The Passionate Hiker: Morris Island

Sat. 25 March: Morris Island

Chute des Chats in 1838

Note: click on pictures for full size view.

Chute des Chats – what fun that is to say!

Our fascinating walk near Arnprior today prompted me to read up on the Ottawa River. Just downstream from where our hike started, was once a magnificent waterfall. Here the river dropped thirty five feet in a series of chutes. In English it was called Cat Falls, but it sounds much better in French.

Then in the late 1920’s a great hydro dam was built (completed in 1932) stretching right across the river, and destroying the falls. Upstream from the dam, a lake was created, called Lac des Chats. The land was flooded, forming several small islands, which are today part of Morris Island Conservation Area.

Apparently, in the nineteenth century, paddle steamers would make their way up river from Ottawa filled with sightseers wanting to see the falls. An eight kilometre-long horse-drawn railway took them through the dense forests to the section of river upstream of the falls.

The Ottawa River runs for 1,271 kilometres in a great loop from the Laurentian Highlands all the way down to the St. Lawrence River at Montreal, forming a long section of the Quebec-Ontario border. It’s hard to believe that this magnificent river ranks only thirteenth in Canada for length. Over the first part of the 20^th century, the river was tamed by a series of hydro dams, the Chats Falls Dam being one such project.

For over two hundred years the voyageurs would use the Ottawa River to carry furs down to Montreal, facing eighteen portages along the way – one of the toughest being here at Chute des Chats. Many years earlier, in 1613, Samuel de Champlain canoed past here. I also learned that, after the last ice age, the Great Lakes used to discharge via the Ottawa River before the land rose and the water then found a different route, down the St. Lawrence River.

Enough of ancient history! But that’s a good example of how there’s always more to a good hike than simply walking along a trail.

A causeway runs straight as an arrow along the southern edge of the park. Various loops and side trails wander through the forest to good viewpoints of Lac des Chats, the Quebec shoreline, and the hills beyond. Our team of thirteen hikers was not alone. We met a couple of cross-country skiers enjoying the spring-like conditions, as well as passing a handful of other walkers. As far as I recall, we saw no wildlife and few birds, but they had plenty of notice of our approach!

It was a perfect sunny morning, with the fresh snow tumbling off the branches as we passed through the trees. And since we had driven over eighty kilometres from Perth to get here, we had a very good reason to stop on our way home to enjoy a meal at the friendly Centennial Café in Pakenham village – recommended to all passers-by.

And that was one luxury not available to Champlain or the voyageurs!