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Grand River (Ontario)
Encyclopedia
The Grand River is a large river
in southwestern Ontario
, Canada
. From its source, it flows south through Grand Valley, Fergus
, Elora
, Waterloo
, Kitchener
, Cambridge
, Paris
, Brantford
, Caledonia
, and Cayuga
before emptying into the north shore of Lake Erie
south of Dunnville
at Port Maitland
. One of the scenic and spectacular features of the river is the falls and gorge
at Elora
.
The Grand River is the largest river entirely within southern Ontario's boundaries. The river owes its size to the unusual fact that it has its source relatively close to the base of the Bruce Peninsula
, yet flows southwards to Lake Erie, rather than to central Lake Huron
or Georgian Bay
(most southern Ontario rivers flow into the nearest Great Lake
, which is why most of them are small), thus giving it more distance to take in more water from tributaries
.
The river's rural character, ease of access and lack of portages make it a desirable canoe
ing location, especially the stretch between West Montrose
and Paris
. A number of conservation areas exist in the area of the river, managed by the Grand River Conservation Authority
.
The Grand Valley Trail
stretches 275 km along the river's valley between the town of Dundalk
and Lake Erie
.
The Mohawk name for the Grand River, O:se Kenhionhata:tie means "Willow River". The river was named Grande Rivière by the French
during the 18th century. It was later renamed Ouse River by John Graves Simcoe
for the River Great Ouse
near his childhood home in Lincolnshire
. The anglicized form of the French name has remained in common use.
, Speed
, Eramosa
, Irvine and Nith
rivers. The Grand River has Southern Ontario's largest watershed.
Because a watershed is an ecosystem
with natural borders, it includes and crosses many municipal boundaries. Its headwaters are near Dundalk
in the north. The Grand River flows south south east.
Luther Marsh, a 52-square-kilometre wetland
on the upper Grand, is one of the largest inland wetlands in southern Ontario and provides habitat
for waterfowl, including Least Bittern
and Black Tern
, and amphibians. It is also an important staging area during migration
.
The watershed (7000 square kilometers or 2600 square miles) has been recognized by the designation of the Grand as a Canadian Heritage River
.
The Grand Valley
Dam, located near the village of Belwood, helps to control the flow of water, especially during periods of spring flooding. The dam, completed in 1942, is commonly referred to as Shand Dam, named for a local family who were displaced due to the dam's reservoir, Lake Belwood.
with numerous tributaries flowing into it:
—an earlier river flowed through a gorge roughly parallel to the current Grand River.
Evidence of the "buried gorge" of the previous river has been found when wells have been dug. Rather than finding water-bearing bedrock at a depth of a dozen metres or less, the path of the buried gorge can be found with overburden of dozens of metres.
nation. They were later given the name "Neutral Nation" by European settlers, as they refused to side with either the French or the English during their conflicts in the area.
The Wyandot, another distinct Iroquoian-speaking nation, who resided northeast of the Grand River valley, had long competed to remain independent of their enemy the Iroquois Confederacy. The latter were a powerful alliance of five nations in the present New York state area. Caught in between, the Neutrals paid dearly for their refusal to ally. Historical accounts differ on exactly how the Neutral tribe was wiped out. The consensus is that the Seneca
and the Mohawk
nations of the Iroquois destroyed the smaller Neutral tribe in the 17th century, in the course of attacking and severely crippling the Huron/Wyandot. The Iroquois were seeking to dominate the lucrative fur trade
with the Europeans. It was during this warfare that the Iroquois attacked the famous Sainte-Marie among the Hurons
Jesuit outpost. The Jesuits abandoned the mission after many Wyandot and numerous priests were killed.
To survive, remnants of The Neutral tribe migrated in 1667 to La Prairie (Caughnawaga or Kahnawake) just south of Montreal. In 1674 there were still identifiable groups of Neutrals among its population. It can be presumed that many of their descendants are still living there today. In later wars between Britain and France, the Caughnawaga people, many of whom had converted to Catholicism, were allies of the French. The Iroquois League in New York was neutral or sided with the British. Because they were on different sides, it was difficult for the Iroquois to adhere to the Great Law of Peace
and avoid killing each other. They managed to avoid this until the American Revolution (1775–83).
Other descendants of the Neutrals may have joined the Mingo
, a loose confederacy of peoples who moved west in the 1720s, fleeing lands invaded by Iroquois, and settled in present-day Ohio
. The Mingo were among tribes who later fought the Americans in the Northwest Indian Wars for the Ohio Valley (1774–95). During the 1840s, they were among the tribes removed to Oklahoma and Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River. Neutral descendants are among the people now known as the Seneca
in Oklahoma.
After the desolation of the Neutral tribe, the Iroquois Confederacy used the Grand River Valley as a hunting and trapping territory. Though the Six Nations (by then including the Tuscarora), conquered the territory, they did not settle it, apart from a limited presence on the northern and western shores of Lake Ontario
.
When the French explorers and Coureur des bois
came to the region in search of fur and other items of value to Europeans, the Grand River Valley was among the last areas of southern Ontario to be explored. Since the French worked closely with their Native allies in the acquisition of fur, they only went where the natives resided. Even after the English conquered New France in 1760, the Grand River Valley remained unoccupied and still largely uncharted.
and Oneida
who allied with the American colonists, the Iroquois Confederacy sided with the British during the American War of Independence. They were unwelcome in the newly created nation. After the war, Six Nations leader Joseph Brant
appealed to the British Crown for help, as they had promised aid for allies. In gratitude for their assistance during the war, the Crown awarded the Iroquois land in Upper Canada. Brant lead those who journeyed to Upper Canada. They first settled at what is present-day Brantford, where Brant crossed, or ‘forded’ the river. It was also called Brant's Town. Not all members of the Six Nations moved north. Remnants of the past confederacy live today throughout New York state, some on reservations.
In 1784 the British Crown awarded to the Six Nations
the "Haldimand Tract
", a tract of land "six miles deep from each side of the river beginning at Lake Erie and extending in that proportion to the [source] of the said river." Much of this land was later sold or otherwise lost to the Six Nations. A portion of this tract near Caledonia, Ontario
is the basis for the 2006 Caledonia land dispute
. The Six Nations reserve
south of Brantford, Ontario is what remains of the Haldimand Tract. Throughout the 19th century, many Anglo-Canadian settlements appeared along the Grand within former Six Nations territory, including Waterloo
, Berlin (now Kitchener
), Cambridge
, Paris
, Brantford
, Caledonia
, Dunnville and Port Maitland
.
After the American War of Independence, the Crown purchased land from the Mississauga in Upper Canada to award as grants to Loyalist refugees as compensation for their property losses in the colonies. Loyalists from New York, New England and the South were settled in this area, as the Crown hoped they would create new towns and farms on the frontier. In the 19th century, many new immigrants came to Upper Canada from England, Scotland and Ireland seeking opportunity. Settlements were popping up all over Southern Ontario, and many had their eye on the prize Grand River Valley.
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 southwestern 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...
. From its source, it flows south through Grand Valley, Fergus
Fergus, Ontario
Fergus is the largest community in Centre Wellington, a township within Wellington County in Ontario, Canada. It lies on the Grand River about 25 km north of Guelph.-History:...
, Elora
Elora, Ontario
Elora is a community in the township of Centre Wellington, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada. It is well known for its 19th-century limestone architecture, its artistic community and the geographically significant Elora Gorge.-History:...
, Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is the smallest of the three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and is adjacent to the city of Kitchener....
, Kitchener
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
, Cambridge
Cambridge, Ontario
Cambridge is a city located in Southern Ontario at the confluence of the Grand and Speed rivers in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It is an amalgamation of the City of Galt, the towns of Preston and Hespeler, and the hamlet of Blair.Galt covers the largest portion of...
, Paris
Paris, Ontario
Paris, Ontario is a community on the Grand River in Ontario, Canada. The town was established in 1850. In 1999, its town government was amalgamated into that of the County of Brant, Ontario, thus ending about 149 years as a separate incorporated municipality.-History:The town was first settled in...
, Brantford
Brantford, Ontario
Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...
, Caledonia
Caledonia, Ontario
Caledonia is a small riverside community and former town located on the Grand River in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada. Haldimand County is in the western part of the Niagara Peninsula, and had a population of 43,280 in 2001. The current mayor of Haldimand County is Ken Hewitt; Caledonia is...
, and Cayuga
Cayuga, Ontario
Cayuga is an unincorporated community and county seat in the province of Ontario, Canada located at the intersection of Highway 3 and Munsee Street and along the Grand River in Haldimand County. Cayuga is about a 20 minute drive from Lake Erie and 30 minutes south of Hamilton and 115 minutes south...
before emptying into the north shore of Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
south of Dunnville
Dunnville, Ontario
Dunnville is an unincorporated community of 6,000 people located near the mouth of the Grand River in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada, near the historic Talbot Trail...
at Port Maitland
Port Maitland, Ontario
thumb|Grand River, OntarioPort Maitland is a small community in the province of Ontario Canada.It is on the North shore of Lake Erie, at the mouth of the Grand River.At one time a canal connected the Welland Canal to the Grand River....
. One of the scenic and spectacular features of the river is the falls and gorge
Elora Gorge
-External links:* * ** * *...
at Elora
Elora, Ontario
Elora is a community in the township of Centre Wellington, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada. It is well known for its 19th-century limestone architecture, its artistic community and the geographically significant Elora Gorge.-History:...
.
The Grand River is the largest river entirely within southern Ontario's boundaries. The river owes its size to the unusual fact that it has its source relatively close to the base of the Bruce Peninsula
Bruce Peninsula
The Bruce Peninsula is a peninsula in Ontario, Canada that lies between Georgian Bay and the main basin of Lake Huron. The peninsula extends roughly northwestwards from the rest of Southern Ontario, pointing towards Manitoulin Island, with which it forms the widest strait joining Georgian Bay to...
, yet flows southwards to Lake Erie, rather than to central 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...
or Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay
Georgian Bay is a large bay of Lake Huron, located entirely within Ontario, Canada...
(most southern Ontario rivers flow into the nearest Great Lake
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
, which is why most of them are small), thus giving it more distance to take in more water from tributaries
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
.
The river's rural character, ease of access and lack of portages make it a desirable canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
ing location, especially the stretch between West Montrose
West Montrose, Ontario
West Montrose is a village in the Township of Woolwich in the Region of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.-Location:West Montrose straddles the Grand River, north of the City of Waterloo. Together with nearby St...
and Paris
Paris, Ontario
Paris, Ontario is a community on the Grand River in Ontario, Canada. The town was established in 1850. In 1999, its town government was amalgamated into that of the County of Brant, Ontario, thus ending about 149 years as a separate incorporated municipality.-History:The town was first settled in...
. A number of conservation areas exist in the area of the river, managed by the Grand River Conservation Authority
Grand River Conservation Authority
The Grand River Conservation Authority is a conservation authority in Ontario, Canada. It operates under the Conservation Authorities Act of Ontario...
.
The Grand Valley Trail
Grand Valley Trail
The Grand Valley Trail is 275 km long and runs from Rock Point Provincial Park on Lake Erie which is south of Dunnville to Alton not far from Orangeville where it links by a side trail to the Bruce Trail. It is managed by the volunteer group, the . Hikers are able to identify the main Grand Valley...
stretches 275 km along the river's valley between the town of Dundalk
Dundalk, Ontario
Dundalk Originally called McDowell's Corners, Dundalk was incorporated as a village in 1887, and on January 1, 2000, was amalgamated with the Township of Proton and the Township of Egremont to form the Township of Southgate, located in the southeast corner of Grey County. The mayor of Southgate is...
and Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
.
The Mohawk name for the Grand River, O:se Kenhionhata:tie means "Willow River". The river was named Grande Rivière by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
during the 18th century. It was later renamed Ouse River by John Graves Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe was a British army officer and the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada from 1791–1796. Then frontier, this was modern-day southern Ontario and the watersheds of Georgian Bay and Lake Superior...
for the River Great Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
near his childhood home in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
. The anglicized form of the French name has remained in common use.
Watershed
The Grand River watershed consists of all the land that drains into the Grand River through tributary creeks and rivers such as the ConestogoConestogo River
The Conestogo River is a river in Waterloo Region in Western Ontario. It joins the Grand River at the town of Conestogo.A dam built on the river for flood control formed Conestoga Lake, which covers an area of about 23 square kilometres. A conservation area operated by the Grand River Conservation...
, Speed
Speed River
The Speed River is a river that flows through Wellington County and the Region of Waterloo in western Ontario, Canada. It flows south from its source near Orton, through Guelph, where it is joined by the Eramosa River, then through the towns of Hespeler and Preston, finally uniting with the Grand...
, Eramosa
Eramosa River
The Eramosa River is a river in Wellington County in western Ontario which rises near Erin, Ontario and flows southwest through the city of Guelph, where it joins the Speed River, which then enters the Grand River in Cambridge....
, Irvine and Nith
Nith River
The Nith River is a river in Brant, Oxford and Perth Counties and the Regional Municipality of Waterloo in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The Nith River empties into the Grand River at the town of Paris, and is named after the River Nith in Scotland....
rivers. The Grand River has Southern Ontario's largest watershed.
Because a watershed is an ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
with natural borders, it includes and crosses many municipal boundaries. Its headwaters are near Dundalk
Dundalk, Ontario
Dundalk Originally called McDowell's Corners, Dundalk was incorporated as a village in 1887, and on January 1, 2000, was amalgamated with the Township of Proton and the Township of Egremont to form the Township of Southgate, located in the southeast corner of Grey County. The mayor of Southgate is...
in the north. The Grand River flows south south east.
Luther Marsh, a 52-square-kilometre wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
on the upper Grand, is one of the largest inland wetlands in southern Ontario and provides habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
for waterfowl, including Least Bittern
Least Bittern
The Least Bittern is a small wading bird, the smallest heron found in the Americas.This bird's underparts and throat are white with light brown streaks. Their face and the sides of the neck are light brown; they have yellow eyes and a yellow bill. The adult male is glossy greenish black on the...
and Black Tern
Black Tern
The Black Tern, Chlidonias niger, is a small tern generally found in or near inland water in Europe and North America. As its name suggests, it has predominantly dark plumage.- Description :...
, and amphibians. It is also an important staging area during migration
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
.
The watershed (7000 square kilometers or 2600 square miles) has been recognized by the designation of the Grand as a Canadian Heritage River
Canadian Heritage Rivers System
The Canadian Heritage Rivers System was established in 1984 by the federal, provincial and territorial governments to conserve and protect the best examples of Canada's river heritage, to give them national recognition, and to encourage the public to enjoy and appreciate them. It is a cooperative...
.
The Grand Valley
East Luther-Grand Valley, Ontario
East Luther-Grand Valley is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario, composed of the former township of East Luther and the former village of Grand Valley. The township is located within Dufferin County, and includes part of the Luther Marsh. The marsh covers over 10,000 acres including...
Dam, located near the village of Belwood, helps to control the flow of water, especially during periods of spring flooding. The dam, completed in 1942, is commonly referred to as Shand Dam, named for a local family who were displaced due to the dam's reservoir, Lake Belwood.
Lakes, creeks and rivers
With a watershed area of 7000 square kilometers, the Grand River flows from Dundalk to Lake ErieLake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
with numerous tributaries flowing into it:
- Canagagigue Creek
- Chilligo Creek
- Conestogo RiverConestogo RiverThe Conestogo River is a river in Waterloo Region in Western Ontario. It joins the Grand River at the town of Conestogo.A dam built on the river for flood control formed Conestoga Lake, which covers an area of about 23 square kilometres. A conservation area operated by the Grand River Conservation...
- Eramosa RiverEramosa RiverThe Eramosa River is a river in Wellington County in western Ontario which rises near Erin, Ontario and flows southwest through the city of Guelph, where it joins the Speed River, which then enters the Grand River in Cambridge....
- Laurel Creek
- McKenzie Creek
- Mill Creek
- Nith RiverNith RiverThe Nith River is a river in Brant, Oxford and Perth Counties and the Regional Municipality of Waterloo in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. The Nith River empties into the Grand River at the town of Paris, and is named after the River Nith in Scotland....
- Speed RiverSpeed RiverThe Speed River is a river that flows through Wellington County and the Region of Waterloo in western Ontario, Canada. It flows south from its source near Orton, through Guelph, where it is joined by the Eramosa River, then through the towns of Hespeler and Preston, finally uniting with the Grand...
- Whitemans Creek
Pre-Laurentide hydrology
Prior to the most recent glaciation—the LaurentideLaurentide ice sheet
The Laurentide Ice Sheet was a massive sheet of ice that covered hundreds of thousands of square miles, including most of Canada and a large portion of the northern United States, multiple times during Quaternary glacial epochs. It last covered most of northern North America between c. 95,000 and...
—an earlier river flowed through a gorge roughly parallel to the current Grand River.
Evidence of the "buried gorge" of the previous river has been found when wells have been dug. Rather than finding water-bearing bedrock at a depth of a dozen metres or less, the path of the buried gorge can be found with overburden of dozens of metres.
History
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Grand River valley was inhabited by the Iroquoian- speaking AttawandaronNeutral Nation
The Neutrals, also known as the Attawandaron, were an Iroquoian nation of North American native people who lived near the shores of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.-Territory:...
nation. They were later given the name "Neutral Nation" by European settlers, as they refused to side with either the French or the English during their conflicts in the area.
The Wyandot, another distinct Iroquoian-speaking nation, who resided northeast of the Grand River valley, had long competed to remain independent of their enemy the Iroquois Confederacy. The latter were a powerful alliance of five nations in the present New York state area. Caught in between, the Neutrals paid dearly for their refusal to ally. Historical accounts differ on exactly how the Neutral tribe was wiped out. The consensus is that the Seneca
Seneca nation
The Seneca are a group of indigenous people native to North America. They were the nation located farthest to the west within the Six Nations or Iroquois League in New York before the American Revolution. While exact population figures are unknown, approximately 15,000 to 25,000 Seneca live in...
and the Mohawk
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
nations of the Iroquois destroyed the smaller Neutral tribe in the 17th century, in the course of attacking and severely crippling the Huron/Wyandot. The Iroquois were seeking to dominate the lucrative fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
with the Europeans. It was during this warfare that the Iroquois attacked the famous Sainte-Marie among the Hurons
Sainte-Marie among the Hurons
Sainte-Marie among the Hurons was a French Jesuit settlement in Wendake, the land of the Wendat, near modern Midland, Ontario, from 1639 to 1649. It was the first European settlement in what is now the province of Ontario. Eight missionaries from Sainte-Marie were martyred, and were canonized by...
Jesuit outpost. The Jesuits abandoned the mission after many Wyandot and numerous priests were killed.
To survive, remnants of The Neutral tribe migrated in 1667 to La Prairie (Caughnawaga or Kahnawake) just south of Montreal. In 1674 there were still identifiable groups of Neutrals among its population. It can be presumed that many of their descendants are still living there today. In later wars between Britain and France, the Caughnawaga people, many of whom had converted to Catholicism, were allies of the French. The Iroquois League in New York was neutral or sided with the British. Because they were on different sides, it was difficult for the Iroquois to adhere to the Great Law of Peace
Great Law of Peace
Gayanashagowa or the Great Law of Peace of the Iroquois Six Nations is the oral constitution whereby the Iroquois Confederacy was bound together. The law was written on wampum belts, conceived by Deganwidah, known as The Great Peacemaker, and his spokesman Hiawatha...
and avoid killing each other. They managed to avoid this until the American Revolution (1775–83).
Other descendants of the Neutrals may have joined the Mingo
Mingo
The Mingo are an Iroquoian group of Native Americans made up of peoples who migrated west to the Ohio Country in the mid-eighteenth century. Anglo-Americans called these migrants mingos, a corruption of mingwe, an Eastern Algonquian name for Iroquoian-language groups in general. Mingos have also...
, a loose confederacy of peoples who moved west in the 1720s, fleeing lands invaded by Iroquois, and settled in present-day Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. The Mingo were among tribes who later fought the Americans in the Northwest Indian Wars for the Ohio Valley (1774–95). During the 1840s, they were among the tribes removed to Oklahoma and Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River. Neutral descendants are among the people now known as the Seneca
Seneca nation
The Seneca are a group of indigenous people native to North America. They were the nation located farthest to the west within the Six Nations or Iroquois League in New York before the American Revolution. While exact population figures are unknown, approximately 15,000 to 25,000 Seneca live in...
in Oklahoma.
After the desolation of the Neutral tribe, the Iroquois Confederacy used the Grand River Valley as a hunting and trapping territory. Though the Six Nations (by then including the Tuscarora), conquered the territory, they did not settle it, apart from a limited presence on the northern and western shores of Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
.
When the French explorers and Coureur des bois
Coureur des bois
A coureur des bois or coureur de bois was an independent entrepreneurial French-Canadian woodsman who traveled in New France and the interior of North America. They travelled in the woods to trade various things for fur....
came to the region in search of fur and other items of value to Europeans, the Grand River Valley was among the last areas of southern Ontario to be explored. Since the French worked closely with their Native allies in the acquisition of fur, they only went where the natives resided. Even after the English conquered New France in 1760, the Grand River Valley remained unoccupied and still largely uncharted.
Six Nations of the Grand River
Apart from large numbers of TuscaroraTuscarora (tribe)
The Tuscarora are a Native American people of the Iroquoian-language family, with members in New York, Canada, and North Carolina...
and Oneida
Oneida tribe
The Oneida are a Native American/First Nations people and are one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy in the area of upstate New York...
who allied with the American colonists, the Iroquois Confederacy sided with the British during the American War of Independence. They were unwelcome in the newly created nation. After the war, Six Nations leader Joseph Brant
Joseph Brant
Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant was a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York, who was closely associated with Great Britain during and after the American Revolution. He was perhaps the most well-known American Indian of his generation...
appealed to the British Crown for help, as they had promised aid for allies. In gratitude for their assistance during the war, the Crown awarded the Iroquois land in Upper Canada. Brant lead those who journeyed to Upper Canada. They first settled at what is present-day Brantford, where Brant crossed, or ‘forded’ the river. It was also called Brant's Town. Not all members of the Six Nations moved north. Remnants of the past confederacy live today throughout New York state, some on reservations.
In 1784 the British Crown awarded to the Six Nations
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
the "Haldimand Tract
Haldimand Proclamation
The Haldimand Proclamation was a decree that granted land to the Iroquois who had served on the British side during the American Revolution. The decree was issued by the Governor of the Province of Quebec, Frederick Haldimand, on October 25, 1784....
", a tract of land "six miles deep from each side of the river beginning at Lake Erie and extending in that proportion to the [source] of the said river." Much of this land was later sold or otherwise lost to the Six Nations. A portion of this tract near Caledonia, Ontario
Caledonia, Ontario
Caledonia is a small riverside community and former town located on the Grand River in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada. Haldimand County is in the western part of the Niagara Peninsula, and had a population of 43,280 in 2001. The current mayor of Haldimand County is Ken Hewitt; Caledonia is...
is the basis for the 2006 Caledonia land dispute
Caledonia land dispute
The current Grand River land dispute came to wide attention in Canada on February 28, 2006. On that date, protesters from the Six Nations of the Grand River began a demonstration to raise awareness about First Nation land claims in Ontario, Canada...
. The Six Nations reserve
Six Nations 40, Ontario
Six Nations is the largest First Nation in Canada with a total of 23,902 band members. 11,865 are reported living in the territory. It is the only territory in North America that has the six Iroquois nations living together. These nations are the Mohawk, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Seneca and...
south of Brantford, Ontario is what remains of the Haldimand Tract. Throughout the 19th century, many Anglo-Canadian settlements appeared along the Grand within former Six Nations territory, including Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is the smallest of the three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and is adjacent to the city of Kitchener....
, Berlin (now Kitchener
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
), Cambridge
Cambridge, Ontario
Cambridge is a city located in Southern Ontario at the confluence of the Grand and Speed rivers in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It is an amalgamation of the City of Galt, the towns of Preston and Hespeler, and the hamlet of Blair.Galt covers the largest portion of...
, Paris
Paris, Ontario
Paris, Ontario is a community on the Grand River in Ontario, Canada. The town was established in 1850. In 1999, its town government was amalgamated into that of the County of Brant, Ontario, thus ending about 149 years as a separate incorporated municipality.-History:The town was first settled in...
, Brantford
Brantford, Ontario
Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...
, Caledonia
Caledonia, Ontario
Caledonia is a small riverside community and former town located on the Grand River in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada. Haldimand County is in the western part of the Niagara Peninsula, and had a population of 43,280 in 2001. The current mayor of Haldimand County is Ken Hewitt; Caledonia is...
, Dunnville and Port Maitland
Port Maitland, Ontario
thumb|Grand River, OntarioPort Maitland is a small community in the province of Ontario Canada.It is on the North shore of Lake Erie, at the mouth of the Grand River.At one time a canal connected the Welland Canal to the Grand River....
.
After the American War of Independence, the Crown purchased land from the Mississauga in Upper Canada to award as grants to Loyalist refugees as compensation for their property losses in the colonies. Loyalists from New York, New England and the South were settled in this area, as the Crown hoped they would create new towns and farms on the frontier. In the 19th century, many new immigrants came to Upper Canada from England, Scotland and Ireland seeking opportunity. Settlements were popping up all over Southern Ontario, and many had their eye on the prize Grand River Valley.
See also
- List of Ontario rivers
- Grand River Conservation AuthorityGrand River Conservation AuthorityThe Grand River Conservation Authority is a conservation authority in Ontario, Canada. It operates under the Conservation Authorities Act of Ontario...
- Speed RiverSpeed RiverThe Speed River is a river that flows through Wellington County and the Region of Waterloo in western Ontario, Canada. It flows south from its source near Orton, through Guelph, where it is joined by the Eramosa River, then through the towns of Hespeler and Preston, finally uniting with the Grand...
- Waterloo MoraineWaterloo MoraineThe Waterloo Moraine is a landform and sediment body in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, in Ontario, Canada. It covers a large portion of the cities of Waterloo and Kitchener and the township of Wilmot, and some parts of the townships of Wellesley and North Dumfries...
External links
- Grand River Conservation Authority
- Grand Valley Trail Association
- Canadian Council for Geographic Education page with a series of articles on the history of the Grand River .
- Encyclopedia of the Earth
- Grand River, Geographical Name Search Service, Geographical Names Board of CanadaGeographical Names Board of CanadaGeographical Names Board of Canada is a national committee of the Canadian Government Department of Natural Resources which authorizes the names used on official federal government maps of Canada since 1897. The board consists of 27 members including one from each of the provinces and territories...