French River (Ontario)

The French River flows through typical Canadian Shield country, in many places exposing rugged glaciated rock but also through heavily forested areas on the upper portion. The mouth of the river contains countless islands and numerous channels which vary from narrow, enclosed steep-walled gorges, falls and rapids, to broad expanses of open water.

Tributaries of this river include the:

• Wanapitei River
• Pillow River
• Murdock River
• Wolseley River
• Little French River
• Pickerel River
• Restoule River
• Hall River

File:Steamship Kawigamog in northern Ontario (cropped).png carried cargo and passengers on the Pickerel River, a tributary of the French River system from 1913 to 1928.]]

{{see also|Canadian canoe routes (early)}}

It was used as a transportation corridor by the Algonquian peoples of this region. The Ojibwa named it Emitigoozhii-ziibi.Bill Steer, [https://www.thesudburystar.com/news/local-news/past-and-future-collide-at-the-french-river "Past and future collide at the French River"]. North Bay Nugget, August 29, 2019. It became known to Europeans as the "French River" because it became associated with French explorers of the 17th century, including Étienne Brûlé, Samuel de Champlain and Pierre-Esprit Radisson, and missionaries.

Other explorers who later followed this route included Simon Fraser, Alexander Mackenzie and David Thompson.

Together with the Ottawa and Mattawa Rivers, the French River formed part of the water highway from Montreal to Lake Superior in the days of the fur trade. It remained a major canoe route until about 1820. Around 1855,{{Cite web|url = http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/railway-history/|title = Railway History|access-date = 2016-01-17|publisher = Historica Canada|last = Marsh|first = James}} the Grand Trunk Railway provided newfound access to the area and the Georgian Bay. This led to increased exploration and interest for fishing and logging during the era of the Industrial Revolution. After the Great Chicago Fire in 1871,{{Cite web|url =https://www.chicagohs.org/history/fire.html|title =The Great Chicago Fire|access-date =2016-01-17|url-status =dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20160101150145/http://chicagohs.org/history/fire.html|archive-date =2016-01-01}} there was a boom in logging along with the creation of Lumber barons in the Great Lakes. The French River was "ripe for the picking with its seemingly inexhaustible supply of timber and proximity to the American markets".{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=8aAuKvt5OiAC&q=Chicogo&pg=PA57|title = Capturing the French River|date = 25 May 2007|access-date = 2016-01-17|last = Kelly|first = Wayne|isbn = 9781897045237}}

Near the end of the 19th century, logging became the primary activity in the area. It was later settled as a summer tourist and recreation area. For this reason, the French River was designated a Canadian Heritage River in 1985.{{Cite web|url =http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/planning_pdf/fren/fren-pmp-1985.pdf|title =French River Provincial Park Management Plan|access-date =January 17, 2016|url-status =dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120523065906/http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/planning_pdf/fren/fren-pmp-1985.pdf|archive-date =May 23, 2012}} Because of the rugged nature of the Canadian Shield country surrounding this river, large parts of this river remain relatively untouched and it is now a popular location for recreational canoeing, kayaking, photography, camping, fishing and boating.

Following bouts of overfishing, in 1994 the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources placed a slot limit on fishing to protect prime breeding year classes and increase the trophy fish population in the French River.

{{Infobox protected area

| name = French River Provincial Park

| iucn_category = II

| photo = French River Provincial Park- French River Gorge-Albon-Ontario.jpg

| photo_caption =

| location = Ontario, Canada

| nearest_city = French River
Noëlville

| coordinates = {{coord|46|01|55|N|80|19|31|W|display=inline}}{{cite cgndb |FEUUV |French River Provincial Park}}

| area_km2 = 517.40

| established = 1989

| visitation_num = 12,124

| visitation_year = 2022

| visitation_ref = {{Cite web |publisher=Ontario Parks |title=Ontario_Parks-Visitation-Statistics 2022 - Ministries |url=https://files.ontario.ca/moe_mapping/downloads/3Land/Parks/Ontario_Parks-Visitation_Statistics_2022.xlsx |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=data.ontario.ca}}

| governing_body = Ontario Parks

}}

Most of the river's shores from Lake Nipissing to the Georgian Bay, except for the land occupied by the Dokis First Nation between the Upper, Middle and Lower French River, have been protected and designated as a provincial waterway park. There are 230 undeveloped back-country campsites available in the park along the river. French River continues to attract vacationers and cottage owners who enjoy the clear water, superb fishing, rocky shores and pine growth forests.

{{clear right}}

• List of rivers of Ontario
• French River, Ontario
• French River Provincial Park Visitor Centre

{{reflist|refs=

{{cite news

| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=l2a6CwAAQBAJ&q=Astrid+Taim

| title = Astrid Taim's Almaguin Chronicles 2-Book Bundle: Almaguin / Almaguin Chronicles

| author = Astrid Taim

| publisher = Dundurn Press

| year = 2016

| pages = 380–392

| isbn = 9781459737006

| access-date = 2018-09-08

}}

}}

• {{cite book |last=Mason |first=Joe |date=1974 |title=My Sixteenth Winter: An Account of Logging on the French River |location=Cobalt, Ontario |publisher=Highway Book Shop |isbn=9780889540415}}

{{Commons category}}

{{Americana Poster|year=1920|French River}}

• [https://www.ontarioparks.com/park/frenchriver Ontario Parks French River website]
• [https://chrs.ca/en/rivers/french-river CHRS French River website]

{{Ontario parks}}

{{Greatlakes}}

{{Canadian Heritage Rivers System}}

Category:French River (Ontario)

Category:Canadian Heritage Rivers

Category:Rivers of Nipissing District

Category:Rivers of Sudbury District

Category:Tributaries of Georgian Bay

Category:Rivers of Parry Sound District