunities for canoe camping
Canoe camping
Canoe camping is a combination of canoeing and camping. It is similar to backpacking, but canoe campers travel by canoes or kayaks...
. There are over 2,000 km of interconnecting canoe routes.
The region contains some of the largest remaining stands of old growth red
Red Pine
Pinus resinosa, commonly known as the red pine or Norway pine, is pine native to North America. The Red Pine occurs from Newfoundland west to Manitoba, and south to Pennsylvania, with several smaller, disjunct populations occurring in the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia and West Virginia, as well...
and white pine
Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus, commonly known as the eastern white pine, is a large pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and southeastern Manitoba, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to the northern edge of Georgia.It is occasionally known as simply white pine,...
forests in Ontario.
History
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...
opened a fur trading
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
post on the lake, which operated during the 19th century. The Forest Reserves Act of 1898 established the Temagami Forest Reserve on the shores and adjacent lands of the lake in 1901. It was created to reserve the forests for future logging by restricting settlement. In 1904 it was increased to 15000 km² (5,791.5 sq mi). As a result of this reserve, the building of cottage
Cottage
__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
s and resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
s was only permitted on the lake's islands. This restriction is still in force today. Lake Temagami is popular for cottage vacationing: the number of cottages on Lake Temagami are estimated between 630 and 746. In addition there are 9 youth camps
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
, and 12 commercial lodges.
Keewaydin Canoe Camp is based on Devil's Island
Devil's Island (Lake Temagami)
Devil's Island is an island located on the north arm of Lake Temagami, in Ontario, Canada. Keewaydin Canoe Camp is based on Devil's Island, in the shadow of Devil's Mountain and across from Granny's Bay in the northern section of the lake...
, in the shadow of Devil's Mountain and across from Granny's Bay in the northern section of the lake. Keeywaydin, founded in 1892, is one of several camps on Lake Temagami whose focus is on wilderness canoe trips using traditional equipment such as cedar and canvas canoes and wannigans. Since it began running trips in Ontario in 1902, it is the earliest known private business on Temagami besides for the HBC
HBC
- Medical terminology :*Hepatitis B virus#Genome, the Hepatitis B core protein*Hemoglobin C*Hormonal contraception , hormonal methods for preventing pregnancy- Companies and organizations :...
post on Bear Island. Camp Wigwasati, on the southwest arm, began running canoe trips in the Temagami wilderness in 1930. Wigwasati is now known as Camp Temagami. A few kilometers south of Keeywaydin, Camp Wabun has run canoe trips in the area since 1933. Keeywaydin, Temagami and Wabun were boys camps when founded but have since all become co-ed. Appleby College
Appleby College
Appleby College is an international independent school located in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, founded in 1911 by John Guest, a former Headmaster of the Preparatory School at Upper Canada College...
's northern campus is located on Rabbit Nose island, opened in the mid 1970s it provides a launching point for their Northward Bound program which takes place in January, February, May and June.
Temagami Island
Temagami Island, formerly spelt as Timagami Island, is an island in Lake Temagami in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the largest island within the lake, with Bear Island coming second. The island has many hiking trails that lead into the old-growth forest that is a mix of large white and red...
in 1954 called Copperfield's Mine
Copperfield's Mine
Copperfields Mine, originally known as Temagami Mine, is an abandoned underground and surface mine on Temagami Island in Lake Temagami that opened in 1954 in a sulfide ore body. Situated in Phyllis Township, the mine produced 34,000,000 dollars Canadian with 80 million pounds of copper, 230,028...
. It produced 34,000,000 dollar
Dollar
The dollar is the name of the official currency of many countries, including Australia, Belize, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States.-Etymology:...
s Canadian and was considered to mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
the purest copper ore in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The mine closed in 1972.