James Bay
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Image:James bay in summer.jpg
James Bay (French, Baie James) is a large body of water on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. It borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario; islands within the bay (the largest of which is Akimiski Island) are part of Nunavut. The James Bay watershed is the site of several major hydroelectric projects, and is also a destination for river-based recreation. Several communities are located near or alongside James Bay, including a number of Aboriginal communities such as the Kashechewan First Nation.
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History
The bay first came to the attention of Europeans in 1610, when Henry Hudson entered it during his exploration of the larger bay that bears his name. James Bay itself received its name in honor of Thomas James, an English captain who explored the area more thoroughly in 1631.
James Bay is important in the history of Canada as one of the most hospitable parts of the Hudson's Bay region, and as a result its corresponding importance to the Hudson's Bay Company and British expansion into Canada. The fur-trapping duo of explorers Pierre-Esprit Radisson and Médard Chouart, Sieur des Groseilliers founded the first fur trading port on James Bay, Rupert House, and their success was such that the Company was chartered by Charles II on their return. Significant fur trapping continued in the region as late as the 1940s, but in general James Bay dropped continuously in significance almost from the founding of the Company. It was, nevertheless, the gateway to British settlements in what would become Manitoba (Winnipeg, for example) and as far west as the Rocky Mountains.
Development projects
Image:James bay in winter.jpg James Bay has returned to prominence in recent decades due to the James Bay hydroelectric project. Since 1971, the government of Quebec has developed rivers in the James Bay watershed, notably La Grande and Eastmain rivers. The La Grande Complexe now produces about 83 terawatthours (TWh) of electricity each year, about half of Quebec's consumption. Built between 1974 and 1996, the several power plants have a combined generating capacity of 16,021 megawatts (MW).
Another major development project, the Great Recycling and Northern Development (GRAND) Canal centered on separating the Southern James Bay from Hudson Bay by a large dike, thus turning the bay into a freshwater lake due to the numerous rivers that empty into it (James Bay Rivers). This water could then be pumped south for human use. It seems very unlikely that the GRAND Canal will ever be built.
Recreation
Canoeing
Hundreds of rivers flow into James Bay. The geography of the area gives many of them similar characterisics. They tend to be wide and shallow near the Bay (in the area called the James Bay Lowlands), whereas they are steeper and narrower further upstream (as they pour off the Canadian Shield). Many of these rivers are popular destinations for wilderness canoe trippers. The Missinaibi River is probably the best known (it is recognized as a Canadian Heritage River).
The most common access point for paddlers to this area is Moosonee, at the southern end of James Bay. Many of these rivers finish near Moosonee, and paddlers often take the Polar Bear Express train south to Cochrane at the end of a trip. Waskaganish, Quebec is a town further to the north and east on James Bay. It has road access as of a few years ago, and is the most common end point for trips on the Broadback, Pontax, and Rupert Rivers (the town itself is situated at the mouth of the Rupert).
Driving
Another past time for the wandering traveller is remote-road trekking. The James Bay Road is perfect for those who like to explore off-the-beaten-paths. You can join a remote-road explorer as he drives the lonely James Bay and Trans-Taiga Roads in Canadian Geographic's "Travelling the James Bay Road" online feature story.
Resources
- "Dammed river" special feature on James Bay from Canadian Geographic.de:Jamesbai