Petite rivière à l'Ours (rivière à l'Ours) - South facts for kids

The Petite rivière à l'Ours - South is a river in Quebec, Canada. Its name means 'Little Bear River' in English. This river is a branch of the Rivière à l'Ours. It flows through the Lac-Ashuapmushuan area and the town of Sainte-Hedwidge. These places are part of the Le Domaine-du-Roy Regional County Municipality in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region.

The valley where the Little Bear River flows has many forest roads. These roads help people get around. The main activity here is forestry, which means managing forests and cutting trees for wood. People also enjoy recreational tourism in the Zec de la Lièvre area. This includes fun outdoor activities like hiking or fishing.

During winter, the river usually freezes. This happens from early December until late March. However, areas with fast-moving water (rapids) might not freeze completely. It's generally safe to walk or travel on the ice from mid-December to mid-March.

Where the River Starts and Flows

The Petite rivière à l'Ours - South begins at a place called Three Islands Lake. This lake is about 1.8 km (1.1 mi) long and sits high up at 450 m (1,480 ft) above sea level. It's located in the Zec de la Lièvre area. Other smaller lakes, like Lac Paul, also feed water into Three Islands Lake.

The starting point of the river is:

• About 32.3 km (20.1 mi) south of Saint-Félicien.
• Around 14.2 km (8.8 mi) southwest of Sainte-Hedwidge.
• About 6.8 km (4.2 mi) south of where the Little Bear River joins the main Rivière à l'Ours.

From Three Islands Lake, the Little Bear River flows for about 11.2 km (7.0 mi). It drops about 100 m (330 ft) in height along its journey. Most of its path goes through forests.

The River's Journey

The river's path can be broken down into a few parts:

• For the first 3.4 km (2.1 mi), it flows east. It makes a big loop to the south, then hooks back north. It also picks up water from a stream coming from the north. It continues east until it meets the water from Lac Émile.
• Next, for 4.0 km (2.5 mi), it heads northwest. It goes through a marshy area and crosses a lake called Lake Nemrods, which is 1.2 km (0.75 mi) long. It also collects water from Lake Linotte and from lakes Maurice and l'Orignal.
• Finally, for 3.8 km (2.4 mi), it flows north. It picks up water from another stream and forms some small winding paths. This part leads to where it joins the main river.

Where the River Ends

The Petite rivière à l'Ours - South flows into the Rivière à l'Ours. This meeting point is on the southeast side of the Rivière à l'Ours.

This spot is located:

• About 25.5 km (15.8 mi) south of Saint-Félicien.
• Around 11.4 km (7.1 mi) west of Sainte-Hedwidge.
• About 27 km (17 mi) southwest of where the Ashuapmushuan River flows into Lac Saint-Jean.
• Around 27.6 km (17.1 mi) southwest of Roberval.

From this point, the water from the Petite rivière à l'Ours - South continues its long journey. It flows down the Rivière à l'Ours for 52.1 km (32.4 mi). Then, it joins the Ashuapmushuan River for 7.3 km (4.5 mi). After that, it crosses the entire Lac Saint-Jean for 41.1 km (25.5 mi). Finally, it follows the Saguenay River for 172.3 km (107.1 mi) all the way to Tadoussac. There, it mixes with the waters of the Saint Lawrence Estuary, which leads to the Atlantic Ocean.

What's in a Name?

The Rivière à l'Ours actually has two smaller rivers named "Little Bear River" that flow into it. The river we are talking about in this article is the one that flows from the south.

The name "Little Bear River" for this specific southern branch was officially recognized on February 25, 1976. This was done by the Commission de toponymie du Québec, which is like a special group that names places in Quebec.