The Rivière des Prairies (literally River of the Meadows or Prairies, sometimes called the Back River in English) is a delta channel of the Ottawa River The Ottawa River (Algonquin: Kichisìpi) is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It defines for most of its length the border between these two provinces in southwestern Quebec Quebec (English pronunciation: /kəˈbɛk/ or /kwɨˈbɛk/; French: Québec [keˈbɛk] ) is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking identity and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level, Canada Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean. It is the world's second largest country by total area and its common border with the United States to the south and northwest is the world's longest.
Flowing west to east, it bisects the Hochelaga Archipelago The Hochelaga Archipelago, also known as the Montreal Islands , is a group of islands at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers in the southwest part of the province of Quebec, Canada and rises in the Lac des Deux-Montagnes. It flows on either side of Île Bizard (part of Montreal), it then divides the Island of Montreal The Island of Montreal , in extreme southwestern Quebec, Canada, is located at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. It is separated from Île Jésus (Laval) by the Rivière des Prairies (Montreal Montreal (pronounced [mɔ̃ʁeˈal] (help·info) in French, /ˌmʌntriˈɑːl/ (help·info) in English) is the second-largest city in Canada and the largest city in the province of Quebec. Originally called Ville-Marie ('City of Mary'), the city takes its present name from Mont-Royal, the triple-peaked hill located in the heart of the city, whose) to the south from Île Jésus (Laval Laval is a city and a region in southwestern Quebec, Canada. With a population of 368,709 in 2006, it is the second largest city in Greater Montreal, and the third largest in the province of Quebec. Laval is located in between the Rivière des Mille Îles opposite the north shore and the Rivière des Prairies, opposite Montreal. Laval occupies all) to the north, after which it flows into the St. Lawrence River The Saint Lawrence River is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage of the Great Lakes Basin. It traverses the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario and forms part of the international boundary between at the eastern tip of the Island of Montreal.
The river contains a large number of islands, including Île Bizard, the Îles Laval (Île Bigras, Île Pariseau, Île Verte and Île Ronde) belonging to Laval, and Île de la Visitation, a nature park A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment. It may consist of, rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas belonging to Montreal. The Rapides du Cheval Blanc are located downstream from the Îles Laval, in the portion of the river separating the borough A borough is an administrative division of various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely of Pierrefonds-Roxboro in Montreal from Sainte-Dorothée in Laval.
Historically, the river received massive discharges of untreated liquid waste Wastewater is any water that has been adversely affected in quality by anthropogenic influence. It comprises liquid waste discharged by domestic residences, commercial properties, industry, and/or agriculture and can encompass a wide range of potential contaminants and concentrations. In the most common usage, it refers to the municipal wastewater from Montreal, turning it into essentially an open sewer; however, ecological intervention and modern sewage treatment techniques reversed the damage and the river is now considered clean,and suitable for swimming.
See also
- List of bridges spanning the Rivière des Prairies
- List of Quebec rivers
- List of crossings of the Rivière des Prairies
- List of hydroelectric stations
Further reading
- Agence de développement de réseaux locaux de services de santé et de services sociaux de Montréal (Québec). Health Care, in Your Neighbourhood. Health and Social Service Resources in the CLSC Rivière-des-Prairies District. Montreal: Agence de développement de réseaux locaux de services de santé et de services sociaux, Montreal, 2004.
- Canada. Bill An Act to Remove Certain Obstructions to the Navigation of the Rivière des Prairies, and to Repeal Certain Clauses of the Acts 10th and 11th Victoria, Cap. 97 and 98. Quebec: Thompson, 2003. ISBN 0659025701 (1860 Bibliographic record)
- Hughes, Kevin, and Sylvie Paré. Impacts of Ethnic Changes on the Housing Market in the Rivière-des-Prairies District of Montreal. [Ottawa]: CMHC, 2006.
- Rybczynski, Witold, Avi Friedman, and Brenda Baxter. Urban Design for Affordability = Urbanisme Et Conception De Maisons Abordables, Rivière-des-Prairies. Montreal: Affordable Homes Program, School of Architecture, McGill University, 1991.
- Verdon, R., and M. Gendron. 1991. "Creation of Artificial Spawning Grounds Downstream of the Rivière-des-Prairies Spillway". Transactions - Canadian Electrical Association. Engineering and Operation Division. 30.
Categories: Rivers of Quebec | Rivière des Prairies
