Albany River

Albany River Provincial Park
Albany River Provincial Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Location	Ontario, Canada
Coordinates	51°21′45″N 87°46′30″W / 51.36250°N 87.77500°W
Area	95,100 ha (367 sq mi)
Designation	Waterway
Established	1989
Governing body	Ontario Parks

Albany River
Albany River
	The Albany river between the Eabametoong First Nation (out of picture), and Marten Falls First Nation in the far distance downstream
	Location of the mouth of the Albany River in Ontario
Etymology	named after James, Duke of York and Albany, later King James II of England
Location
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Region	Northern Ontario
Districts	Kenora; Thunder Bay; Cochrane;
Physical characteristics
Source	Lake St. Joseph
• location	Unorganized Kenora District
• coordinates	51°11′40″N 90°13′20″W / 51.19444°N 90.22222°W
• elevation	371 m (1,217 ft)
Mouth	James Bay
• location	Akimiski Strait
• coordinates	52°17′00″N 81°30′59″W / 52.28333°N 81.51639°W
• elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Length	982 km (610 mi)
Basin size	135,200 km2 (52,200 sq mi)
Discharge
• average	1,420 m3/s (50,000 cu ft/s)
Basin features
River system	James Bay drainage basin
Tributaries
• left	Pagashi River, Henley River, Etowamami River
• right	Cheepay River, Streatfeild River, Kenogami River, Ogoki River, Shabuskwia River, Misehkow River

The Albany River (

Severn River for the title of longest river entirely in Ontario. Major tributaries include the Kenogami River and Ogoki River

.

Name

In the Muskhegowuk (Swampy Cree) language, the river is known as Kistachowan^[2] (or Chichichiwan or Chichewan)^[3] Sipi. According to traditional Mushkegowuk knowledge, "every curve in the river has a name".^[2]

The river was named in English after James, Duke of York and Albany, who later became King James II of England.^[3]

History

Since the Albany extends far to the west, its mouth is a natural site for a trading post. See

Lake St. Joseph

. By 1790 or so the Fort Albany trade extended all the way to Lake Winnipeg.

The land north of the Albany River was part of the Northwest Territories until 1912, when it was transferred to Ontario in the Ontario Boundaries Extension Act, 1912.

Geography

The Albany River is the boundary between Kenora District to the north and the Thunder Bay and Cochrane Districts to the south.

The river begins at Lake St. Joseph at an elevation of 371 metres (1,217 ft).

left tributary

Etowamami River. The river continues over the Upper Eskakwa Falls, takes in the right tributary Shabuskwia River, and travels over the Eskakwa Falls and Snake Falls.

The river empties into the Akimiski Strait on James Bay via a series of channels. The community of

Fort Albany lies on a southern channel and the Kashechewan First Nation

on a northern one.

The river is navigable for the first 400 kilometres (249 mi).[4]

Watershed

This river drains an area of 135,200 square kilometres (52,201 sq mi)^[1] and has a mean discharge of 1,420 cubic metres (50,147 cu ft) per second.^[3] For much of its length, the river defines the boundary between Kenora District and Thunder Bay & Cochrane Districts.

There are three diversions in the Albany River watershed, all diverting water from the James Bay drainage basin and all undertaken as part of hydroelectric projects. Two divert water into Lake Superior in the Great Lakes Basin: the Ogoki River has been diverted via Lake Nipigon and the Nipigon River (Long Lake Diversion, a diversion of 4,273 cubic feet (121.0 m³) per second); and the headwaters of the Kenogami River have been diverted via Long Lake and the Aguasabon River (diversion of 1,377 cubic feet (39.0 m³) per second). The third diverts the waters of Lake St. Joseph via the English River and Nelson River into Hudson Bay (diversion of 3,072 cubic feet (87.0 m³) per second).^[5]

Tributaries

Pagashi River (L)
Cheepay River (R)
Henley River (L)
Streatfeild River (R)
Kenogami River (R)
Ogoki River (R)
Shabuskwia River (R)
Etowamami River (L)
Misehkow River (R)
Lake St. Joseph
- Cat River

Communities

Communities along the river in upstream order:

Kashechewan First Nation
Fort Albany
Ghost River, an unincorporated place at the confluence with the Cheepay River
Marten Falls (Marten Falls First Nation
)

Eabametoong First Nation / Fort Hope, just off the main river on Eabamet Lake, connected by the Eabamet River
Osnaburgh (Mishkeegogamang First Nation
)

Islands

Several islands are found other channels of the river as it flows out to James Bay:

Albany Island
Anderson Island
Big Island
Farfad Island (Nunavut)
Faries Island
Kakago Island
Linklater Island

A number of islands upstream from Fort Albany:

Blackbear Island
Cheepay Island
Comb Island
Fishing Creek Island
Hat Island
Norran Island
Oldman Island
Sand Cherry Island

Albany River Provincial Park

The Albany River Provincial Park protects the river and its banks from Osnaburgh Lake to the confluence with the Wabassi River. It was established in 1989 and used for backcountry canoe-camping. Features include rugged Precambrian bedrock, moraines, drumlins, and a variety of water-shaped landforms.^[6]

It is a non-operating park, meaning that there are no facilities or services. Visitors have to be experienced in travelling through isolated wilderness.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Other Rivers Flowing Into Hudson Bay, James Bay or Ungava Bay". Facts - Rivers. Atlas of Canada. 2009-08-17. Archived from the original on 2013-01-22. Retrieved 2010-06-14.
^ ^a ^b Restoule, Jean-Paul; Gruner, Sheila; Metatawabin, Edmund (2013). "Learning from Place: A Return to Traditional Mushkegowuk Ways of Knowing". Canadian Journal of Education. 36 (2): 68–86.
^
The Historica Dominion Institute. Archived
from the original on November 12, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2024.

^ ^a ^b "Albany River". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 17 October 2007.
^ Noone, Michael Stephen (2006-03-13). "Interbasin Water Transfer Projects In North America" (PDF). North Dakota State Water Commission. pp. 4–5, 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-05. Retrieved 2011-08-18.
^ ^a ^b "Albany River". www.ontarioparks.com. Ontario Parks. Retrieved 10 September 2021.

Sources

"Albany River". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2010-06-13.
"Toporama - Topographic Map Sheets 42M, 42M5, 42M6, 42N, 42O, 43A, 43B, 52P4, 52P5, 52P6, 52P7, 52P8, 52P9, 52P10, 52P11". Atlas of Canada. Natural Resources Canada. Archived from the original on 2010-02-10. Retrieved 2010-06-13.

External links

Albany River Provincial Park - Ontario Parks

[AOCRivers-1] "Other Rivers Flowing Into Hudson Bay, James Bay or Ungava Bay". Facts - Rivers. Atlas of Canada. 2009-08-17. Archived from the original on 2013-01-22. Retrieved 2010-06-14.

[:0-2] Restoule, Jean-Paul; Gruner, Sheila; Metatawabin, Edmund (2013). "Learning from Place: A Return to Traditional Mushkegowuk Ways of Knowing". Canadian Journal of Education. 36 (2): 68–86.

[CdnEcyc-3] 
The Historica Dominion Institute. Archived
from the original on November 12, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2024.

[EncyBrit-4] "Albany River". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 17 October 2007.

[5] Noone, Michael Stephen (2006-03-13). "Interbasin Water Transfer Projects In North America" (PDF). North Dakota State Water Commission. pp. 4–5, 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-05. Retrieved 2011-08-18.

[OP-6] "Albany River". www.ontarioparks.com. Ontario Parks. Retrieved 10 September 2021.

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Authority control databases
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