The Dumoine River drains a remarkable wild watershed in southwestern Quebec. Its headwaters lie in the boreal forest landscape of La Vérendrye wildlife reserve and it ultimately flows into the Ottawa River about 200 kilometres upstream from Ottawa/Gatineau.
The Dumoine is…
The opportunity to create a large protected area in this basin exists under the Quebec Strategy on Protected Areas (SQAP). The Ottawa Valley chapter of CPAWS has concrete goals for long-term protection of the Dumoine River and its expertise is based on field work experience and strong land protection in western Quebec and Eastern Ontario. The protection of Dumoine is a priority for CPAWS.
CPAWS-OV is working to ensure that a protected area is established in the majority of the 4400 sq. km Dumoine watershed, and that any forestry operations taking place in the remainder of the watershed are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
Over the last few years, the movement to protect the Dumoine River watershed as been stronger than ever, we are now looking at establishing a core protected area which encompasses the majority of the watershed and encouraging forestry certification in the remaining part.
Concerned citizens have been trying to raise awareness to preserve this wonder of southern Quebec for over 75 years. Over 3000 postcards have been submitted to the Quebec Minister of Sustainable Development, the Environment and Parks (Ministère du Développement durable de l’Environnement et des Parcs) to support the proposal for a core protected area in the Dumoine watershed.
This page is yours! Add your voice by sending a comment with your name, organization and email address to jmcdonnell@cpaws.org to be added to this page.
For more information on the Dumoine River campaign or to get involved, please contact Jay Morrison – Chairman of the Committee at jaymorrison@rogers.com or by phone at (613) 731-0336.
Long ago, Wiskedjak, a prominent character of the Algonqian legends, came across Kiwegoam or the “turn-back lake” (Dumoine Lake). As he walked to the opposite side, he found a round, high, mountain that looked like a beaver lodge. And Wiskedjak wanted to hunt the giant beaver that lived in this lodge. He decided to drain Kiwegoam (Dumoine Lake). While the water was draining, Wiskedjak took a nap. When he woke up, he couldn’t find the beaver, and thought that the beaver has followed the draining water and left the lake. And so, he followed the beaver. He went past the Coulonge River, the Pembroke Lakes, and arrived at Calumet Chutes. But he found nothing. He turned around and began to follow his own tracks, thinking they belonged to the beaver. Finally, after a number of attempts Wiskedjak gave up. Nonetheless, his efforts made a significant contribution: his draining of the Dumoine Lake has created the Dumoine River, while his trail established the Calumet portage, or simply the Wiskedjak tracks (Ottawa River Heritage Designation Committee 2005) (p. 18-21).
Since then, the Dumoine River has developed a strong and inseparable relationship with humans. Here is the untold story of the birth of the Dumoine River until 1600:
Since time immemorial, Nature has patiently carved out many rivers and lakes from the rocks of the Canadian Shield during the last ice age. One of the rivers is Dumoine River.
Taking a north-south course, every spring the Dumoine River helps to drain the water from Northwestern Quebec to the Ottawa River and out to the Atlantic Ocean. This cycle ensures Mother Earth is cleansed. She also provides nourishment for all kinds of living beings who come to her. And so, the Boreal Forest flourished. This rich ancient forest houses a wide variety of animals, such as black bear and moose, beaver, muskrat, and wolf, among its many species of trees such as black spruce, white and red pine, pockets of white cedar, and white and yellow birch. Maples and other deciduous trees become more common as you move down southern part of the river. The forest refreshes the air for Mother Earth to breath.
Then the Algonquians arrived approximately 10 000 years ago. They migrated from the North to the Canadian Shield and slowly moved southwards. They reached the Abitibi-Temiscamingue region and met the Dumoine River, and gave it the name Aginagwasi Sipi. (Ottawa River Heritage Designation Committee 2005). This encounter has given the Dumoine River a new role — to carry the Algonquiens in their canoes as they travel from north to south on the river. Quickly, the Dumoine River was recognized as one of the quickest and most important traveling route to reach the inland region from the Ottawa River. Archaeologists have found evidence along the river which suggested temporary campsites. The evidence further supports the fact that a considerable number of people traveled on the river over time, which indicates that it was an important traveling route during the pre-colonial era. With rivers as their roads and canoes as their vehicles, the people of this land quickly developed integrated long-distance communications networks which facilitated the exchange of ideas, technology and material goods. This network also provided for the formation of alliances and the sharing of traditions and wisdom throughout the region.
Over these ten thousand years, a civilization was born. The Dumoine watershed has witnessed everything: from wars to assimilation, from radical migration to epidemics. Nonetheless, this civilization has always been kept alive by its set of strong and rich oral tradition, which revolves around a great respect for Nature. And undoubtedly, water, coming from all sources, has become a critical and intricate element interwoven into the knowledge/culture of this civilization, or the First Nations as we referred them today.
The people who stayed behind in the area are the Anishinabeg or later referred by the Jesuits as the Algonquins have adopted a nomadic lifestyle in order to harvest seasonal resources. Their rhythm of life embraced winter as the vital season for hunting big game, and summer as the best time for huge gatherings and celebrations such as weddings. We have, to date identified more than 93 archaeological sites along the Dumoine River, which helps us partially understand the inseparable relationship between the Algonquin, the Europeans and the Dumoine. And, there is much more to discover!
Help us to discover this magnificent story by protecting this storied watershed.