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Lake of the Woods
Ontario
A remnant of the glacial Lake
Agassiz, Lake of the Woods sprawls 3,150
square km over the wooded lands of northwestern
Ontario. The lake contains an astonishing
14,542 islands. A centre for human activity
for over 8,000 years by the time the first
European explorers arrived in the late 17th
century, the First
Nations people were well settled, relying
on hunting, fishing and gathering to survive.
The portage, critically important during the
fur
trade period, was the scene of rivalry
between the Hudson's Bay and North West Companies
in the late 18th century. Once they amalgamated,
Rat Portage House was created on the lake
as a trading post. Development was driven
by the construction of the Canadian Pacific
Railway in the early 1880s, and Rat Portage
became a major supply and distributing centre
for the burgeoning lumber industry.
As the town of Rat Portage, later re-named
Kenora, developed economically, support services
and cultural activities flourished. Schools,
hospitals, churches, hotels, a library and
an opera house eventually appeared on the
scene. Today Kenora's most prominent industry
is tourism.
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| History |
Ecosystem |
Lines
on a Map
Opened up by explorer La Veréndrye
in the 1700’s, the region has
been plagued by border disputes. Learn
more here. |
Famous
for Fishing
The wilderness beauty of this border
region attracts many tourists, but the
Lake of the Woods is famous for great
fishing. Learn
more here. |
| First
Nations |
Recreation |
Anishinaabe
– Ojibway Nation
The Ojibway of Lake of the Woods enjoyed
a prosperous and spiritual life; after
Treaty #3 in 1873, they faced many injustices.
Learn
more here. |
How
Many Islands?
A remnant of glacial Lake Agassiz, Lake
of the Woods is considered Ontario’s
6th Great Lake. Learn
more here. |
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