Olga Lake Explained

Olga Lake
Location:	Baie-James
Type:	Natural
Inflow:	Waswanipi River, Opaoca River
Outflow:	Waswanipi River
Pushpin Map:	Quebec
Basin Countries:	Canada

Olga Lake is a freshwater body crossed by the Waswanipi River and located in the southern part of Eeyou Istchee James Bay (municipality), in administrative region of the Nord-du-Québec, in the province of Quebec, in Canada.

Most of Olga Lake Olga surface is in Morris Township. Nevertheless, one bay upstream of the Waswanipi River extends into the township of Dussieux, and another bay stretches to the Southeast. While the southwestern portion of the lake extends into Pouchot Township (through Elizabeth Bay), Comporte Township and Lozeau Township.

Forestry is the main economic activity of the sector. Recreational tourism activities come second. This lake is said to be one of two lakes in the region that contain an unidentified species of fish called yûtinamekw, meaning "windfish" in the local Cree language.^[1]

The Olga Lake hydrographic slope is accessible via the James Bay Highway coming from the southwest (from Matagami), then branches northward by cutting the Canet River at the north of Lake Olga. The surface of Olga Lake is usually frozen from early November to mid-May, however, safe ice circulation is generally from mid-November to mid-April.

Geography

This lake has a length of, a maximum width of and an altitude of .

Lake Olga has many bays, peninsulas and islands. The Waswanipi River (tributary of Matagami Lake) runs westward through the northern part of Lake Olga.

Lake Olga also obtains supplies from the Southeast via the Opaoca River (via Elisabeth Bay), a creek from the Southwest, and the discharge (from the Northwest) of Lakes Caron and Gabrielle.

The mouth of this Olga Lake is located at the “Chute Rouge” (English: Red Falls) at the bottom of a bay north of the lake at:

• southeast of Matagami Lake (at the mouth of the Waswanipi River);
• east of Lac au Goéland;
• northeast of the village center of Matagami;
• southeast of Soscumica Lake.^[2]

The main hydrographic slopes near Lake Olga are:

• North side: Waswanipi River, Matagami Lake, Canet River;
• East side: Waswanipi River, Gull Lake;
• South side: Opaoca River, Bell River;
• West side: Matagami Lake, Bell River.

Toponymy

The designation "Lake Olga" appears in the "Fifth Report of the Geographic Board of Canada 1904", published in Ottawa in 1905: "Olga; Lake southeast of Mattagami Lake, Abitibi District, Que". The origin and meaning of the place name are unexplained.^[3]

The toponym "lac Olga" was formalized on December 5, 1968, by the Commission de toponymie du Québec, when it was created.^[4]

See also

• Nottaway River, a watercourse
• Lake Matagami, a body of water
• Waswanipi River, a watercourse
• Opaoca River, a watercourse
• Eeyou Istchee Baie-James (municipality), a municipality
• List of lakes in Canada

Notes and References

1. Feit, Harvey Allen. 1978. Waswanipi Realities and Adaptations: Resource Management and Cognitive Structure. pp. 144 & appendix A-34
2. Distances from the Department of Natural Resources Canada's Atlas of Canada (published on the Internet).
3. Source: Names and Places in Quebec, a work of the Commission de toponymie du Québec, published in 1994 and 1996 in the form of a printed illustrated dictionary, and under that of a CD-ROM produced by the company Micro-Intel, in 1997, from this dictionary.
4. http://www.toponymie.gouv.qc.ca/ct/ToposWeb/Fiche.aspx?No_seq=45386 Commission de toponymie du Québec - List of place names - Toponym: "Lac Olga"