The French and Mattawa Rivers (Waterway Provincial Parks - Ontario)

The names of these rivers conjure up images of the Voyageurs - toiling over the portages, hauling their birchbark "Canots de maitre" past the rapids and waterfalls, singing as they paddle past glacier-polished rock. These rivers formed a vital link in the fur trade route from Lachine (Montreal) to Lake Superior and the Northwest. Today, recreational paddlers follow portages unchanged for over 300 years. Listen closely...Do you hear the songs of the Voyageurs?