The Petite rivière à l'Ours (''English: Little Bear River'') is a tributary of the
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River (, ) 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 Canada at the time. For most of its length, it defines the border betw ...
. La Petite Rivière à l'Ours crosses the unorganized territory
Les Lacs-du-Témiscamingue, in the
Témiscamingue Regional County Municipality
Témiscamingue () is a regional county municipality in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of western Quebec, Canada. The county seat is Ville-Marie.
Though Témiscamingue borders Pontiac Regional County Municipality to the south, it is not prac ...
, in the administrative region of
Abitibi-Témiscamingue
Abitibi-Témiscamingue () is an 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 147,082 people as of the 2021 cens ...
, in the
province
A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Quebec
Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
, in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
.
From the second half of the 19th century, forestry was the predominant economic activity in the sector. Recreational and tourist activities have developed there, especially in the 20th century.
Geography
The neighboring watersheds of the Petite rivière à l'Ours are:
* north side:
Fildegrand River;
* east side: Fildegrand River,
Dumoine River;
* south side:
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River (, ) 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 Canada at the time. For most of its length, it defines the border betw ...
;
* west side:
Rivière à l'Ours,
Whitton Lake.
Lake Junco (length: ; altitude: ) constitutes the head of the "little Bear river". This body of water is located south and west of the Fildegrand River.
From this head lake, the Petite rivière à l'Ours flows zigzagging over towards the southwest, in particular by crossing Lake Loriot and marsh areas, until to an unnamed lake receiving the outlet (coming from the northwest) from Whitton Lake (length: ; altitude: ), which the current crosses to the southwest.
From there, the Petite rivière à l'Ours flows for south in
Zec Dumoine to the north shore of Petit lac à l'Ours (length: ; altitude: ) which receives the discharge (coming from the northwest) of Parogee Lake (length: ), then to the south-east in a small valley. The river pours into the bottom of a bay () on the east bank of the
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River (, ) 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 Canada at the time. For most of its length, it defines the border betw ...
, in
Holden Lake, facing Grants Creek (Ontario) and Pichette Bay (Ontario).
The mouth of the Petite rivière à l'Ours is located downstream of the mouth of the
rivière à l'Ours and upstream of the mouth of the
Dumoine River.
Toponymy
Animals are used frequently in French Canadian toponymy. The bear is an animal respected for its character and its strength. Its meat is edible. Its bones (after having been cut or sharpened) can be used to make tools, such as scrapers, or weapons. Its skin can be used in particular for clothing, bags, blankets, carpets or shelter. The bear is the subject of several legends, generally of Aboriginal origin.
The toponym Petite rivière à l'Ours is associated with the nearby watercourse (west side) which is designated
rivière à l'Ours.
The toponym Petite rivière à l'Ours was formalized on 5 December 1968 at the
Commission de toponymie du Québec
The Commission de toponymie du Québec (, ''Toponymy Commission of Québec'') is the Government of Québec's public body responsible for cataloging, preserving, making official and publicizing Québec's place names and their origins according to th ...
.
Commission de toponymie du Québec - Petite rivière à l'Ours
/ref>
See also
* 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 313 ...
Notes and references
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ours, Petite rivière à l'
Rivers of Abitibi-Témiscamingue