• Launching ramp Mise à l’eau du Centre plein air du Lac Mourier (12, avenue Baie du Club, Malartic) 47°58'58.408”N
  78°7'55.452”O
• Sandy beach / Swimming Plage du lac Lemoine 48°0'12.151”N
  78°0'18.709”O
• Launching ramp Marina Thompson (33, de la Marina, dans le quartier Dubuisson à Val-d’Or) 48°5'22.845”N
  77°53'5.206”O
• Wild camping Camping sauvage de la rivière Harricana 48°12'50.189N
  77°58'2.425”O
• Launching ramp Rampe de mise à l’eau de La Motte 48°20'13.938”N
  78°6'34.969”O
• Wild camping Camping sauvage de l'île Lorette 48°21'1.948N
  78°5'57.664”O
• Wild camping Camping sauvage de l'île Jeannine 48°21'55.305N
  78°5'13.274”O
• Wild camping Camping sauvage de l'île aux Fesses 48°26'19.465N
  78°4'4.842”O
• Launching ramp Rampe de mise à l’eau de St-Marc-de-Figuery 48°28'21.392”N
  78°5'26.558”O
• Launching ramp Rampe de mise à l’eau du Club nautique d’Amos (chemin de la Marina, Amos) 48°33'31.39”N
  78°6'41.461”O
• Circonflexe RécréOsisko 48°14'21.9"N
  79°00'57.0"O
• Circonflexe Carrefour Jeunesse Emploi Abitibi-Ouest 48°48'12.312"N
  79°12'18.108"O
• Circonflexe Maison du Tourisme Amos Harricana 48°3'28.87978"N
  77°47'36.96644"O
• Circonflexe Coop de L’Arrière-Pays 47°19'58.512"N
  79°26'15.108"O
• Circonflexe Parc du Belvédère à Malartic 48°8'1.86"N
  78°7'25.068"O
• Circonflexe Participarc, LaSarre 48°47'35.9052"N
  79°12'29.7126"O

Indications to the starting point

From Val-d'Or, take the road 117 North. Turn left on La Salle Street. Turn left on the way to Lac Mourier. Turn left to continue on the Fournier Lac Mourier road. Turn left on Avenue Baie du Club to the beach.

Public outdoor parking and launch ramp.
Position : 78°7'55,452"O 47°58'58,408"N

Indications to the point of arrival

In Amos, go to the end of the Marina Road. 

Public outdoor parking and launch ramp 
Position : 78°6'41,461"O 48°33'31,39"N

Topographic Maps

Topographic maps at a scale of 1:50,000 exist for the entire course of the river and we recommend that you use them in conjunction with this guide card.

32   C/4    La Lemoine, riv. Thomson, lac De Montigny, riv. Harricana
32   C/5    Harricana River, Malartic Lake, La Motte Lake
32   D/8    Harricana River, Malartic Lake, La Motte Lake
32   D/9    Harricana River

Total slope: none

Danger

The lakes De Montigny, Marlartic and La Motte are tumultuous by strong wind.

Campsite

Campsites are sufficient. They are distributed all

along the route and vary in quality.

Géography

James Bay watershed

The Harricana River flows northward, originates in Lakes Blouin, De Montigny, Lemoine and Mourier, and empties into James Bay some 553 km further north.

The Harricana River is the second longest waterway in Canada (170 km of waterway). It originates in the lakes Blouin, De Montigny, Lemoine and Mourier near Val-d'Or and flows into James Bay some 553 kilometres to the north.

Fauna

The course is known for its very diverse wildlife which includes, among others, black duck, kingfisher, great heron, great woodpecker, porcupine, red squirrel, beaver, muskrat, hare, weasel, marten, mink, striped skunk, otter, orignal, black bear, grey wolf, coyote, red fox, lynx.

Flora

The water bodies are located in the boreal forest in the area of white birch fir, which includes, among others, cedar, white and black spruce, balsam fir, aspen and birch.

History

An interesting flow and relatively calm terrain, relative to the other rivers of James Bay, have made the Harricana River a busy waterway. The first users were the Algonquins. As a tributary of James Bay, and thus of Hudson Bay, the Harricana River and its basin were owned by the Hudson’s Bay Company until they were purchased by Canada in 1869. The territory was officially annexed to the province of Quebec in 1898 and settlement efforts began. In 1906, Henry O'Sullivan explored the banks of the Harricana and in 1908, the first camps were established on the banks of the river at the height of the rapids. These are supply camps for the construction of a transcontinental railway. Some years later, in 1910, the first settlers arrived and founded the town of Amos in 1912 at the point where the railway crosses the river.

Toponymy

The original name of the Harricana River is "Nanikana". But the missionaries of the time learned the Algonquin language from sound and distorted this word to make it "Harricana". The Algonquin expression Nanikana takes on its full meaning when it is explained that it means " The main way". Some sources claim that the name is of Algonquin origin and means Biscuit River. The term biscuits refers to the many flat pebbles found on the banks of the river.