The Last 10,000 Years

The last glacier to cover the Ottawa area was during the Wisconsin Glacial period, 70,000 - 10,000 years ago. The weight of this glacier depressed the earth’s surface and as the glacier melted the Champlain Sea was formed. 12,000 years ago the Ottawa River delta (mouth to the sea) was at Pembroke. 8,000 years ago the delta was located at Vankleek Hill and a portion of the Ottawa River flowed through the Mer Bleu area, but as the land began to rise the present location of the Ottawa River was formed, by about 8,000 BP. The Ottawa River is one of the most important prehistoric and historic travel corridors in Canada.

Middle archaic (8000 - 4000 BP) hunter gatherers first used the area about 8000 years ago when the land was likely wet and swampy, it would have provided a good game habitat although it was not suitable for settlement.

The area was inhabited by Algonquin and Iroquoian peoples 3000 years ago and village life and agriculture were on the horizon. The Petrie Island/Cardinal creek area was probably a well used fishing area in prehistoric times as it is to-day.

The Ottawa route to Lake Superior was the major transportation route to the west used by the native peoples and Europeans. The first recorded Europeans to travel the Ottawa were Etienne Brule (1600) followed by Samuel Champlain. The Jesuits and the fur traders were the first Europeans to use the route on a regular basis and the Iroquois used it for raiding parties against the Hurons. The first settlers moved into the area in 1S00 and farmed as well as lumbered the area.

The Ottawa River basin was British North America’s greatest pine district and trees up to 250’ and 6’ in diameter grew in the area. Philemon Wright brought a group of 5 American families to Hull in 1800. In 1806 Wright put together the first timber raft made up of twenty cribs 24’ wide and started down the Ottawa on June 11, The raft was taken apart and the cribs were floated over the rapids, then the raft was re-assembled and he continued to Quebec city arriving on August 12; he was not able to complete the sale of the lumber until Nov. 29. They lived, cooked and slept on the raft. The last timber raft went down the river in 1908, it was 150,000 sq ft and was worth $80- 100,000.

The first steamer appeared on the Ottawa river in 1823 and steamships quickly became the main mode of transport. Captain Petrie, a Cumberland resident, was instrumental in the first road between Ottawa and Montreal built in 1850. Wharf owners along the river lobbied against the Railway line which was built by the Canadian Northern Ontario railway in 1908, along where Highway 17 is now. The modern highway was built in 1950.

Before the Carillon dam in 1962-64, 1ong sand beaches 20-30’ wide existed on the river side and the Island had 4 cottages. A fire in Ottawa on April 26, 1900 destroyed over 3000 buildings in Hull and Ottawa and some residents camped on the Island while their homes were being rebuilt. A portion of the Island was used as a dump in the 1950’s. The Region purchased the Islands in 1983 for preservation of the wetlands areas and for passive recreation uses. The area was designated a regionally significant area of natural and scientific interest by the Province in 1988 and is identified as Class one wetlands. The Friends of Petrie Island developed and operated a picnic area in August of 1998 with funds provided by the City of Cumberland.

Sources:

Trim Road Environmental assessment study – 1998.

Hurling Down the Pine: Hughson and Bond, Historical Society of Gatineau 1964