Coldwater River (Simcoe County)
Encyclopedia
The Coldwater River is a river
in Simcoe County in Central Ontario
, Canada
. It is in the Great Lakes Basin
and flows from the the Oro moraine
west of Lake Simcoe
to Lake Huron
. The river is believed to take its name from its Ojibwa
name gisinaa nibiish, which means "cold pool of water".
. It heads northeast to the community of Eady, then north north-west to the eponymous community of Coldwater in the incorporated township of Severn
, where it is crossed by Ontario Highway 12, at this point part of the Trans-Canada Highway
. It continues in the same direction, through the Matchedash Bay Provincial Wilderness Area, and takes in the right tributary North River
just before turning west to its mouth, near the community of Fesserton, at Catfish Bay, a sub-bay of Matchedash Bay
, itself a sub-bay of Georgian Bay
on Lake Huron.
transcontinental
main line
, Mactier Subdivision.
The valley sides are the location of several ski areas including Mount St. Louis Moonstone
on the west slopes and the Horseshoe Resort
on the east slopes.
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 Simcoe County in Central 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...
. It is in the Great Lakes Basin
Great Lakes Basin
The Great Lakes Basin consists of the Great Lakes and the surrounding lands of the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin in the United States, and the province of Ontario in Canada, whose direct surface runoff and watersheds form a large...
and flows from the the Oro moraine
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
west of Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe
Lake Simcoe is a lake in Southern Ontario, Canada, the fourth-largest lake wholly in the province, after Lake Nipigon, Lac Seul, and Lake Nipissing. At the time of the first European contact in the 17th century the lake was called Ouentironk by the Huron natives...
to Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
. The river is believed to take its name from its Ojibwa
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...
name gisinaa nibiish, which means "cold pool of water".
Course
The Coldwater River begins at the outflow from a small dammed lake, next to Ontario Highway 400, at Martinville in the municipality of Oro-Medonte and adjacent to the Oro moraine. The lake was created as part of the Copeland Forest Resource Management Area by Ducks UnlimitedDucks Unlimited
Ducks Unlimited is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of wetlands and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, other wildlife, and people. It currently has approximately 780,000 members, mostly in the United States and Canada.-Introduction:Ducks Unlimited was...
. It heads northeast to the community of Eady, then north north-west to the eponymous community of Coldwater in the incorporated township of Severn
Severn, Ontario
Severn is a township in south-central Ontario, Canada, located between Lake Couchiching, and the Severn River in Simcoe County...
, where it is crossed by Ontario Highway 12, at this point part of the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
. It continues in the same direction, through the Matchedash Bay Provincial Wilderness Area, and takes in the right tributary North River
North River (Ontario)
North River may refer to one of five rivers in Ontario, Canada:*North River in Kenora District, in the Hudson Bay drainage basin, which flows into Marchington Lake on the Marchington River near the unincorporated place of Ghost River*In Nipissing District:...
just before turning west to its mouth, near the community of Fesserton, at Catfish Bay, a sub-bay of Matchedash Bay
Matchedash Bay
Matchedash Bay is a bay and Ramsar wetland in Simcoe County in Central Ontario, Canada. It is the "final inland extension of Severn Sound" on Lake Huron's Georgian Bay, and is "situated at the interface between the Saint Lawrence Lowlands and the Canadian Shield ". It exhibits geologically unique...
, itself a sub-bay of Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...
on Lake Huron.
Economy
The river valley is used as a route by both Ontario Highway 400 and by the Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
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....
, Mactier Subdivision.
The valley sides are the location of several ski areas including Mount St. Louis Moonstone
Mount St. Louis Moonstone
Mount St. Louis Moonstone is a southern Ontario ski resort located north of Barrie. The resort is just over one hour driving time from Toronto and is located just off Highway 400, which makes it a prime destination for Toronto-area skiers...
on the west slopes and the Horseshoe Resort
Horseshoe Resort
Horseshoe Resort, formerly Horseshoe Valley Ski Club, is a southern Ontario ski resort. Located north of Barrie, the resort is about 1 hour 15 minutes driving time from Toronto. The resort enjoys a long ski season due to snow making abilities. Acquired by Skyline International Development Inc. in...
on the east slopes.