Gens de Terre River
Encyclopedia
The Gens de Terre River (in French: Rivière Gens de Terre, literal meaning: "people of the land") is a river in central Quebec, Canada. It is located on the eastern edge of the La Vérendrye Wildlife Reserve
in the Vallée-de-la-Gatineau County Municipality
in the Outaouais region. Its source is the Cabonga Reservoir
from where it flows in a mostly southern direction for 115 km and drains into the Gens de Terre Bay of the Baskatong Reservoir
.
Tributaries include:
The section of the river between the Wapus River and the iron bridge downstream is breathtaking with 25 metres (82 ft) cliffs on both sides. This 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) section is marked by continuous class II-IV whitewater
, and should only be paddled by expert canoers. The flow of the river depends greatly on the water level management in the Cabonga Reservoir.
(1729-1811), aide-de-camp
to Marquis de Montcalm
. In 1757, he wrote in his journal: "Têtes-de-Boule brought by the Nipissings. Those savages are also called people of the land (gens des terres), live in the woods, are great hunters, mediocre warriors, neither have police nor politics, trade more with the English at the Hudson Bay than with us". And in a memo from 1759, Bougainville wrote: "The nations that deal there are the Têtes-de-Boules (Atikamekw
) or people of the land and the Namcosakio who come from towards the Hudson Bay."
The name "Gens de Terre" was probably assigned by voyageurs or fur traders as a reminder of this native American nomadic tribe, whose territory stretched between the upper basins of the Saint-Maurice, Gatineau, and Ottawa Rivers. It has been used in official documents since at least 1867.
In the early twentieth century, the river was called Bark River by the English.
The river has long been used by loggers for log driving
. The log drivers were nicknamed La Maline (the malignant) because of the obstacles and difficulties that were found along the route.
La Vérendrye Wildlife Reserve
La Vérendrye wildlife reserve is one of the largest reserves in the province of Quebec, Canada, covering 12,589 square kilometres of contiguous land and lake area . It is named after Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye, a French-Canadian explorer...
in the Vallée-de-la-Gatineau County Municipality
La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau Regional County Municipality, Quebec
La Vallée-de-la-Gatineau is a Regional County Municipality in the Outaouais region of western Quebec, Canada. The seat is in Gracefield. It is named for its location straddling the Gatineau River north of Low. It was incorporated on January 1, 1983.It consists of two cities, fifteen...
in the Outaouais region. Its source is the Cabonga Reservoir
Cabonga Reservoir
The Cabonga Reservoir is a man-made lake in central Quebec, Canada, with a total surface area of and a net area of . It is located on the boundary between the unorganized territories of Lac-Pythonga and Réservoir-Dozois, and fully within the La Vérendrye Wildlife Reserve...
from where it flows in a mostly southern direction for 115 km and drains into the Gens de Terre Bay of the Baskatong Reservoir
Baskatong Reservoir
The Baskatong Reservoir is a man-made lake in western Quebec, Canada. It was formed following the construction of the Mercier Dam in 1927 and has an area of 413 km2. It has no generating station at its dam, but the reservoir is used to control the flow of the Gatineau River for several...
.
Tributaries include:
- Bélinge River
- Wapus River
- Serpent River
The section of the river between the Wapus River and the iron bridge downstream is breathtaking with 25 metres (82 ft) cliffs on both sides. This 25 kilometres (15.5 mi) section is marked by continuous class II-IV 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...
, and should only be paddled by expert canoers. The flow of the river depends greatly on the water level management in the Cabonga Reservoir.
History
The name of the river may be attributed to Louis Antoine de BougainvilleLouis Antoine de Bougainville
Louis-Antoine, Comte de Bougainville was a French admiral and explorer. A contemporary of James Cook, he took part in the French and Indian War and the unsuccessful French attempt to defend Canada from Britain...
(1729-1811), aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to Marquis de Montcalm
Louis-Joseph de Montcalm
Louis-Joseph de Montcalm-Gozon, Marquis de Saint-Veran was a French soldier best known as the commander of the forces in North America during the Seven Years' War .Montcalm was born near Nîmes in France to a noble family, and entered military service...
. In 1757, he wrote in his journal: "Têtes-de-Boule brought by the Nipissings. Those savages are also called people of the land (gens des terres), live in the woods, are great hunters, mediocre warriors, neither have police nor politics, trade more with the English at the Hudson Bay than with us". And in a memo from 1759, Bougainville wrote: "The nations that deal there are the Têtes-de-Boules (Atikamekw
Atikamekw
The Atikamekw are the indigenous inhabitants of the area they refer to as Nitaskinan , in the upper Saint-Maurice River valley of Quebec , Canada. Their population currently stands at around 4500. One of the main communities is Manawan, about northeast of Montreal. They have a tradition of...
) or people of the land and the Namcosakio who come from towards the Hudson Bay."
The name "Gens de Terre" was probably assigned by voyageurs or fur traders as a reminder of this native American nomadic tribe, whose territory stretched between the upper basins of the Saint-Maurice, Gatineau, and Ottawa Rivers. It has been used in official documents since at least 1867.
In the early twentieth century, the river was called Bark River by the English.
The river has long been used by loggers 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...
. The log drivers were nicknamed La Maline (the malignant) because of the obstacles and difficulties that were found along the route.
External links
- Canoeing description and map (in French)