Real Talk!

The Madawaska River is 230 km (143 mi) long and originates at Source Lake in Algonquin Park flowing hundreds of kilometers, meandering through one of Canada’s premier rural areas for country living. Listed as one of the top canoe routes in North America, the river builds into a series of beautiful lakes and estuaries as it courses in an east-south-easterly direction until it reaches the majestic Ottawa River. Indeed, it the largest of Ontario tributaries of the Ottawa River. For those seeking solitude, adventure, or simply an experience of nature, it offers a wilderness haven.

The river's name comes from an Algonquin band of the region known as "Matouweskarini", meaning "people of the shallows". The name Madawaska derives from Mata, the forks of a river, and Aushka, the sound of a rippling current. Necessity being the mother of invention, here, the Algonquin natives developed the birch bark canoe. Buoyant, relatively lightweight and extremely durable the birch-bark canoe was designed for life in the changing waters of the Madawaska.

For centuries, the lifeblood for the region’s rich vegetation, aquatic and marshland life, the Madawaska sustained the persons along its shores, whether the peoples of Canada’s First Nation or the early settlers who came to carve out a living. Archaeological discoveries indicate that man has travelled these waters for over 5,000 years.

The Madawaska River eco-system is home to 60 species of birds, 45 species of trees and shrubs and 14 species of mammals. Moore Creek, Conroys Marsh, Griffith Area Wetland, Mud Bay, Black Donald Lake, Norcan Lake, Grassy Bay and the Springtown Marsh are places of particular interest for wildlife enthusiasts, as they remain relatively unscathed by human kind.

The Conroy Marsh consists of some 2,400 hectares, at the confluence of three river systems: the Madawaska, York and Little Mississippi. A “Provincially Significant Class One” wetland, it offers an ideal opportunity for paddlers of all levels of experience. A journey into today’s Conroy Marsh offers a host of natural features, including wild cranberries and wild rice fields. It is one of the best ring-necked duck sites in Ontario.

As early as 1845, a lumbermen cleared a farm at the first rapids past the marsh. Later it became a 600 acre outpost for the hundreds of loggers working upstream, storing supplies, meat and vegetables. The Conroy farm comprised of a house, store, blacksmith shop and barn. The barn was made from 60 foot pine logs.

In the late 1800s, the river was used to transport lumber from the forested areas surrounding the river. Beginning in the 1960s, the river was used to generate hydroelectric power, so there a number of dams along the way. Undammed sections of the river are also used for canoeing, kayaking and recreational fishing. Upstream, from its beginnings at Source Lake in Algonquin Park running east to Whitney, the river offers miles of smooth water paddling

Throughout the 1800’s the Madawaska River was a spectacular route of activity. Here, huge pine trees were felled, trimmed and gathered into groups called “cribs” that could be floated down chutes. Larger assemblies of 25 cribs comprised a “dram” which were floated downriver by men wielding 30 foot long oars.

Featured prominently in several ancient canoe routes between the Ottawa River Watershed and Georgian Bay Watershed, the Madawaska is now the most famous river in Ontario for whitewater. The river crosses many important lakes and at its largest part, it runs through magnificent ravines. Fishing throughout the Madawaska River system provides some of the best fishing in Ontario for Bass, Walleye, Pike and Muskellunge.

It is easy to understand why the famous Canadian Group of Seven artists(who toured the Madawaska River) were captivated by its varied moods and picturesque backwaters. On the Madawaska River, shoreline varies from rock to glorious sand with a back drop of cascading hills and dense forest.