History

French trade axe circa 1600 .  Traded to the native tribes and transported by the voyagers

French River History

The French River has a colorful past. For thousands of years before Europeans arrived, Aboriginal people used the river as a place to meet and exchange trade goods. 

Early French explorers and missionaries began travelling through the area in the early 1600s, leaving behind intriguing journal records about the river and the people who lived along its shores.

Before Canada became a country, Voyageurs were paddling its waters – brigades of canoes portaged around rapids and waterfalls – transporting furs from Canada’s great Northwest to market in Montreal. 

Because of its historic significance, “the French” was designated a Canadian Heritage River in 1986. Flowing 110 kilometres from Lake Nipissing to Georgian Bay, this waterway park has more than 230 interior campsites and offers a variety of water- based recreational activities in an outstanding natural setting. 

Today, over 300 years after fur traders first plied its waters, motorboats, canoes and kayaks now travel the French River; lodges and cottages dot the landscape; and it provides a wealth of activities for boaters,  paddlers, anglers and hunters.