The Rouge River (English: Red 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 ...
flowing in the
Laurentides
The Laurentides () is a region of Quebec. While it is often called the Laurentians in English, the region includes only part of the Laurentian mountains. It has a total land area of and its population was 589,400 inhabitants as of the 2016 Cens ...
, in the municipality of
Grenville-sur-la-Rouge
Grenville-sur-la-Rouge is a municipality in the Argenteuil Regional County Municipality in the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada. It is a predominantly Francophone community situated along the southern border of Quebec between Montreal and Ot ...
, in the
Argenteuil Regional County Municipality
Argenteuil is a regional county municipality located in the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada. Its seat is Lachute.
History
In 1682, Charles-Joseph d'Ailleboust was granted by Louis de Buade de Frontenac, Governor General of New France, a dom ...
, in the administrative region of
Laurentides
The Laurentides () is a region of Quebec. While it is often called the Laurentians in English, the region includes only part of the Laurentian mountains. It has a total land area of and its population was 589,400 inhabitants as of the 2016 Cens ...
, in the west of
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 ...
, in western
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.
This river takes its source at Lac de la Fougère and flows south to empty into the
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River (french: Rivière des Outaouais, Algonquin: ''Kichi-Sìbì/Kitchissippi'') is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is named after the Algonquin word 'to trade', as it was the major trade route of Eastern ...
near
Pointe-au-Chêne and flows north of
Mont Tremblant
Mont may refer to:
Places
* Mont., an abbreviation for Montana, a U.S. state
* Mont, Belgium (disambiguation), several places in Belgium
* Mont, Hautes-Pyrénées, a commune in France
* Mont, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, a commune in France
* Mont, ...
, of which it is a tributary of the left bank. It is in the
Laurentides
The Laurentides () is a region of Quebec. While it is often called the Laurentians in English, the region includes only part of the Laurentian mountains. It has a total land area of and its population was 589,400 inhabitants as of the 2016 Cens ...
, about halfway between
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
and
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
. Its name is derived from the reddish tint of its sandbanks.
The river is a popular destination for
whitewater
Whitewater forms in a rapid context, in particular, when a river's gradient changes enough to generate so much turbulence that air is trapped within the water. This forms an unstable current that froths, making the water appear opaque and ...
rafting
Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...
. Its last 10 kilometres are renowned for
rafting
Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...
.
It is the main body of water in an area comprising hills, valleys, lakes, and waterfalls.
Communities
*
Bell Falls
*
Rivington
Rivington is a village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley, Lancashire, England, occupying . It is about southeast of Chorley and about northwest of Bolton. Rivington is a rural area consisting primarily of agricultural grazing land, ...
*
Harrington
*
Arundel
Arundel ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Arun District of the South Downs, West Sussex, England.
The much-conserved town has a medieval castle and Roman Catholic cathedral. Arundel has a museum and comes second behind much large ...
*
Huberdeau
*
Brébeuf
*
Lac-Duhamel
*
Lac Lamoureux
*
La Conception-Station
*
Daoust
*
Marchand
*
L'Annonciation
*
Rivière-Rouge
Rivière-Rouge (English translation: Red River) is a city located in the Antoine-Labelle Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada. The population as of the 2021 Canadian census was 4,631.
History
As part of the 2000–2006 municipal reorgan ...
*
Petit-Lac-Lanthier
*
Lac-Lanthier-Ouest
*
L'Ascension
*
Sienna
Sienna (from it, terra di Siena, meaning "Siena earth") is an earth pigment containing iron oxide and manganese oxide. In its natural state, it is yellowish brown and is called raw sienna. When heated, it becomes a reddish brown and is call ...
Features
* Mouth of rivière-rouge:
* Rapides Maskinongé:
* The Canyons
* The Turbo
* Surprise
* Devil's Door
Hydrography
The main neighboring watersheds of the Rouge River are:
* north side:
Maskinongé River;
* west side:
Petite rivière Saumon,
Petite-Nation River
The Petite-Nation River is a river in western Quebec, Canada, that flows from the Laurentian Mountains to empty into the Ottawa River near Plaisance, Quebec. The river is in length.
This river's French name refers to the Algonquin people that i ...
,
Maskinongé River,
Nominingue River;
* east side:
Kingham River,
Calumet River
The Calumet River is a system of heavily industrialized rivers and canals in the region between the south side of Chicago, Illinois, and the city of Gary, Indiana. Historically, the Little Calumet River and the Grand Calumet River were one, the ...
,
Beaven River,
Diable River,
Macaza River,
Lenoir River;
* south side:
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River (french: Rivière des Outaouais, Algonquin: ''Kichi-Sìbì/Kitchissippi'') is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is named after the Algonquin word 'to trade', as it was the major trade route of Eastern ...
.
The Rouge river has its source at Lac de la Fougère, located at the northern end of the township of Dupont, in the unorganized territory of
Lac-Matawin at about of altitude.
From Fougère Lake, the Rouge River flows south, crossing Red Lake formed by the widening of the river. The river winds along the entire length of the western limit of the
Rouge-Matawin Wildlife Reserve that it separates from the
Zec de la Maison-de-Pierre. When leaving the wildlife reserve, it has already lost more than in altitude.
The landscape also changes from a rocky plateau to a sandy plain and crosses its first village,
L'Ascension, then
Labelle and
La Conception
La Conception is a village and municipality in the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada, part of the Les Laurentides Regional County Municipality.
Demographics
Population trend:
* Population in 2021: 1527 (2016 to 2021 population change: 14.2%)
* ...
. About twenty kilometers downstream, it meets the
Nominingue River and then changes its course in a south-southeast direction. At the end of a route, the Red River flows on the north shore of the
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River (french: Rivière des Outaouais, Algonquin: ''Kichi-Sìbì/Kitchissippi'') is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is named after the Algonquin word 'to trade', as it was the major trade route of Eastern ...
between the village of
Calumet
Calumet may refer to:
Places United States
*Calumet Region, in northern Illinois and Indiana
**Calumet River
**Calumet Trail, Indiana
** Calumet (East Chicago)
* Calumet, Colorado
*Calumet, Iowa
* Calumet, Michigan
*Calumet, Minnesota
* Calumet ...
and the municipality of
Pointe-au-Chêne, in the territory of the
Argenteuil Regional County Municipality
Argenteuil is a regional county municipality located in the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada. Its seat is Lachute.
History
In 1682, Charles-Joseph d'Ailleboust was granted by Louis de Buade de Frontenac, Governor General of New France, a dom ...
.
In the last long segment, the river has several falls and rapids, including the First, Second and Third Nigger-Eddy Rapids. Among its main tributaries, the Rouge River receives water from:
* east side: the
Lenoir River,
Macaza River and the
rivière du Diable rivers, passing to
Saint-Jovite;
* west side: the
Maskinongé River and the
Nominingue River.
The Red River watershed covers . The course of the river is generally peaceful (except the last segment of ) with many U and S meanders.
2019 floods
In late April 2019, water flows reached 10 times the normal flow due to heavy flooding in the area. Fearing dam failure, authorities evacuated citizens down the stream of the Bells Fall dam.
Mythic creature
"The Forgotten Wonder of the Rivière Rouge," also known as "Bisso," is a creature from
Canadian folklore
Canadian folklore is the traditional material that Canadians pass down from generation to generation, either as oral literature or "by custom or practice". It includes songs, legends, jokes, rhymes, proverbs, weather lore, superstitions, and prac ...
that is said to inhabit the Rouge River. The story tells of a nineteenth century man riding down the country road in a horse-drawn carriage when he suddenly lost control of the vehicle and plunged into the depths of the river. After being presumed dead for several years, the man took the form of a husky aquatic creature who meandered in the river, only coming to the surface to hunt. Bisso is said to possess an insatiable appetite and would hunt whatever animals would venture to the river bank. Swimming with just its eyes above the water, Bisso is believed to use floating vegetation as camouflage when it is stalking its prey. There have been alleged sightings of the creature in the Rouge River, with witnesses claiming to have seen Bisso's eyes as well as the trail of bubbles from its "snaps" (gaseous bowel movements.)
History
The region was inhabited by the
Iroquois
The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...
until the end of the 19th century. Under the leadership of the priest
François-Xavier-Antoine Labelle
François-Xavier-Antoine Labelle (November 24, 1833 – January 4, 1891) was a Roman Catholic priest and the person principally responsible for the settlement (or "colonization") of the Laurentians. He is also referred to as "Curé Labelle" an ...
, the river served as a path of colonization which saw the birth of most of the communities along its course and its tributaries. The
Chute Bell Powerhouse was installed from its mouth in
1915
Events
Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix.
January
* January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction".
*January 1 ...
.
Toponymy
The Rouge River valley served as a penetration route for the pioneers responding to calls for colonization in the north of Montreal made by the priest
Antoine Labelle
François-Xavier-Antoine Labelle (November 24, 1833 – January 4, 1891) was a Roman Catholic priest and the person principally responsible for the settlement (or "colonization") of the Laurentians. He is also referred to as "Curé Labelle" an ...
. In French Canada, the Catholic dioceses exercised the role of planning for the establishment of parishes and of organizing parishes in the territories of colonization.
A map by
Franquelin, dated
1699
Events
January–March
* January 5 – A violent Java earthquake damages the city of Batavia on the Indonesian island of Java, killing at least 28 people
* January 20 – The Parliament of England (under Tory dominance) limits the size ...
, indicated the "Red River" as an extension of the "North River". Hypotheses have been made by historians as to the origin of this hydronym. The most likely hypothesis makes the link with the slightly reddish hue of the waters of the river, due to the oxidation of certain types of rocks of the
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield (french: Bouclier canadien ), also called the Laurentian Plateau, is a geologic shield, a large area of exposed Precambrian igneous and high-grade metamorphic rocks. It forms the North American Craton (or Laurentia), the anc ...
that cross the river. However, its water is said to be clearer than that of neighboring rivers.
Another explanation would come from a red chalk deposit located at
Grand lac Nominingue that the
Algonquins
The Algonquin people are an Indigenous people who now live in Eastern Canada. They speak the Algonquin language, which is part of the Algonquian language family. Culturally and linguistically, they are closely related to the Odawa, Potawatomi, ...
and
Iroquois
The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...
used to paint themselves.
Flowing at the western edge of the
Rouge-Matawin Wildlife Reserve, the term "red" of this river has been transposed to the latter.
The toponym Rivière Rouge was formalized on December 5, 1968, by the
Commission de toponymie du Québec
The Commission de toponymie du Québec (English: ''Toponymy Commission of Québec'') is the Government of Québec's public body responsible for cataloging, preserving, making official and publicize Québec's place names and their origins according ...
.
Commission de toponymie du Québec - Rivière Rouge
/ref>
Among other things, the river gave its name to the Rivière-Rouge Ecological Reserve
Rivière-Rouge Ecological Reserve is an ecological reserve in Quebec, 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 Arc ...
, the Rouge-Matawin wildlife reserve and the communities of Rivière-Rouge and Grenville-sur-la-Rouge
Grenville-sur-la-Rouge is a municipality in the Argenteuil Regional County Municipality in the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada. It is a predominantly Francophone community situated along the southern border of Quebec between Montreal and Ot ...
.
References
{{reflist
The Atlas of Canada
map showin
of rouge river and last few sets of rapids
* Fowke, Ethan. ''Canadian Folklore. '' New York: Oxford University Press, 1988.
See also
* Ottawa River
The Ottawa River (french: Rivière des Outaouais, Algonquin: ''Kichi-Sìbì/Kitchissippi'') is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is named after the Algonquin word 'to trade', as it was the major trade route of Eastern ...
, a watercourse
* Petite rivière Saumon, a stream
* Macaza River, a stream
* Maskinongé River, a watercourse
* Grenville-sur-Rouge, a municipality
* Argenteuil Regional County Municipality
Argenteuil is a regional county municipality located in the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada. Its seat is Lachute.
History
In 1682, Charles-Joseph d'Ailleboust was granted by Louis de Buade de Frontenac, Governor General of New France, a dom ...
(MRC)
* List of rivers of Quebec
This is a list of rivers of Quebec. Quebec has about:
*one million lakes of which 62279 have a toponymic designation (a name), plus 218 artificial lakes;
*15228 watercourses with an official toponymic designation, including 12094 streams and 3134 ...
Rivers of Laurentides