Métabetchouan River
Encyclopedia
The Metabetchouan River (French: Métabetchouane) is a tributary of Lac Saint-Jean
in the centre of the province of Quebec
, Canada
. It passes through the small town of Saint-André
, and ends at Desbiens
, where a cave called Le trou de la Fée is located. Its source are the Mâles and Bouteille Lakes in the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve and it is 128 kilometres (79.5 mi) long.
The river has been dam
med for hydroelectric power
. Now, it is also a tourist river with rafting, canoeing, and fishing opportunities. It is known for its reserve of fresh-water salmon
. In the region of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
, this fish is known as Ouananiche.
Its name is of Innu origin, but also appears to be part of the Cree and Algonquin languages. From the roots matabi and djiwan, it can be translated as "river that empties into a lake".
camp for thousands of years and the river itself was used as a route between Lake Saint-Jean and the Quebec City region. In 1647, Jean de Quen was the first European to visit the place but his report did not make mention of the river. Some two decades later in 1676, the first reference was made of this river as Metabeki8an in the second register of Tadoussac
. That same year, Jesuits established the Saint-Charles Mission at the river's mouth. In the mid 19th century, William Price
began logging along the length of the river and it was used for a long time for log driving
.
Lac Saint-Jean
Lac Saint-Jean is a large, relatively shallow lake in south-central Quebec, Canada, in the Laurentian Highlands. It is situated 206 kilometres north of the Saint Lawrence River, into which it drains via the Saguenay River. It covers an area of 1003 km² Lac Saint-Jean is a large, relatively...
in the centre of the province of Quebec
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....
, 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...
. It passes through the small town of Saint-André
Saint-André, Quebec
Saint-André is a municipality in the Canadian province of Quebec, located in the Kamouraska Regional County Municipality.-Municipal council:* Mayor: Gervais Darisse* Councillors: please insert info...
, and ends at Desbiens
Desbiens, Quebec
Desbiens is a ville in the Canadian province of Quebec, located in Lac-Saint-Jean-Est Regional County Municipality. It is on the shores of Lac Saint-Jean at the mouth of the Métabetchouane River.-Demographics:Population trend:...
, where a cave called Le trou de la Fée is located. Its source are the Mâles and Bouteille Lakes in the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve and it is 128 kilometres (79.5 mi) long.
The river has been dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
med for hydroelectric power
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
. Now, it is also a tourist river with rafting, canoeing, and fishing opportunities. It is known for its reserve of fresh-water salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
. In the region of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean is a region in Quebec, Canada. It contains the Saguenay Fjord, the estuary of the Saguenay River, stretching through much of the region...
, this fish is known as Ouananiche.
Its name is of Innu origin, but also appears to be part of the Cree and Algonquin languages. From the roots matabi and djiwan, it can be translated as "river that empties into a lake".
History
The mouth of the river may have been a seasonal InnuInnu
The Innu are the indigenous inhabitants of an area they refer to as Nitassinan , which comprises most of the northeastern portions of the provinces of Quebec and some western portions of Labrador...
camp for thousands of years and the river itself was used as a route between Lake Saint-Jean and the Quebec City region. In 1647, Jean de Quen was the first European to visit the place but his report did not make mention of the river. Some two decades later in 1676, the first reference was made of this river as Metabeki8an in the second register of Tadoussac
Tadoussac, Quebec
Tadoussac is a village in Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Saguenay rivers. It was France's first trading post on the mainland of New France and an important trading post in the seventeenth century, making it the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in...
. That same year, Jesuits established the Saint-Charles Mission at the river's mouth. In the mid 19th century, William Price
William Price (merchant)
William Price was a Quebec lumber merchant and manufacturer.- References :...
began logging along the length of the river and it was used for a long time for log driving
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...
.