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Lake Temiskaming, which is actually an expansion in the upper Ottawa River, was once part of the major canoe route between the St Lawrence valley and James Bay. The original meaning of the word Temiskaming is not clear. It has been suggested that it may be a corruption of Temi agama, meaning, deep water (which is also the name of Lake Temagami in Ontario). The lake is certainly deep, reaching several hundred metres in some locations. On early French maps, the local inhabitants are frequently referred to as Timiscimi.
Lake Temiskaming is part of the traditional territories of what are now the Timiskaming, Eagle Village and Wolf Lake First Nations. Archaeological evidence shows that the ancestors of Anishnabe people were occupying the lake several thousand years ago. Gatherings took place in various locations on the lake between spring and fall, depending on the availability of local resources such as Þ sh, big game, and migratory waterfowl. In addition to Matabichewan and the mouth of the Quinze River, other important gathering sites included the mouth of Beauchene Creek (known in Anishnabe as Kabashisipi) and Obadjiwong. The Algonquin Canoe Company offers fully serviced carefully selected campsites for paddlers on Lake Temiscaming.
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