Pic River

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The Pic River is a river in Thunder Bay District, Ontario which flows from its headwaters east of Longlac and empties into Lake Superior south of the town of Marathon.

Tributaries include the

The Hudson's Bay Company operated a trading post at the mouth of the river during the 19th century. The river was later used to transport logs to sawmills down stream.

The community of Heron Bay, Ontario, for the Ojibways of the Pic River First Nation is located on the nearby Pic River 50 Indian Reserve.

Two possibilities exist for the 'Pic' part of the name. It may be from either Ojibwe bikodinaa or French meaning "be a high ground" for the promonotory found at the mouth of the river, or from the corruption of the Ojibwe "pekatek" or "mud" [1], which describes its silty water. A large beach and an extensive system of sand dunes are found at the river's mouth.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ words refering to "mud" in Ojibwe contain either /jiishkiwag/ or /zhashki/; more likely from "silt" containing /bakwebii/, possibly forming bakwebiigotigweyaa or some similar variation meaning "silty river-water"