Missinaibi
Missinaibi is a mapped river in the YearMaps hydrographic index. River courses organise settlement, agriculture and frontier-making more durably than any political boundary, and this reach is indexed against the dams, lakes and cities within its catchment.
- Feature Class
- River
- Coordinates
- 50.29°, -82.70°
About Missinaibi
The Missinaibi River is a river in northern Ontario, Canada, which flows northeast from Missinaibi Lake, north of Chapleau, and empties into the Moose River, which drains into James Bay. This river (including Missinaibi Lake and Moose River to James Bay) is 755 kilometres (469 mi) in length. It is one of the longest free-flowing and undeveloped rivers in Ontario.
The river's name (masinâpôy sîpiy, ᒪᓯᓈᐴᔾ ᓰᐱᔾ) means "pictured waters" in the Cree language which is thought to refer to the pictographs found on rock faces along the river.
At Thunderhouse Falls, which is actually a chain of relatively small waterfalls connected by violent rapids, the river drops 40 metres, part of its descent from the Canadian Shield to the Hudson Bay Lowlands.
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: Missinaibi River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Missinaibi in Depth
History
In fur trade days the Missinaibi was the main route between James Bay and Lake Superior. The route was: James Bay, Moose Factory, Moose River, Missinaibi River, Missinaibi Lake, portage probably via Crooked Lake, Dog Lake, Michipicoten River to Fort Michipicoten on Lake Superior. Trade was contested by the English from the north and the French from the south. In 1774 the Hudson's Bay Company began building posts in the interior. In 1775-76 Edward Jarvis from Henley House went up the Kenogami River, crossed to the Missinaibi and went down to Michicopicten. In 1781 Philip Turnor surveyed the Missinaibi route to Michicopicten.
Wapiscogamy House: In 1776 Thomas Atkinson from Fort Albany, Ontario went 200 miles upriver and established Wapiscogamy House on the west bank of the river.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Missinaibi River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Missinaibi: Key Facts
| Length | 426 km |
|---|---|
| Drainage basin | 23,500 km² |
| Source | Missinaibi Lake |
| Mouth | Moose River |
| Drainage system | Moose River basin |
| Tributaries | Pivabiska River, Greenhill River, Fire River, Mattawishkwia River |
Facts from Wikidata Q59480 (CC0).
Major River Dossiers
Hand-written studies of the great river systems of history.
Connected Reaches
Nearby watercourses in the same drainage network.
Water Bodies in the Catchment
Settlements Along the Reach
Hydraulic Infrastructure Nearby
Surrounding Terrain
Missinaibi: Quick Answers
- Where is Missinaibi?
- Missinaibi is located in Canada, at 50.2945° N, 82.7046° W.
- Are there dams on the Missinaibi?
- No dam on the Missinaibi is recorded in the YearMaps dam index, which covers major structures only.