Pic River 50, Ontario

Pic River 50 is an Indian reserve on the north shore of Lake Superior at the mouth of the Pic River, near Marathon, Ontario, Canada. The reserve is 316.6 ha within its exterior boundaries. The reserve contains the community of Heron Bay, Ontario. It serves as the land-base for the Ojibways of the Pic River First Nation. In November, 2007, the First Nation reported their total registered population was 964 people, of which their on-reserve population was 480.

Pic River 50 is known for the role it has played in developing "run of the river" hydroelectric projects in Northern Ontario. It is partner to three projects: the 13.5 MW Black River generating station (GS), the 5.0 MW Twin Falls GS and the 23.0 MW Umbata Falls GS. In all, these projects produce enough electricity to meet the needs of some 30,000 homes in Ontario.

Ojibways of the Pic River First Nation are currently attempting to create a self-sustainable reserve with employment, education and resources being developed and used within the reserve itself. Thus far, Pic River 50 has a thriving forestry company, a cable television company and a high speed internet company. Pic River 50 Reserve backs Pukaskwa National Park with a focus on conservation, natural history and natural resources.

The Pic River 50 reserve is home to many wild Northern Ontario species such as the beaver, moose, woodland caribou, wolf, black bear, white tailed and red tailed hawk, bald eagle, northern flicker, and many arctic alpine plants. The shores of Pic River 50 are dominated by the mass sandy dunes on the Little Pic river, which translates to "little muddy."

External links

* [http://www.picriver.com/ Ojibways of the Pic River First Nation]
* [http://www.embargo.ca/highway11/ThunderBay/SP-12-PicRiver.htm Ontario Highway 11 Homepage - Pic River First Nation (off Highway 17)]