Lake Blouin (french: lac Blouin) is an
ellipse
In mathematics, an ellipse is a plane curve surrounding two focus (geometry), focal points, such that for all points on the curve, the sum of the two distances to the focal points is a constant. It generalizes a circle, which is the special ty ...
shaped
natural fresh water lake in the
Abitibi-Témiscamingue
Abitibi-Témiscamingue () is an List of regions of Quebec, administrative region located in western Québec, Canada, along the border with Ontario. It became part of the province in 1898. It has a land area of and its population was 146,717 peo ...
Administrative Region
Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
,
Quebec,
Canada. The lake, oriented on a southwest–northeast axis, measures in length and has a maximum width of . It is relatively shallow with a maximum depth of , and is located just north of the city of
Val-d’Or
Val-d'Or (, , ; "Golden Valley" or "Valley of Gold") is a city in Quebec, Canada with a population of 32,752 inhabitants according to the Canada 2021 Census. The city is located in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region near La Vérendrye Wildlife ...
, Quebec. It is fed by the Bourlamaque and Senneville rivers and is the
headwater
The headwaters of a river or stream is the farthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or downstream confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river. It is also known as a river's source.
Definition
The ...
of the
Harricana River. All three rivers are situated near its northeastern end. The
shore of lake Blouin is lined with small rocky outcrops and sandy beaches. The lake lies within the
Clay Belt
The Clay Belt is a vast tract of fertile soil stretching between the Cochrane District in Ontario, and Abitibi County in Quebec, covering in total with of that in Ontario. It is generally subdivided into the Great Clay Belt to the north runni ...
, a vast tract of fairly flat land with fertile soil covering in northwest Quebec and northeast Ontario.
Name
Lake Blouin takes its name from Alphonse Blouin, a surveyor for Quebec’s Ministry of Lands and Forests who made a number of journeys to the area in 1905 and 1906
. At the time, the lake was called Pakitanika which means "Lake of the Goose" in the Algonquian language.
History
Lake Blouin played a key role in the development of Val-d’Or and the gold mines on which its economy is based. It was the main access route for prospectors and surveyors at the beginning of the 20th century. In the early 1920s, when a number of gold mines were starting up around what was to become Val-d’Or, Lake Blouin allowed heavy equipment required for mining operations to be transported by boat from the town of
Amos. A dock was built for that purpose at the south east end of the lake in 1925. Settlers and miners also use this route to access the area.
As early as 1920, the lake was used as landing site for floatplanes providing services to the area. In 1946, a dock and fuelling station for these planes was opened on the south east shore of the lake. In 1949, a daily flight, using amphibious aircraft landing on Lake Blouin, linked Val-d’Or to Montreal.
Lake Blouin was also for a brief period used for
timber rafting logs from the Val-d’Or area to the sawmill in Amos.
Fauna
Fish species found in lake Blouin are:
brown bullhead,
yellow walleye,
black walleye,
Northern pike,
Burbot,
White sucker,
Longnose Sucker, and
Yellow perch.
Culture
Lake Blouin is featured in a popular song by Val-d’Or native
Raôul Duguay Raôul Duguay (born February 13, 1939) is a Canadian artist, poet, musician, and political activist in the province of Quebec, Canada. He has been an active performer since 1966. Duguay is a longtime supporter of the Quebec sovereignty movement and ...
called "La bitt à Tibi".
The Rotary municipal beach on Lake Blouin is a popular summer attraction.
References
Sources
Chabot, Denys (1999), L'Abitibi centenaire, 1898-1998, Société d’histoire de Val-d’Or
Chabot, Denys, Robitaille, Jean, L’Houmeau, Jean (1995), Histoire de Val-d’Or : des origines à 1995, Société d’histoire de Val-d’Or,
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blouin, Lake
Lakes of Abitibi-Témiscamingue