Qu'Appelle River

Infobox_River
river_name = Qu'Appelle River


image_size =
caption = The Red River drainage basin, with the Qu'Appelle River highlighted
origin = Lake Diefenbaker
mouth = Assiniboine River
basin_countries = flag|Canada
length = km to mi|430|abbr=yes|precision=0 [Cite web|url=http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/quappelle_river.html|title=Qu'Appelle River|author=The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan|ccessdate=2008-08-02]
elevation = m to ft|550|abbr=yes|precision=0
mouth_elevation = m to ft|400|abbr=yes|precision=0
discharge =
watershed = The Qu'Appelle River (IPAEng|kəˈpɛl) is a Canadian river that flows 430 km east from Lake Diefenbaker in southwestern Saskatchewan to join the Assiniboine River in Manitoba.

The river flows into several other lakes of significance in southeast Saskatchewan, including:

*Buffalo Pound Lake to the northwest of Regina, created by damming the Qu'Appelle River in 1956, which supplies water to Regina, Moose Jaw, and the Mosiac Potash Mine at Belle Plaine;
*the four Fishing Lakes (Pasqua, Echo, Mission, and Katepwa Lakes) to the northeast of Regina; and,
*farther downstream, to the north of Grenfell and Broadview: Crooked Lake and Round Lake.

's "legend of the Qu'Appelle Valley" (see below); as yet this has not taken any authentic hold.

Assorted tributary coulees drain into the Qu'Appelle Valley at various junctures along it course, notably Echo Creek immediately upriver from Fort Qu'Appelle, and Last Oak, north of Grenfell and Broadview, in the past the locus of an extremely successful aboriginal-managed ski resort.

Last Mountain Lake, also known as Long Lake, the largest natural lake in southern Saskatchewan (Lake Diefenbaker is larger but is a reservoir behind the Gardiner and Qu'Appelle River Dams), drains into the Qu'Appelle near the town of Craven.

History

In 1787, the North West Company established a fur trading post at Fort Espérance on the lower river. After it was abandoned in 1819, the Hudson's Bay Company established a post at Fort Qu'Appelle in 1852 immediately adjacent to the site of what became the town of the same name.

sentiment. In her version, a young Cree swain heard his name while crossing one of the lakes and replied, "Who calls?" Only his echo could be heard (hence Echo Lake), and he realized it had been his bride-to-be calling out his name at the instant of her death. Despite its evidently fictional nature, it is the trumped-up romantic version that holds sway today.

Recreation and environment

In addition to the popularity of its lakes as summer recreational locales, the valley also contains popular venues for winter sports including the following:
*White Track ski resort on Buffalo Pound Lake
*Mission Ridge Winter Park, a popular skiing and snowboarding destination on the south shore of Mission Lake immediately adjacent to Fort Qu'Appelle
*Last Oak Golf Course to the north of Broadview, some 80 miles east of Regina
*Hang gliding (and, less often, paragliding) from the valley slopes, especially in the Crooked Lake and Round Lake regions. In this area the valley is up to 450 feet deep and a mile wide, allowing for strong, smooth airflow up the side of the valley and ample landing areas on top and down in the valley, and providing a strong upward component of wind as it flows over the (in some places) optimally rounded valley edge, allowing pilots to soar in the "ridge lift" for many hours at a time. Pilots commonly travel from Manitoba and Alberta and of course other locations in Saskatchewan to fly this natural wonder of the Prairies.
*The river valley contains relatively undisturbed grassland and coulees which provide habitat for native plant and animal species, such as the Loggerhead Shrike and the coyote (locally pronEng|ˈkaɪoʊt). The easternmost slopes contain bur oaks, the only natural occurrence of oak trees in Saskatchewan. [ [http://esask.uregina.ca/entry/quappelle_valley.html Norm Henderson, "Qu'Appelle Valley," Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan.] Retrieved 19 November 2007.]

Famous people

* James Henderson, the pre-eminent first generation Saskatchewan artist, spent the latter part of his life in Fort Qu'Appelle, painting valley landscapes and aboriginal portraits until his death in 1951.
* Famous ice hockey player Eddie Shore was born in Fort Qu'Appelle.
* The folksinger and activist Buffy Sainte-Marie was born on the Piapot Cree Reserve in the Qu'Appelle Valley. One of her songs is entitled "Qu'appelle Valley, Saskatchewan".
* Noted Canadian jurist and singer Graeme Mitchell grew up at Fort San and received his high school education in Fort Qu'Appelle.

ee also

*List of Saskatchewan rivers
*Qu'Appelle

Notes

External links

*University of Saskatchewan. [http://library.usask.ca/spcoll/postcardsquappelle/views.html Qu'Appelle Valley views]

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