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
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.