The Berens River is a

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

in the provinces of

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

and

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. It flows west from an unnamed lake in

Kenora District Kenora District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. The district seat is the City of Kenora. It is geographically the largest division in Ontario: at , it covers 38 percent of the province's area, making it large ...

, Ontario, and discharges its waters into

Lake Winnipeg Lake Winnipeg (french: Lac Winnipeg, oj, ᐑᓂᐸᑲᒥᐠᓴᑯ˙ᑯᐣ, italics=no, Weenipagamiksaguygun) is a very large, relatively shallow lake in North America, in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Manitoba, Canada. I ...

near the

community A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, tow ...

and First Nation of Berens River, Manitoba. The river has a number of lakes along its course, and many rapids.

History

The river has been a

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

traditional hunting and fishing area for thousands of years. It was first travelled by European explorers in 1767, who descended the river to Lake Winnipeg after having crossed over from the Severn River. The river was named for Joseph Berens, then governor or the

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business di ...

(HBC). Several HBC posts and one of the Northwest Company were established at the mouth, upriver, and even at the mouth of the Pigeon River further south, the first in 1814. The river system became an HBC trade route.

Natural history

Berens River is one of the last remaining fresh water rivers in southern Canada with very little development, no major roads, and with

woodland caribou Woodland caribou may refer to two North American reindeer (''Rangifer tarandus'') populations: * Boreal woodland caribou The boreal woodland caribou (''Rangifer tarandus caribou''; but subject to a recent taxonomic revision. See Reindeer: taxo ...

habitat.

Transportation

The Ontario Government announced funding in 2009 for "…design, surveying, environmental assessments and other steps required before construction can begin" for a permanent bridge on the existing

winter road A winter road is a seasonal road only usable during the winter, i.e. it has to be re-built every year. This road typically runs over land and over frozen lakes, rivers, swamps, and sea ice.Proskin et al, 2011. Guidelines for the Construction an ...

between the all-weather road connecting to Ontario Highway 125 to the south and the

Deer Lake First Nation Deer Lake First Nation (Oji-Cree: ᐊᑎᑯ ᓴᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ) is an Oji-Cree First Nations band government in Northern Ontario, located north of Red Lake, Ontario Canada. It is one of the few First Nations in Ontario to have signed Treaty 5. It ...

North Spirit Lake First Nation North Spirit Lake First Nation ( Oji-Cree: ᒣᒣᑴᔑ ᓴᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ)Nishnawbe-Aski Legal Services Corporation - Annual Report 2013-2014https://nanlegal.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/nalsc-annual-report-2013-14.pdf/ref> is a small Oji-Cr ...

and

Sandy Lake First Nation Sandy Lake First Nation (or ᓀᑲᣞ ᓵᑲᐦᐃᑲᓃᐣᐠ, Negaw-zaaga'iganiing Nitam-Anishinaabe) is an independent Oji-Cree First Nations band government. The First Nations community, in the west part of Northern Ontario, is located in t ...

to the north. The bridge would be located on the Berens River east and upstream of Berens Lake.

Settlements

*Berens River, Manitoba *

Little Grand Rapids, Manitoba Little Grand Rapids is a community in east central Manitoba, Canada, near the Ontario border. It is located approximately 280 kilometers or 173 miles north-northeast from Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is a fly-in community, with only a winter road. ...

, on Family Lake about southeast of the mouth of the river. *

Poplar Hill First Nation Poplar Hill First Nation ( oj, Obazaadiikaang, ᐅᐸᓴᑎᑲᐠ) is an Anishinaabe (Ojibway) First Nation band government, approximately 120 km north of Red Lake near the Ontario-Manitoba border. The First Nation is accessible by air an ...

, Ontario *

Pikangikum First Nation The Pikangikum First Nation (, Ojibwe: ''Bigaanjigamiing'', unpointed ᐱᑲᐣᒋᑲᒥᐠ,,pointed ᐱᑳᐣᒋᑲᒦᐣᐠ) is an Ojibwe First Nation located on the Pikangikum 14 Reserve, in Unorganized Kenora District in Northwestern Ontar ...

, Ontario

Tributaries

*Keeper River (left) *Crooked Mouth River (right) *Pikangikum Lake **Dowling River (left) *Throat River (right) *Windfall Creek (left) *Owl Creek (left) *Mamakwash River (left) * Whitefish River (right) *Serpent River (left)

References