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Nipigon Canoe Route, The

Indigenous peoples who hunted and traded here thousands of years ago developed a water route by which they could travel from Lake Superior to James Bay via Lake Nipigon and the Albany River. Archaeologists have unearthed evidence that people living in the Lake Nipigon region were part of an intricate system of trade that extended to the Atlantic coast. In the 1600s, native people began to share their knowledge of canoe travel on North American waterways with European explorers and traders. During the fur trade era, the Nipigon water route became a scene of intense rivalry between English traders on Hudson Bay and French, then Scottish, traders based on the St Lawrence River.

Location

In Five Mile Park on Lake Helen, on Highway 11, 7 km north of Highway 17

Region: Northern Ontario

County/District: District of Thunder Bay

Municipality: Township of Nipigon

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