Ottawa Waterway : : Gateway to a Continent / / Robert Legget.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter University of Toronto Press eBook-Package Archive 1933-1999
• VerfasserIn: Legget, Robert,
• Place / Publishing House: Toronto : : University of Toronto Press, , [2019]; ©1975
• Year of Publication: 2019
• Language: English
• Series: Heritage
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (304 p.)

The mighty river that flows through the capital of Canada was called in 'Grand River of the North' by the first French explorers, before they even knew of the existence of the Great Lakes which are part of the St Lawrence waterway today. The Ottawa is still a great river, despite the changes made by man, and contributes on a vast scale to the industry, commerce, and amenities of the region. In this book, Robert Legget tells how the river basin was formed geologically in prehistoric times, and how it has been used by explorers, missionaries, fur traders, lumbermen, settlers, travellers, and industry for more than 250 years. He describes the untamed river as the voyageurs saw it, and the major role it played in the fur trade; the heyday of the timber industry when huge rafts of longs were floated downriver to Montreal, and the building of early canals which ushered in the great days of steamboating. Famous pioneer personalities are brought to life, and curious and fascinating incidents are related. He shows how the river has been turned to the use and convenience of man by vast power developments, and also takes the reader on a tour of the river today, indicating the best sites for viewing the scenery and how these may be reached by road, ferry, and rail.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Maps and Diagrams -- Illustrations -- One. The Waterway -- Two. The Setting -- Three. Canoes on the Ottawa -- Four. Travellers' Tales -- Five. Lumbering on the Ottawa -- Six. Canals and Steamboats -- Seven. Settlement on the Ottawa -- Eight. The River Today -- Appendix: Sir George Simpson' s Account of the Ottawa Waterway -- References in Text -- Select Bibliography -- Acknowledgments -- Index