Petite rivière à l'Ours (Témiscamingue)


The Petite rivière à l'Ours is a tributary of the Ottawa River. La Petite Rivière à l'Ours crosses the unorganized territory Les Lacs-du-Témiscamingue, in the Témiscamingue Regional County Municipality, in the administrative region of Abitibi-Témiscamingue, in the province of Quebec, in Canada.
From the second half of XIXth Century, forestry was the predominant economic activity in the sector. Recreational and tourist activities have developed there especially in the XXth.

Geography

The neighboring watersheds of the Petite rivière à l'Ours are:
Lake Junco constitutes the head of the "little Bear river". This body of water is located south and west of the Fildegrand River.
From this head lake, the "Petite rivière à l'Ours" flows sigzagging over towards the southwest, in particular by crossing Lake Loriot and marsh areas, until to an unnamed lake receiving the outlet from Whitton Lake, which the current crosses to the southwest.
From there, the "Petite rivière à l'Ours" flows for south in Zec Dumoine to the north shore of "Petit lac à l'Ours" which receives the discharge of Parogee Lake. Then to the south-east in a small valley. The river pours into the bottom of a bay on the east bank of the Ottawa River, in Holden Lake, facing Grants Creek.
The mouth of the "Petite rivière à l'Ours" is located downstream of the mouth of the rivière à l'Ours and upstream of the mouth of the Dumoine River.

Toponymy

Animals are used frequently in French Canadian toponymy. The bear is an animal respected for its character and its strength. Its meat is edible. Its bones can be used to make tools or weapons. Its skin can be used in particular for clothing, bags, blanket, carpet or shelter. The bear is the subject of several legends, generally of Aboriginal origin.
The toponym "Petite rivière à l'Ours" is associated with the nearby watercourse which is designated "rivière à l'Ours".
The toponym "Petite rivière à l'Ours" was formalized on 5 December 1968 at the Commission de toponymie du Québec.