Nemiscau facts for kids
Nemiscau (also called Old Nemaska) is a small Cree community in northern Quebec, Canada. It is located right by Lake Nemiscau. The Cree people are one of the largest groups of First Nations in North America.
A Special Friend to the Cree
In the middle of the 1900s, a chemistry professor named Thomas Nelson Dodd Jr. visited Nemiscau. He was from New Jersey in the United States. Dr. Dodd met the Cree people while canoeing in the area.
He became good friends with them. Every summer, he would return to Nemiscau to help the community. He was like a one-person aid worker.
Dr. Dodd spent years learning about the Cree way of life. He wrote down their spoken language, which had never been written before. He also recorded their traditions and daily habits.
He convinced the Canadian government to build modern homes for the Cree people. His work was so important that he received a grant of $15,000 in 1961. This money came from the American Philosophic Society.
Dr. Dodd kept coming back to Nemiscau every summer. Sadly, in July 1965, he passed away in a plane crash. He was on his way to Nemiscau at the time.
Nemiscau's History and Return
Nemiscau was once home to a Hudson's Bay Company trading post. This was a place where people traded goods. The post closed down in 1970.
In the mid-1970s, the community of Nemiscau was left empty. This happened because Hydro-Québec, a power company, planned to build a hydro-electric dam. This dam would have flooded the area where Nemiscau was located.
Because of this plan, the people living in Nemiscau had to move. They went to other Cree communities like Waskaganish and Mistissini. A new community called Nemaska was built for them.
However, the plans for the dam were later cancelled. This meant the area would not be flooded after all. So, the Cree people who used to live in Nemiscau have started to come back.
Today, Nemiscau is mostly used as a summer camp. Only a few people live there all year round.
Nemiscau's Climate
Nemiscau has a type of weather called a warm-summer humid continental climate. This means it has mild to warm summers. The nights in summer are cool.
The winters in Nemiscau are very cold. They last for about half of the year.
| Climate data for Nemiscau | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −13.0 (8.6) |
−10.0 (14.0) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
5.1 (41.2) |
14.8 (58.6) |
20.1 (68.2) |
21.9 (71.4) |
20.5 (68.9) |
16.1 (61.0) |
7.5 (45.5) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
−8.4 (16.9) |
5.9 (42.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −23.2 (−9.8) |
−21.5 (−6.7) |
−15.5 (4.1) |
−5.8 (21.6) |
2.0 (35.6) |
7.9 (46.2) |
10.8 (51.4) |
10.1 (50.2) |
6.2 (43.2) |
0.4 (32.7) |
−5.9 (21.4) |
−16.8 (1.8) |
−4.3 (24.3) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1mm) | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 108 |
| Source: http://www.storm247.com/weather/105839292/climate | |||||||||||||
