The Brightsand River is a river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 in the James Bay

James Bay

James Bay is a large body of water on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. Both bodies of water extend from the Arctic Ocean. James Bay borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario; islands within the bay are part of Nunavut...

 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...

 in Unorganized Thunder Bay District

Thunder Bay District

Thunder Bay District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. The district seat is Thunder Bay....

 in northwestern

Northwestern Ontario

Northwestern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and west of Lake Superior, and west of Hudson Bay and James Bay. It includes most of subarctic Ontario. Its western boundary is the Canadian province of Manitoba, which disputed Ontario's claim to the...

 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

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...

.

Course

The river begins at Outlet Bay on Pakashkan Lake about 45 kilometres (28 mi) northeast of the community of Upsala

Upsala, Ontario

Upsala is a geographic township in Thunder Bay District in northwestern Ontario. It is located on the Trans-Canada Highway, Highway 17, 142 km west of Thunder Bay.It was named after the city of Uppsala in Sweden....

. It flows north through Brightsand Lake and further to Wapakaimaski Lake. The river splits with one channel flowing west into Seseganaga Lake and further into Kawaweogama Lake; the other flows north through Antler Lake and McEwan Lake. The two combine again to form the river Allan Water

Allan Water (Ontario)

Allan Water is a river in the James Bay drainage basin in Unorganized Thunder Bay District in northwestern Ontario, Canada.-Course:The river begins at the community of Allanwater Bridge at the confluence of the two branches of the Brightsand River: the western branch arriving as the outlet from...

 at the community of Allanwater Bridge, the location of Allanwater Bridge railway station

Allanwater Bridge railway station

Allanwater Bridge railway station is located in the Allan Water area of the Canadian province of Ontario, just west of where the railway line crosses the river Allan Water over a truss bridge. This station is currently in use by Via Rail...

, served by Via Rail

VIA Rail

Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....

 transcontinental Canadian trains, on the Canadian National Railway

Canadian National Railway

The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....

 transcontinental

Transcontinental railroad

A transcontinental railroad is a contiguous network of railroad trackage that crosses a continental land mass with terminals at different oceans or continental borders. Such networks can be via the tracks of either a single railroad, or over those owned or controlled by multiple railway companies...

 main line

Main line (railway)

The Mainline or Main line of a railway is a track that is used for through trains or is the principal artery of the system from which branch lines, yards, sidings and spurs are connected....

.

Most of the river has been designated Brightsand River Provincial Park.

Tributaries

• Hilltop Creek (left)
• Rude Creek (left)
• Globe Creek (right)
• Sparrow Creek (right)
• Grid Creek (left)
• Bluebird Creek (right)
• Ermine Creek (left)
• Aylsworth Creek (right)
• Wawang River (left)
• Pakashkan Lake (source)