Vermilion River (Sudbury District)
Encyclopedia
The Vermilion River is a river
in the Lake Huron
drainage basin
in Sudbury District and Greater Sudbury in Northeastern
Ontario
, Canada
.
(CN) transcontinental
main line
, served by the Via Rail
The Canadian passenger train. The river then turns southeast through Thor Lake and begins a long stretch paralleled by the CN line. It heads through Post Lake and past the settlement of Laforest to reach Baseline Lake and the settlement of Raphoe. The Vermilion River enters Greater Sudbury near the settlement of Sellwood, takes in the right tributary Roberts River at the settlement of Milnet where it also meets Sudbury Municipal Road 84 (formerly Ontario Highway 545), turns south, and reaches the community of Capreol, where the river and railway line part. The river heads west, takes in the right tributary Rapid River
, passes over the Kettle Rapids, takes in the right tributary Nelson River, turns southwest, passes the community of Rayside-Balfour and takes in the right tributary Onaping River near the community of Onaping Falls. It is crossed by the Canadian Pacific Railway
(CP) transcontinental
main line
, served by the Via Rail Sudbury – White River train passenger train and enters Vermilion Lake
at the middle of the north side. The river exits the lake at the east over the Domtar
Stobie Dam, takes in the left tributary Whitson River, loops southeast then heads south, passes over McFadden Falls, Cascade Falls and Duncan Chute, is crossed by Ontario Highway 17 and reaches McCharles Lake east of the community of Whitefish, and from which point the river forms the boundary between Greater Sudbury and the Whitefish Lake 6
Indian reserve
. At Rat Lake, the river then heads west then southwest, over the Vale Inco Lorne Falls Power Station and dam, enters Nairn and Hyman
township in Sudbury District at Wabagishik Lake, and reaches its mouth at the Spanish River
, in the geographic township of Foster in Unorganized Sudbury just east of the town limit of Espanola
, which flows to the North Channel
on Lake Huron.
production at Lorne station as well as at other generating stations on the Spanish 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 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...
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 Sudbury District and Greater Sudbury in Northeastern
Northeastern Ontario
Northeastern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and east of Lakes Superior and Huron.Northeastern Ontario consists of the districts of Algoma, Sudbury, Cochrane, Timiskaming, Nipissing and Manitoulin; and the single-tier municipality of Greater...
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 an unnamed lake in Unorganized Sudbury, Sudbury District, about 4.7 kilometres (2.9 mi) northwest of the settlement of McKees Camp and the McKee's Camp railway station, and heads north to Tramp Lake where it meets the Canadian National RailwayCanadian 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"....
(CN) 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....
, served by the 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....
The Canadian passenger train. The river then turns southeast through Thor Lake and begins a long stretch paralleled by the CN line. It heads through Post Lake and past the settlement of Laforest to reach Baseline Lake and the settlement of Raphoe. The Vermilion River enters Greater Sudbury near the settlement of Sellwood, takes in the right tributary Roberts River at the settlement of Milnet where it also meets Sudbury Municipal Road 84 (formerly Ontario Highway 545), turns south, and reaches the community of Capreol, where the river and railway line part. The river heads west, takes in the right tributary Rapid River
Rapid River (Sudbury District, Ontario)
The Rapid River is a river in Sudbury District and Greater Sudbury in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. It begins at an unnamed marsh, at an elevation of and just upstream of Osbourne Lake, in Unorganized Sudbury, Sudbury District...
, passes over the Kettle Rapids, takes in the right tributary Nelson River, turns southwest, passes the community of Rayside-Balfour and takes in the right tributary Onaping River near the community of Onaping Falls. It is crossed by the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian 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...
(CP) 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....
, served by the Via Rail Sudbury – White River train passenger train and enters Vermilion Lake
Vermilion Lake (Sudbury)
Vermilion Lake is a lake in the city of Greater Sudbury, Ontario which is situated approximately 33 km west of downtown, in Fairbank Township. The lake's primary inflow and outflow is the Vermilion River. There is also a small creek that flows into Vermillion Lake, Cameron Creek. This creek...
at the middle of the north side. The river exits the lake at the east over the Domtar
Domtar
Domtar Corporation is the largest integrated producer of uncoated freesheet paper in North America and the second largest in the world based on production capacity, and is also a manufacturer of papergrade pulp....
Stobie Dam, takes in the left tributary Whitson River, loops southeast then heads south, passes over McFadden Falls, Cascade Falls and Duncan Chute, is crossed by Ontario Highway 17 and reaches McCharles Lake east of the community of Whitefish, and from which point the river forms the boundary between Greater Sudbury and the Whitefish Lake 6
Whitefish Lake 6, Ontario
Whitefish Lake 6 is a reserve in Ontario, Canada. It is inhabited by the Ojibwa Whitefish Lake First Nation.It is immediately south of the community of Naughton in Greater Sudbury, and is considered part of Greater Sudbury's Census Metropolitan Area...
Indian reserve
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
. At Rat Lake, the river then heads west then southwest, over the Vale Inco Lorne Falls Power Station and dam, enters Nairn and Hyman
Nairn and Hyman, Ontario
Nairn and Hyman is a township in the Canadian province of Ontario. The township, located in the Sudbury District, borders on the southwestern city limits of Greater Sudbury...
township in Sudbury District at Wabagishik Lake, and reaches its mouth at the Spanish River
Spanish River (Ontario)
The Spanish River is a river in Algoma District, Sudbury District and Greater Sudbury in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. It flows in a southerly direction from its headwaters at Spanish Lake and Duke Lake to its mouth at the North Channel on Georgian Bay, Lake Huron just outside of the community...
, in the geographic township of Foster in Unorganized Sudbury just east of the town limit of Espanola
Espanola, Ontario
Espanola is a town in Northern Ontario, Canada, and is the seat of Sudbury District. It is situated on the Spanish River, approximately 70 kilometres west of downtown Sudbury, and just south of the junction of Highway 6 and Highway 17.- History :The name "Espanola" has been attributed to a story...
, which flows to the North Channel
North Channel (Ontario)
The North Channel is the body of water along the north shore of Lake Huron, in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is bordered on the east by Georgian Bay, on the west by the St. Marys River, to the north by the eastern Algoma District and to the south by the islands of Manitoulin, Cockburn,...
on Lake Huron.
River modifications
The Stobie dam as well as other structures on the tributary Onaping River are used to regulate water flow for hydroelectricityHydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
production at Lorne station as well as at other generating stations on the Spanish River.
Hydroelectricity
The Lorne Falls Dam, now owned by Vale Inco, was originally developed by the Lorne Power Company in 1909. Four new projects totalling 11.8 MW have been proposed for the lower Vermillion (in upstream order): Wabagishik Rapid just downstream of Wabagishik Lake; At Soo Crossing near Highway 17; Cascade Falls; and McPherson Falls, between Stobie Dam and Cascade Falls.Tributaries
- Blake Creek (right)
- Muskawin Creek (left)
- McCharles Lake
- Fairbank Creek (right)
- Levey Creek (left)
- Gordon Creek (right)
- Whitson River (left)
- McKenzie Creek (left)
- Vermilion Lake
- Cameron Creek (right)
- Sandcherry Creek (right)
- Nelson River (right)
- Rapid River (right)
- Grassy Creek (left)
- Wisner Creek (right)
- Hutton Creek (right)
- Roberts River (right)
- Bessie Creek (left)
- Lonely Creek (left)
- Burnish Creek (right)
- Helen Creek (left)
- Coonie Creek (left)
- Pilon Creek (left)
External links
- Map showing Vermillion river drainage basin and tributary drainage basins in and around Greater Sudbury