The Bonaventure River is a river in the

Gaspé Peninsula The Gaspé Peninsula, also known as Gaspesia (; ), is a peninsula along the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River that extends from the Matapedia Valley in Quebec, Canada, into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. It is separated from New Brunswick o ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

, Canada. It rises in the

Chic-Choc Mountains The Chic-Choc Mountains, also spelled Shick Shocks, is a mountain range in the central region of the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec, Canada. It is a part of the Notre Dame Mountains, which is a continuation of the Appalachian Mountains. History The ...

and flows south to empty into

Baie des Chaleurs frame, Satellite image of Chaleur Bay (NASA). Chaleur Bay is the large bay in the centre of the image; the Gaspé Peninsula is to the north and the Gulf of St. Lawrence is seen to the east.">Gulf_of_St._Lawrence.html" ;"title="Gaspé Peninsula ...

near the town of

Bonaventure, Quebec Bonaventure is a town on the Gaspé Peninsula in the Bonaventure Regional County Municipality of Quebec. It is located on Baie des Chaleurs near the mouth of the Bonaventure River. The town is situated on Route 132 between Saint-Siméon and Ne ...

. The river is about long. The

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

Mi'kmaq The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Miꞌkmaw'' or ''Miꞌgmaw''; ; ) are a First Nations people of the Northeastern Woodlands, indigenous to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec as well as the northe ...

called the river ''Wagamet'', meaning "clear water". The river is still noted for its clear, cold water, making it well known as a great place for

Atlantic Salmon The Atlantic salmon (''Salmo salar'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Salmonidae. It is the third largest of the Salmonidae, behind Siberian taimen and Pacific Chinook salmon, growing up to a meter in length. Atlantic salmon are ...

fishing and recreational

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...

. The origin of the river's name is uncertain. It may come from the French ''bonne aventure'' (meaning "good fortune"); or named in honour of

Simon-Pierre Denys de Bonaventure Simon-Pierre Denys de Bonaventure (22 June 1659 – 7 February 1711) was born in Trois-Rivières, Québec to Pierre Denys de La Ronde and Catherine Le Neuf. He became an officer in the colonial troupes de la marine of New France and was hea ...

; or named after the ship ''Bonaventure'' of Lord La Court de Pré-Ravillon et de Granpré who entered the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in 1591. In any case, this name was already in use in 1697 when Governor

Louis de Buade de Frontenac Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac et de Palluau (; 22 May 162228 November 1698) was a French soldier, courtier, and Governor General of New France in North America from 1672 to 1682, and again from 1689 to his death in 1698. He established a nu ...

and Superintendent

Jean Bochart de Champigny Jean Bochart de Champigny, Sieur de Noroy et de Verneuil, chevalier (after 1645 – December 1720), was Intendant of New France The Intendant of New France was an administrative position in the French colony of New France. He controlled the colony ...

granted both sides of the river as the Seignory of the Bonavanture River to Charles-Henry de La Croix. File:Riviere Bonaventure 1898.jpg, Bonaventure River circa 1898 File:Passerelle suspendue rivière Bonaventure.jpg, Footbridge over the Bonaventure

References

Rivers of Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine Gaspé Peninsula {{Quebec-river-stub

See also

References