Rivière de Chicago facts for kids

The Chicago River is a small river in the province of Quebec, Canada. It flows into the Rivière du Gouffre from its east side. This river is located in the Capitale-Nationale region.

The Chicago River flows through different areas. These include the regional county municipalities (MRCs) of Charlevoix-Est and Charlevoix Regional County Municipality. Specifically, it passes through La Malbaie, Notre-Dame-des-Monts, and Saint-Hilarion.

Forest roads help people access the lower part of the river valley. Other roads like Chemin du Rang Sainte-Philomène and Chemin du Rang de Chicago Est serve the middle part. The main road, Route 138, is near the upper part. The main jobs in this area are farming and forestry.

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

Where Does the Chicago River Start?

The Chicago River begins at a lake called Lac des Brûlés. This lake is about 1.5 kilometers long and sits at an altitude of 339 meters. It is surrounded by farms and forests. Lac des Brûlés is located west of a small village called La Gadelle, and it's also on the western edge of the town of La Malbaie.

The lake is found southwest of two mountains: Montagne de Saint-Jean-Baptiste and Montagne de la Fée. The water from Lac des Brûlés flows out from its western side. This starting point is about 4.9 kilometers north of the village of Saint-Hilarion. It is also about 17.5 kilometers southwest of the center of La Malbaie.

How the River Flows

From Lac des Brûlés, the Chicago River travels about 9.6 kilometers. It flows through a valley that gets lower by 131 meters from start to finish.

First, the river flows about 2.9 kilometers to the west. It picks up water from a small stream coming from the north. Then, it crosses into the area of Saint-Hilarion. After that, it turns north, going around a marshy area and forming small streams.

Next, the river flows for about 6.7 kilometers. It first goes southwest, then turns northwest. It crosses into the area of Notre-Dame-des-Monts. Along this part, it collects water from another stream called Chaud Stream, which comes from the northeast.

Where the River Ends

The Chicago River joins the Gouffre River on its east bank, in the municipality of Notre-Dame-des-Monts. This meeting point is very close to where another river, the Rivière du Gouffre Sud-Ouest, also joins the Gouffre River.

This mouth of the Chicago River is about 4.6 kilometers southwest of the village center of Notre-Dame-des-Monts. From here, the water flows for about 42 kilometers down the Gouffre River. The Gouffre River eventually empties into the St. Lawrence River near Baie-Saint-Paul.

What's in a Name?

The name "Chicago River" comes from the "Range of Chicago," which is a local area the river flows through. This name has an interesting history. In the second half of the 1800s, some French Canadians from this area moved to Chicago in the United States to find work.

However, they faced some difficulties there. Because of these problems, they decided to return home. They settled north of Saint-Hilarion. This movement of people from Quebec to the United States happened after the Saint-Hilarion-de-Settrington parish was officially created in 1860.

The name "Chicago River" was officially recognized on February 25, 1976. This was done by the Commission de toponymie du Québec, which is like a place names committee in Quebec.

Related Topics

• Charlevoix Regional County Municipality
• Charlevoix-Est, a regional county municipality
• La Malbaie, a city
• Saint-Hilarion, a municipality
• Notre-Dame-des-Monts, a municipality
• Rivière du Gouffre
• St. Lawrence River
• List of rivers of Quebec