Petite-Nation River facts for kids
The Petite-Nation River is a river in western Quebec, Canada. It starts in the Laurentian Mountains and flows into the Ottawa River near Plaisance, Quebec. The river is about 97 kilometres (60 mi) long.
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A River with History
The river's name comes from the French words for "little nation." This refers to the Weskarini, a group of Algonquin who lived in this area long ago. Their name means "people of the little nation."
Early Land Owners
The valley of the Petite-Nation River was once part of a large piece of land called the Seigneury de la Petite-Nation. A "seigneury" was like a big estate or property in early French Canada. The first owner was Lord François de Laval, who was the first archbishop of New France.
Later, in the early 1800s, a man named Joseph Papineau bought this land. He then sold it to his son, Louis-Joseph Papineau, in 1817. Louis-Joseph Papineau was a very important person in Quebec's history. His brother, Denis-Benjamin Papineau, also became a lord of the seigneury.
The Papineau Estate Changes Hands
For many years, the Papineau family owned this large area. But in 1929, their estate was sold. It became a private club called the Seigniory Club. Later, a hotel company, now known as Fairmont, bought the club.
The Sawmill Village
Louis-Joseph Papineau built a sawmill on the river at a place called the Chutes du Diables Falls. A village grew around this mill, and it was named North Nation Mills. Pine logs were floated down the river to the mill to be cut into lumber.
Mill Owners Over Time
The sawmill was very important for the area. Over the years, its owners changed several times. After the Papineau family, the mill was owned by the Cooke family, then the Gilmour family, and finally by the Edwards and McClarens families. The village of North Nation Mills was taken down in 1920 after the sawmill closed.
The River Today
The area near where the Petite-Nation River meets the Ottawa River was flooded because of a dam built by Hydro-Québec on the Ottawa River. Today, there is a Quebec park located in this beautiful area.
There is also another river called the South Nation River in Ontario, which also flows into the Ottawa River.
