History
See also: Canadian canoe routes (early)It was used as a transportation corridor by the Algonquian peoples of this region. The Ojibwa named this the "French River" because it became associated with French explorers of the 17th century, including Étienne Brûlé, Samuel de Champlain and Pierre-Esprit Radisson, and missionaries.
Other explorers who later followed this route included Simon Fraser, Alexander Mackenzie and David Thompson.
Together with the Ottawa and Mattawa Rivers, the French River formed part of the water highway from Montreal to Lake Superior in the days of the fur trade. It remained a major canoe route until about 1820. It was later settled as a summer tourist and recreation area. For this reason, the French River was designated a Canadian Heritage River in 1986.
Near the end of the 19th century, logging became the primary activity in the area. Because of the rugged nature of the Canadian Shield country surrounding this river, large parts of this river remain relatively untouched and it is now a popular location for recreational canoeing, kayaking, fishing and boating.
Following bouts of overfishing in the 1990s, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources placed a partial ban on fishing in the river.
Read more about this topic: French River (Ontario)
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