| Batchawana River | |
| Name Etymology: | From the Ojibwe meaning "swift waters/current" |
| Pushpin Map: | Canada Ontario |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the mouth of the Batchawana River in Ontario |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | Canada |
| Subdivision Type2: | Province |
| Subdivision Name2: | Ontario |
| Subdivision Type3: | Region |
| Subdivision Name3: | Northeastern Ontario |
| Subdivision Type4: | Districts |
| Length: | 95km (59miles) |
| Source1: | Unnamed lake |
| Source1 Location: | Sudbury District |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 47.2433°N -83.6619°W |
| Source1 Elevation: | 487m (1,598feet) |
| Mouth: | Batchawana Bay, Lake Superior |
| Mouth Location: | Algoma District |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 46.9303°N -84.5283°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 180m (590feet) |
| River System: | Great Lakes Basin |
The Batchawana River is a river in Algoma and Sudbury Districts of Ontario, Canada, which empties into Batchawana Bay on Lake Superior north of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
The name "Batchawana" is derived from the Ojibwe word obatchiwanang, meaning "current at the strait" or "narrows and swift water there", and refers to the turbulent or bubbling waters flowing between Batchawana Island and Sand Point (directly east of the Batchawana River's mouth).[1] [2]
A trading post was established near the mouth of the river for fur trading around 1817 or 1819 by clerks of the North West Company.[3] [4] [5] The Hudson's Bay Company appears to have operated a post there as well circa 1868-1869.[6]
Batchawana River Provincial Park encompasses portions of the river, and Batchawana Bay Provincial Park, with a large sandy beach, is located just west of the river's mouth on Batchawana Bay. The Algoma Central Railway crosses the river at the settlement of Batchewana.
North of Batchawana Bay is Pancake Bay, so named because fur traders travelling east from Fort William had only enough flour left to make pancakes.
The Batchawana River Provincial Park protects certain sections of the river and its banks, as well as some adjacent forests. It was established in 2004 and is meant for canoeing and fishing. Features in the park include wide meanders, numerous rapids, islands, shifting stream channels and a long canyon. The forests include yellow birch, white pine and eastern hemlock, that at the northern end of its range.
It is a non-operating park, meaning that there are no facilities or services.