The "Nepigon"

“It was composed of a large river that varied in width from 50 to 200 yards, with a voluminous flow of water.

In its 32-mile southerly course from  Lake Nipigon, it once descended 313 feet over 15 well- accelerated rapids and seven waterfalls, losing its identity only temporarily when it flowed through four lakes.

It has been described as having three ecologies: 10 miles of lakes, 10 miles of river, and 10 miles of rapids.”

On the Nipigon River, over-fishing in the 1800s and the creation of dams from the 1920s to the 1950s, lead to habitat destruction and fluctuating water. Consequently, from the 1960s to the 1980s, brook trout on the river became increasingly rare. A brook trout rehabilitation plan was developed in 1989, and various fisheries management programs have taken place since then in an effort to protect brook trout populations and improve water levels.

Étienne Brulé along Lake Superior at Nipigon River, 1620s

Cultural History of the Nipigon

Since the last ice age, Aboriginal people have inhabited the area around Lake Nipigon. These nomadic hunters and gatherers relied on the fish, wild plants, small game and big game (likely caribou) in the area. Trade routes were developed and expanded during these early times. Extensive exchange networks were established which stretched from the eastern seaboard to the Rocky Mountains. These routes were used for thousands of years to transport trade materials over great distances (Old Fort William 2000). These routes and the intimate knowledge the Natives had of the landscape, were the foundations upon which the historical fur trade was built.

    European entrepreneurs arrived at the mouth of the Nipigon River in the early 1650s, drawn by the seemingly limitless beaver, otter, fox and muskrat associated with the Nipigon waterways (OMNR 1987). The first well documented excursion to Lake Nipigon dates back to 1667 when Father Claude Allouez, a Jesuit Missionary, came in search of a band of Nipissing Indians who had fled southern Ontario in the wake of the Iroquois wars of 1650 (Allouez 1672). The Hudson Bay Company was created in 1670 with the support of King Charles II of England. Company posts were established along the Hudson Bay coast and the company conducted trade by having the Natives travel to them. In order to reach the Albany River, Native traders traveled in freighter canoes constructed from white cedar, birchbark, rootlets and spruce gum (Hudson Bay Company 2002). The area around Lake Nipigon became the most profitable furbearing district along the north shore of Lake Superior.

    The French, having lost a large portion of the trade, moved into the interior of Northern Ontario to establish trading posts. It was more convenient for the Natives of the northern forest to trade with the French who were close by, rather than to travel the Albany River to James Bay. Consequently, trade with the Hudson’s Bay company declined dramatically. Thus ensued a long battle between the English and the French for the fur trade. The Nipigon Basin was at the centre of this conflict and was the site of many fur trading posts. These Montreal fur traders banded together in 1779 to reduce expenses and eliminate the rivalry between individual traders. The group became known as the North West Company and grew into the Hudson Bay Company’s fiercest competitor (MNR 1987). In 1786, the North West Company built their first post in the Nipigon area at the mouth of the Nipigon River called Nipigon River House (Umfreville 1929). By 1800, the North West Company dominated the fur trade in northern Ontario.

Shooting the rapids in the early 1900's

I created this interactive map from a public document I found in the National Archives in Ottawa. It is a 'turn-of-the-century' depiction of what the river was like prior to any dam construction.

The "Nepigon"
“is the finest trout stream in the world.” (Field & Stream 1887)

Nipigon River History