Lake Abitibi

Lake Abitibi is a broad, shallow lake amid the forests of the interior. Its waters drain north through the Abitibi and Moose rivers to James Bay, while portages connect its basin with the Ottawa River watershed to the south. The lake lies within the homeland of Anishinaabe peoples and became an important meeting place in the fur trade.

In 1686 Pierre de Troyes passed through the lake on an expedition against English posts on James Bay and established a French post there. Traders approaching from the south and from the bay sought relationships with Indigenous communities, whose routes and knowledge made commerce across the region possible. The lake remained a centre of the inland fur trade for generations after the expedition.