Nipigon Canoe Route
Text from the plaque
Indigenous peoples who hunted and traded here thousands of years ago developed a water route by which they could travel from Lake Superior to James Bay via Lake Nipigon and the Albany River. Archaeologists have unearthed evidence that people living in the Lake Nipigon region were part of an intricate system of trade that extended to the Atlantic coast. In the 1600s, native people began to share their knowledge of canoe travel on North American waterways with European explorers and traders. During the fur trade era, the Nipigon water route became a scene of intense rivalry between English traders on Hudson Bay and French, then Scottish, traders based on the St. Lawrence River.
Transcribed from the marker, not summarised.
Find the place
The District of Thunder Bay
The Township of Nipigon
In Five Mile Park on Lake Helen, on Highway 11
7 km north of Highway 17
Also recorded for this place: Geology.com
N 49 04.886 W 88 16.406
Recorded March 2006. Check current access before visiting.
Visitors' notes
November 19, 2012
This route was first used in the 11th century by Viking explorers from Greenland. Got Any Proof? Yes, just Google the Beardmore Viking Relics, or visit "The Friends of the Beardmore Viking Artifacts" on Facebook.