NAVIGATING Lake Temiskaming Lake Temiskaming is a safe, largely obstacle-free body of water that’s easy to navigate, making it ideal for boaters of all experience levels. There are few obstacles not clearly visible and those are almost exclusively near the shore. The center channel has water depths down to 250 feet, with many areas reaching depths of 300 to 500 feet. The result is a safe lake for navigating, even without the aid of official charts. If you’d like official charts, they can be purchased at the New Liskeard Marina. First-hand advice and recommendations can be sought through local marinas, or through the Tri-Town Power and Sail Squadron.
Ville-Marie
Ville-Marie
The highlight of Lake Temiskaming’s eastern (Quebec) shore is undoubtedly Ville-Marie. An attractive town with several charming shops and heritage sites reflecting its status as oldest inhabitation in the region, Ville-Marie and nearby Fort Témiscamingue are worthy of exploration. As early as 1679, the place functioned as a trading post between the French and indigenous Algonquians, but was destroyed by the Iroquois in 1688. In 1720, a new Fort Témiscamingue was founded by French merchants on a strategic location where the two shores of Lake Temiskaming come only 820 feet apart. This became a center for the fur trade route from Montreal to Hudson Bay, located roughly halfway between these two. This post came into the hands of the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1821 and survived another century until it closed in 1902. Though most of the buildings were by then lost, Fort Témiscamingue was declared a national historic site in 1931 and remains a principle tourist destination (pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/qc/temiscamingue/index. aspx). Here you’ll encounter historical characters, visit a recreated store where you learn about bartering and trade, witness several re-enactments, and explore the Interpretation Center that recounts relations between the First Nations, the French and the British and tells of rivalry between the Hudson’s Bay Company and North West Company for control of the fur trade. Half a century later, in 1875, a religious mission was established by Brother Joseph Moffet who gave it the name “Ville-Marie.” He was followed by a group of French settlers, and a village took root. Today, Brother Moffet’s House, or Maison du Frere-Moffet, is one of the oldest houses still standing in the Temiskaming region. This modest, dovetail-construction wooden house is a unique testament to the earliest days of settlement in the area and is considered a treasured historic monument. Today, Ville-Marie’s century-old streets Notre-Damede-Lourdes, Notre-Dame and Sainte-Anne are filled with Victorian homes that bring tourists back to old times. Among the attractions is a grotto, situated at the eastern
MARINAS
end of Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes Street, set up in 1904 to the likeness of the famed grotto in Notre-Dame-deLourdes, in France. Every year, in mid-August, hundreds of pilgrims flock here to join in the celebrations.
Temiscaming
At the southern extremity of the lake is Temiscaming, a pulp and paper town of 2,700 inhabitants. Its most interesting attraction is the Train Station Museum (15 rue Humphrey, temiscaming.net/railway-station), a circa-1927 Canadian Pacific railway station. The station master lived on the second floor of this brick building, while the ground floor housed passenger services and two waiting rooms. The Temiscaming station was designated an historic monument by the Quebec government in 1979 and today houses an exhibit on the community’s history. Founded in 1920, Temiscaming was built according to the English garden town concept, so it’s an attractive community with English-inspired architecture downtown. Guided tours can be arranged to discover Temiscaming’s numerous attractions, which include the aforementioned Train Station Museum and historic St. Therese Church, with its famous statues. Lake Temiskaming offers the appeal of ruggedly beautiful northern wilderness interspersed by a variety of quaint, historic towns. Further, the mix of Anglo, French and First Nations influences lend the region a character unique in North America.
HOMESTEDERS MUSEUM, MILLIONAIRE’S ROW & HARDY BOYS SIGN COURTESY OF TEMISKAMING SHORES / TRAIN STATION COURTESY OF VILLE TÉMISCAMING / VILLE-MARIE PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHANE FALARDEAU
Marina de Témiscaming 20 rue Humphrey Phone: 819-627-3273 Fax: 819-627-3019 ville.temiscaming@temiscaming.net New Liskeard Waterfront Marina 199 Riverside Drive Phone: 705-647-0010 Haileybury Marina 451 Farr Drive Phone: 705-647-5709 Fax: 705-647-8688 Marina municipale de Ville-Marie 7, rue Sainte-Anne Ouest Phone: 819-629-2881 Fax: 819-629-3215 ville-marie.ca Marina Tête-du-Lac 480 3e Rang Ouest, RR1, C.P. 93 Phone: 819-723-2116 Fax: 819-723-2237 municipalite@municipalite.notredame-du-nord.qc.ca municipalite.notre-dame-du-nord. qc.ca