Maheu River facts for kids

The Maheu River is a small river in Quebec, Canada. It flows through three towns on Île d'Orléans: Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, Saint-Laurent-de-l'Île-d'Orléans, and Saint-Jean-de-l'Île-d'Orléans. This area is part of the Capitale-Nationale region.

The lower part of the river valley has a main road called Chemin Royale (also known as Route 368). This road runs along the southeast side of Île d'Orléans. In the upper part of the valley, people mostly work in forestry, which means they manage forests and cut trees. In the lower part, farming is the main activity.

The Maheu River usually freezes over from early December until the end of March. It's generally safe to walk or play on the ice from mid-December to mid-March. The amount of water in the river changes with the seasons and how much rain or snow falls. The biggest flood, called the spring flood, happens in March or April when the snow melts.

Where the Maheu River Starts and Flows

The Maheu River begins in a forest in Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans. It starts from a very small, unnamed lake that's less than 100 meters long. This lake is about 136 meters (446 feet) above sea level. The river's source is near the Route des Prêtres. It's about 1.7 kilometers (1.1 miles) southeast of the center of Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans. It's also about 2.7 kilometers (1.7 miles) northeast of the Saint Lawrence River.

From its start, the Maheu River flows for about 11.8 kilometers (7.3 miles). It drops about 132 meters (433 feet) from its source to its mouth.

Here's how the river flows:

• For the first 5.9 kilometers (3.7 miles), it flows northeast through a forest in Saint-Pierre-de-l'Île-d'Orléans. It crosses the Route des Prêtres and picks up water from a small stream.
• Next, for 4.0 kilometers (2.5 miles), it turns east. It enters Saint-Laurent-de-l'Île-d'Orléans and then flows into an area with farms. It then bends north and enters Saint-Jean-de-l'Île-d'Orléans.
• Finally, for 1.9 kilometers (1.2 miles), it flows southeast through farmland. It forms a loop to the east and goes over some rapids before reaching its end.

The Maheu River empties into a small bay called Rade Maheu in Saint-Jean-de-l'Île-d'Orléans. This bay is where the towns of Saint-Jean-de-l'Île-d'Orléans and Saint-Laurent-de-l'Île-d'Orléans meet. A bridge for Route 368 crosses this bay. At low tide, the bay is about 0.24 kilometers (0.15 miles) wide. It connects to the Saint Lawrence River, which is about 3.2 meters (10.5 feet) wide at this spot.

Why is it Called Maheu River?

The Maheu River is named after a person named René Maheu. He was a river pilot, which means he helped guide boats on the river. He was given land in this area in 1651. René Maheu was from Paris, France. He was also the nephew of Louis Hébert, who was one of the very first European settlers in New France (which is now Canada).

René Maheu was in another part of Canada called Acadia in 1610 and 1612. He received his first land grant in New France in 1637. He got married in France in 1648 to Marguerite Courivault (also known as Corriveau). When René Maheu passed away in 1661, his land went to his son, Jean-Paul Maheu. Marguerite Corriveau was put in charge of René Maheu's younger children.

An old map from 1659 shows that the land owned by the Maheu family included this river. Back then, it was called the "Saint-Louis river" on Île d'Orléans. This river used to drain a swamp that people called "Lac à Maheu" (Maheu's Lake). In 1689, both "Lac à Maheu" and the river with the same name appeared on a map.

Over time, people dug ditches and streams, which caused the swamp to dry up. Because of this, the name "Lac à Maheu" disappeared from maps. So, the name of the family who owned the land, Maheu, became more popular than "Saint-Louis river" for the waterway.

The official name "Rivière Maheu" was made official on December 5, 1968. This was done by the Commission de toponymie du Québec, which is the group in Quebec that names places.