During a recent presentation sponsored by the Thunder Bay Museum, a professor at Lakehead University discussed the Boundary Waters-Voyageur Highway segment of the Canadian Heritage Rivers System. Dr. Brian McLaren also talked about a proposal to expand the designation to include the entire historic route from Lake Superior to Lake of the Woods.
The existing designation was enacted in 1996. It includes approximately 155 miles of lakes and rivers along the international border. Canadian Heritage Rivers recognize natural, cultural, and recreational resources, including the region’s rare wildlife, long human history and current use, and its recreational values like fishing and canoeing.
It has long been a route for people traveling east to west, from First Nations to fur traders and voyageurs to today’s modern wilderness paddler. McLaren shared a map drawn by a Cree guide for an expedition in 1728 or 1729, showing detailed Native knowledge of the waterways.
The proposal to extend the Heritage River designation to include routes connecting Lake Superior to Lake of the Woods, is supported by several groups. McLaren recognized the Fort Frances Museum, Rainy Lake Conservancy, Quetico Provincial Park, Fort William Historical Park, and the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority, among others.
The additions to the Heritage River would include both portions of the Border Route along the international border, and northern routes through Canada that connect different parts of the region along the Dog River and other waterways.
As part of the process to add the new segments to the Heritage River system, McLaren told the audience that the Rainy Lake Conservancy recently agreed to serve as the western zone manager, while the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority agreed to serve the eastern half.
McLaren noted numerous sites along the proposed route additions that meet the criteria of natural, cultural, and recreational resources. There is Namakan Falls, named for the lake sturgeon that congregate there in huge numbers to spawn. The word Namakan roughly translates to “grandfather fish” in Anishinabe, a nod to the fish’s lifespan that can reach 100 or more years, and its ancient origins hundreds of millions of years ago.
One species of endangered dragonfly and five threatened species are known to live and breed along the route. In total more than 80 species of dragonflies and damselflies have been identified. Four hundred species of plants have been identified, with 13 considered rare.
Effigy mounds created by Indigenous people are known along the Dog River, another part of the proposed route.
The route also crosses the traditional territory of 11 First Nations, and includes two of Canada’s Treaty areas, three Métis communities, and many other small Indigenous communities. The existing route passes by 124 known cultural sites, including quarries, pictographs, campsites, and portages. It also spans five Provincial Parks and the regional centers of Thunder Bay and Fort Frances.
McLaren recognized First Nations who call the region home and acknowledged the fact that colonial Canada had taken the land by forcing First Nations off it.
“By recognizing our shared history, good and bad, we can move forward,” he said. The extended Lake Superior to Lake of the Woods Heritage River would be part of better understanding that history, and including it in the experience and management of the region.
More information:
- Boundary Waters-Voyageur Waterway – Canadian Heritage Rivers System
- StoryMap: The Boundary Waters/Voyageur Waterway
