Map of Temiscamingue area with cities and towns

Temiscamingue      

Once the heart of Algonquin territory, Quebec's Temiscamingue  ("Place of the deep waters") is a land of open spaces, numerous rivers,  lakes, and streams, and diverse fauna and flora-all on the doorstep of  Ontario's "Near North." The villages and towns here are historic  reminders of the once-thriving fur trade and the lumber industry, and  will appeal to the historically inclined, while those with an  adventurous spirit will be delighted by the range of sports and outdoor  activities available to them, thanks to the region's vast wilderness.  Boaters will want to try traveling along the Temiskawa Waterway, nearly  500 km of new waterways that stretch from Lac Temiscamingue downstream  as far as Arnprior, near Ottawa.      

La Verendrye Wildlife Reserve [B5-7]      

Embracing 13,615 km2 of land and boasting over 4,000 lakes, 40  animal species and 150 bird species, this wildlife reserve is one of  the richest protected wilderness areas in Quebec. Services for  wilderness camping, rock climbing, fishing, and cabin and boat rentals  are provided from mid-May to mid-September.      

Maniwaki [E8] Located at the confluence of the Desert and  Gatineau rivers, Maniwaki is proud of its 150-year-long history of river  driving and logging. The Pythonga, an old tugboat that once pulled over  400,000 logs, has been restored as a museum in the town center, and  Chateau Logue (1887), whose Second Empire-style edifice was built out of  hand-chiseled local granite, is now an interpretation center devoted to  forestry and forest fire prevention. Don't miss the annual descent La  Verendrye Wildlife Reserve of canoes and kayaks down the rapids during  the Upper Gatineau Whitewater Festival in late August.      

Mattawa, Ontario [E2]      

Many missionaries, fur traders, and explorers, such as  Champlain and Radisson, passed through Mattawa on their travels west.  Derived from the Algonquin Mahtahwan, which means "meeting of the  water," Mattawa was once an important voyageur town, fur-trading  outpost, and later logging capital. Its past is remembered in several  museums in town and in Voyageur Days celebrations held each July.      

North Bay, Ontario      

[E1] From the day the CPR chose to build railway yards on the  shores of Lake Nipissing in 1882, North Bay has always been a  transportation center. Today, North Bay is also a vacation area and  treasure chest of historic sites and monuments, including the Dionne  Homestead Museum, commemorating the lives of the famous Dionne  Quintuplets, and the "Gateway to the North" arch, erected in 1928, to  divide Southern and Northern Ontario.      

Temiscaming [D2] This one-company paper town is a curious  blend of well-preserved Arts and Crafts houses and British gardens, with  many bronze and marble sculptures imported from Italy, and a Venetian  well adorned with a statue of Neptune. A linear path on old railway  lines is open to hikers, cyclists, or strollers, while the Timber Train  is a daylong rail excursion into local logging history that links  Temiscaming with Mattawa, Ontario.      

Ville-Marie [B1] The hub of Temiscamingue and the oldest  community in the region (the parish was founded by priests from an  Oblate mission in 1886), Ville-Marie offers a living record of the old  lumber industry and fur trade and some of the best scenery in the area.  Upon your arrival, walk up Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes street to the  Ville-Marie Grotto, site of an annual pilgrimage. The nearby trail will  give you a chance to enjoy a picnic and get a good view of Lac  Temiscamingue, which borders the city.      

ATTRACTIONS      

MANIWAKI      

Chateau Logue      

Pythonga Raftsman Park      

MATTAWA, ONTARIO      

Canadian Ecology Centre The Mattawa and District Museum  Tembec's Sawmill Voyageur Heritage Museum Samuel de Champlain Provincial  Park     

NORTH BAY, ONTARIO      

Dionne Homestead      

Museum Gateway Arch at Lee Park Jacques Cartier      

Memorial Trinity Church Memorial Park Champlain Park Lake Nipissing Boat Cruises      

TEMISCAMING      

Canadian Pacific Railroad Station and Museum Sainte-Therese Church The Timber Train      

VILLE-MARIE      

La grotte de Ville-Marie      

(Ville-Marie Grotto) Maison du Colon (1881) Augustin-Chenier  Exhibition Centre Town Hall Fort Temiscamingue National Historic Site  Les Chocolats Martine (chocolate factory)