The Chemin des Canots River is a tributary of the Malbaie River, flowing into the unorganized territory of Lac-Pikauba in the Charlevoix Regional County Municipality, in the Capitale-Nationale administrative region, in the province of Quebec, in Canada. The Chemin des Canots River crosses the eastern part of the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve; it flows into a river bend on the southwestern bank of the Malbaie River facing the zec des Martres. The lower and middle parts of the Chemin des Canots River valley are served primarily by R0360 forest road and some other secondary forest roads, for forestry and recreational tourism purposes. Forestry is the main economic activity of the sector; recreational tourism activities, second. The surface of the Chemin des Canots River is usually frozen from early December to late March, however, safe ice circulation is generally from mid-December to mid-March.
Geography
The middle section of Chemin des Canots River has a series of nine lakes aligned from north to south on between Lac Duquette and Lac Robitaille. Canoeing can be practiced on this river for about ten kilometers; however, this river segment has only one portage to bypass the rapids between Lake Layrac and Canoe Lake. A canoe trip or by air can admire the summits of surrounding mountains named according to the main summits of the International Organization of the Francophonie:
east side of the river: Moncton summit, from Hanoi, from Dakar, of Cotonou, of Paris, of Quebec ;
west side of the river: summit of Mauritius and Chaillot.
The main hydrographic slopes near the Chemin des Canots River are:
northwest of the confluence of the Rivière des Canots and Rivière Malbaie.
From its source, the Chemin des Canots River descends on entirely in forest and mountainous areas, with a difference of depending on the segments following:
northeasterly down the mountain, then southeast, to a river bend corresponding to a creek ;
southeasterly into a steep valley, passing between two mountains whose summit reaches on the east side and on the west side, as well as crossing Lake Duquette to its mouth;
to the south, crossing two lakes in succession: Bernard lake on and Assigny Lake on its full length, to the mouth of the latter. Note: Lake Bernard receives on the west side the waters of a group of lakes, including Gautreau Lake;
to the south by collecting the dump of Creux Lake and Lac de la Panetière, by cutting the forest road R0360, crossing Lake Layrac on its full length and crossing Canoe Lake, to its mouth. Note: Lake Canoes receives the discharge of a set of lakes ;
north-east across Lake Robitaille, collecting the dump of Bondy Lake and the dump of the Jeune Otter lake, to its mouth.
The Chemin des Canots River flows on the west bank of the Malbaie River downstream of a river curve and a rapids area. This confluence is located at:
east of Assigny Lake which is part of the lake chain supplying the Chemin des Canots River;
northwest of the confluence of Little Malbaie River and Malbaie River;
southwest of the confluence of the Malbaie River and the St. Lawrence River.
From the confluence of the Chemin des Canots River, the current flows down the course of the Malbaie River on to the northeast, south and south-east, which empties on the northwest shore of the St. Lawrence River]
