Sturgeon-Weir River
Encyclopedia
The Sturgeon-Weir River is a river in east-central Saskatchewan
, Canada. It flows about 110 miles south-southeast to join the Saskatchewan River
at Cumberland House, Saskatchewan
. It was on the main voyageur
route from eastern Canada northeast to the Mackenzie River
basin. Its steep gradient (about 4 feet per mile) led voyageurs to call it the Rivière Maligne or Bad River. Mackenzie described it as "an almost continual rapid." For modern canoeists the gradient is nearly ideal when going downstream.
For background see Canadian canoe routes (early)
. The voyageur route left the Saskatchewan River about 125 miles west of Lake Winnipeg through a very short channel north to Cumberland Lake
, with the important depot of Cumberland House, Saskatchewan
on its south shore. The river goes east and north through another lake to Amisk Lake which now has a road connection to Flin Flon
. It crosses modern Saskatchewan Highway 106
to Pelican Lake with Pelican Narrows, Saskatchewan
and then northwest to the river's source in what is described as a 'stagnant lagoon'. From here the short 400-yard Frog Portage
leads north to Trade Lake on the Churchill River
. The route then went at least 250 miles west up the Churchill River and over the Methye Portage
to the Mackenzie River basin.
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Canada. It flows about 110 miles south-southeast to join the Saskatchewan River
Saskatchewan River
The Saskatchewan River is a major river in Canada, approximately long, flowing roughly eastward across Saskatchewan and Manitoba to empty into Lake Winnipeg...
at Cumberland House, Saskatchewan
Cumberland House, Saskatchewan
Cumberland House is a village in Census Division No. 18 in north-eastern Saskatchewan, Canada on the Saskatchewan River. It is the oldest community in Saskatchewan and has a population of about 2000 people...
. It was on the main voyageur
Voyageur
Voyageur is a French word meaning "voyager" or "traveler".Voyageur can refer to:*Voyageurs, persons who transported furs by canoe during the fur trade era....
route from eastern Canada northeast to the Mackenzie River
Mackenzie River
The Mackenzie River is the largest river system in Canada. It flows through a vast, isolated region of forest and tundra entirely within the country's Northwest Territories, although its many tributaries reach into four other Canadian provinces and territories...
basin. Its steep gradient (about 4 feet per mile) led voyageurs to call it the Rivière Maligne or Bad River. Mackenzie described it as "an almost continual rapid." For modern canoeists the gradient is nearly ideal when going downstream.
For background see Canadian canoe routes (early)
Canadian canoe routes (early)
This article covers the water routes used by early explorers of Canada with special emphasis on the fur trade.-Canada and Siberia:Both Canada and Siberia were explored mainly by river. Both countries have many navigable rivers with short portages between them. There are no serious barriers to canoe...
. The voyageur route left the Saskatchewan River about 125 miles west of Lake Winnipeg through a very short channel north to Cumberland Lake
Cumberland Lake
Cumberland Lake is a glacial lake of Saskatchewan, Canada.It is located in the Cumberland Delta in East-Central Saskatchewan about 60 km from the Manitoba border. Cumberland House and Cumberland House Provincial Historic Park are located on the south shore and is accessed by Highway 123. The...
, with the important depot of Cumberland House, Saskatchewan
Cumberland House, Saskatchewan
Cumberland House is a village in Census Division No. 18 in north-eastern Saskatchewan, Canada on the Saskatchewan River. It is the oldest community in Saskatchewan and has a population of about 2000 people...
on its south shore. The river goes east and north through another lake to Amisk Lake which now has a road connection to Flin Flon
Flin Flon
Flin Flon is a Canadian mining city located on the border of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with the majority of the city located within Manitoba.- Founding :...
. It crosses modern Saskatchewan Highway 106
Saskatchewan Highway 106
Highway 106, the Hanson Lake Road, has sections of provincial paved divided highway and provincial gravel highway in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It runs from Highway 55 near Smeaton to Highway 167 in Creighton. Highway 106 is about 327 km long...
to Pelican Lake with Pelican Narrows, Saskatchewan
Pelican Narrows, Saskatchewan
Pelican Narrows is a northern village in Saskatchewan, located 120 km NW of Creighton via the Hanson Lake Road and highway 135. Its name in Cree is Opawikoscikcan which means "The Narrows of Fear". It is at the narrows that join Mirond and Pelican Lakes which lie between the Sturgeon-Weir and...
and then northwest to the river's source in what is described as a 'stagnant lagoon'. From here the short 400-yard Frog Portage
Frog Portage
Frog Portage or Portage du Traite was one of the most important portages on the voyageur route from eastern Canada to the Mackenzie River basin. It connects the Saskatchewan River and Churchill River basins...
leads north to Trade Lake on the Churchill River
Churchill River (Hudson Bay)
The Churchill River is a major river in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Canada. From the head of the Churchill Lake it is 1,609 km long. It was named after John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and governor of the Hudson's Bay Company from 1685 to 1691...
. The route then went at least 250 miles west up the Churchill River and over the Methye Portage
Methye Portage
The Methye Portage or Portage La Loche in northwestern Saskatchewan was one of the most important portages in the old fur-trade route across Canada. It connected the Mackenzie River basin to rivers that ran east to the Atlantic. It was reached by Peter Pond in 1778 and abandoned in 1883 when...
to the Mackenzie River basin.