Located
almost in the Centre of Canada, Lake of the Woods borders to Canadian
Provinces and the U.S. state of Minnesota. The lake boasts as being
the second largest Freshwater Lake in Ontario. With 65,000 miles of
shoreline, 15,000 tree studded islands it is 55 miles from east to west,
and 65 miles north to south.
The
area is covered in pine, spruce, balsam, poplar, and birch. Lake of
the Woods is the remains of the glacial Lake Agassiz, and has two parts.
In the northern section is the majority of is 15,000 islands with it's
confusing maze of channels, islands, bays while in the south the shallow
sandy botton of the lake with it's dune-like islands to the east and
marshes to the west. In the middle stretches an open expanse of water
as far as the eye can see. (Big and Little Traverse).
The
early inhabitants of this area considered Lake of the Woods four different
bodies of water. The south was named (from a translation) "Sand
Hills Lake". The name for the north translated into Lake of the
Woods, Island Lake or Lake of the Isles. Whitefish Lake was in the east,
and Clearwater Lake is in the western end.
Jacques
de Noyon the first explorer of this region in 1688 called this area
"Lac aux Iles."
8000
years ago small bands of aboriginals lived off the rich natural resources
of this area. The Native Tribes of The Laurels, Blackducks, Selkirks,
Sioux, Ojiway and Cree all realized the life sustaining qualities
of this area and made their homes here.
No
matter what your Outdoor activities might be you are sure to find it
here in Lake of the Woods Country.
