Historic Indigenous canoe portage route near Timmins revitalized by conservationists and EACOM
Laurent Robichaud--a member of the ' Friends of the Grassy River'--is a protector of rivers and watersheds in Timmins and its surrounding region.
A goal has been to work with others to revitalize a historic Indigenous canoe route.
When they learned that EACOM Timber Corporation would be building a road and harvesting trees near 'Little Hawk Portage,' located between Mattagami First Nation and Matachewan, they worked with the company to preserve it.
“This was a route over a heights of land, basically connecting the Arctic and Atlantic watershed so before the rails came through it was a route well travelled at least one-hundred years in the fur trade period from Fort Mattagami to Fort Matachewan," said Laurent Robichaud, member of 'Friends of the Grassy River.'
EACOM officials said trees from the area (Timiskaming Forest Management Plan) will feed its sawmill in Elk Lake, and as a result of public input and Robichaud's efforts, the company's made some accommodations regarding 'Little Hawk Portage.'
“Including a one-hundred and twenty metre area of concern around the intersection between the road and the trail," said Christine Leduc, a woodlands supervisor with EACOM Timber Corporation. 'We also committed not to having any grubbing which is where you remove vegetation in that area. We did also narrow down the right of way for the road that would be crossing the portage to fifteen metres. It will also be slope-friendly for portages at the trail.”
It's Robichaud's and the hope of others that people will travel this route again. This summer, he and a teacher from Keewaytinook Internet High School brought some youths from Mattagami First Nation on a visit to the portage site.
“Mattagami in Ojibway literally means meeting of the waters so the name of their community ... refers to the fact that Mattagami is at the connection of these two major watersheds ... so it’s completely relevant to where they live and a lot of them had never been there," said Ian Vaithilingam, teacher with Keewaytinook Internet High School.
Robichaud said the comforts we enjoy today are a result of travel and battles in the past and it's places like 'Little Hawk Portage' that help us remember why we are here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.