Winisk River
Encyclopedia
The Winisk River is a river in northern Ontario
, Canada, that starts at Wunnummin Lake
and flows east to Winisk Lake
. From there it continues in a mostly northly direction to Hudson Bay
. The Winisk River is 475 km (295 mi) long and has a drainage basin
of 67300 km² (25,984.7 sq mi). The name is from Cree
origin meaning "groundhog
".
The river is remote and not accessible by road. Only a few isolated communities are along the river: Wunnumin Lake First Nation
(on same lake), Webequie (on Winisk Lake) and Peawanuck
(about 30 km from its end). It is characterized by strong currents and whitewater
while flowing off the Canadian Shield
into the Hudson Bay lowlands. Here the river becomes broad.
, has been designated a provincial waterway park. It is a non-operating park, meaning no fees are charged and no visitor facilities or services are present. Visitors must be experienced in travelling through isolated wilderness
and skilled in handling whitewater.
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, that starts at Wunnummin Lake
Wunnummin Lake
Wunnummin Lake is a lake in northwestern Ontario, Canada. It is a remote freshwater lake, located in Kenora District....
and flows east to Winisk Lake
Winisk Lake
Winisk Lake is a large, irregularly-shaped lake in the Winisk River and Hudson Bay drainage basins in northern Kenora District in northwestern Ontario, Canada....
. From there it continues in a mostly northly direction to Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
. The Winisk River is 475 km (295 mi) long and has a drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
of 67300 km² (25,984.7 sq mi). The name is from Cree
Cree language
Cree is an Algonquian language spoken by approximately 117,000 people across Canada, from the Northwest Territories and Alberta to Labrador, making it the aboriginal language with the highest number of speakers in Canada. It is also spoken in the U.S. state of Montana...
origin meaning "groundhog
Groundhog
The groundhog , also known as a woodchuck, whistle-pig, or in some areas as a land-beaver, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. Other marmots, such as the yellow-bellied and hoary marmots, live in rocky and mountainous areas, but...
".
The river is remote and not accessible by road. Only a few isolated communities are along the river: Wunnumin Lake First Nation
Wunnumin Lake First Nation
Wunnumin Lake First Nation is an Oji-Cree First Nation located 360 km northeast of Sioux Lookout in Ontario, Canada...
(on same lake), Webequie (on Winisk Lake) and Peawanuck
Peawanuck, Ontario
Peawanuck is an isolated Cree community in the Kenora District, Ontario, Canada. It is located near the confluence of the Winisk and Shamattawa Rivers, about 35 km from the Winisk River's end in Hudson Bay. Its population is 139 ....
(about 30 km from its end). It is characterized by strong currents and whitewater
Whitewater
Whitewater is formed in a rapid, when a river's gradient increases enough to disturb its laminar flow and create turbulence, i.e. form a bubbly, or aerated and unstable current; the frothy water appears white...
while flowing off 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...
into the Hudson Bay lowlands. Here the river becomes broad.
Tributaries
- Pipestone River
- Asheweig River
- Shamattawa River
Winisk River Waterway Provincial Park
For most of the length of the Winisk River and its banks, from Winisk Lake to the Polar Bear Provincial ParkPolar Bear Provincial Park
Polar Bear Provincial Park is an isolated wilderness park in the far north of Ontario, Canada. It lies on the western shore where James Bay joins Hudson Bay. The terrain is part of the Hudson Bay Lowlands and features unspoiled low-lying tundra in the Hudson Plains ecozone.Administered by Ontario...
, has been designated a provincial waterway park. It is a non-operating park, meaning no fees are charged and no visitor facilities or services are present. Visitors must be experienced in travelling through isolated wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
and skilled in handling whitewater.