| Wanapitei River | |
| Name Etymology: | from the Ojibwa waanabidebiing for "concave-tooth [shaped] water" |
| Pushpin Map: | Canada Ontario |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the mouth of the Wanapitei River in Ontario |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | Canada |
| Subdivision Type2: | Province |
| Subdivision Name2: | Ontario |
| Subdivision Type3: | Region |
| Subdivision Name3: | Northeastern Ontario |
| Subdivision Type4: | District |
| Subdivision Name4: | Sudbury |
| Length: | 120km (80miles) |
| Source1: | Scotia Lake |
| Source1 Location: | 10 km west of McKee's Camp |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 47.1317°N -81.3908°W |
| Source1 Elevation: | 399m (1,309feet) |
| Mouth: | French River |
| Mouth Location: | 8 km WSW of Hartley Bay |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 46.0261°N -80.8603°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 182m (597feet) |
| River System: | Great Lakes Basin |
| Tributaries Left: | East Wanapitei River |
The Wanapitei River (French: Rivière Wanapitei) is a river in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is in the Great Lakes Basin and is a right tributary of the French River.
The river's source is Scotia Lake, a small lake 20km (10miles) east of Halfway Lake Provincial Park in Sudbury District. From there, it flows north and east, taking in two small tributaries and continuing to a point 20 kilometres southwest of the Ishpatina Ridge, where it turns south. After approximately 60 kilometres, the river flows into Lake Wanapitei in the northeastern portion of Greater Sudbury. At the south end of the lake, the river continues, flowing south until it joins the French River near the latter's mouth on Georgian Bay on Lake Huron. The river is approximately 120km (80miles) in length and is a popular wilderness canoeing route.
Ontario Power Generation operates three hydroelectric generating stations on the river as well as one control dam, at Wanapitei Lake.[1]
The river's name comes from the Ojibwa word waanabidebiing, or "concave-tooth [shaped] water", which describes the shape of Lake Wanapitei. A community which takes its name from the river is spelled Wahnapitae. However, the Wanapitei spelling is correct for both the lake and the river.
On June 2, 2013, a rail bridge crossing the Wanapitei River at Wanup collapsed, causing a train derailment.[2]