Massawippi River


The Massawippi River is a river flowing in the territory of North Hatley and the city of Sherbrooke, in the administrative region of Estrie, in Quebec, Canada. It is a tributary of the Saint-François River which flows north to the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River.

Toponymy

The hamlet of Massawippi was founded in 1800 by Loyalists. The name Massawippi could come from the Algonquin term nasawipi which means "between the waters". The term could also come from Abenaki and mean "much clear water." Although the two versions may exist, several places in the area are named by the words used by the Abenaki such as Magog, Lake Memphremagog, Coaticook and Mégantic.

Geography

The Massawippi River has its origins in Lake Massawippi at North Hatley. From the North Hatley Bridge at the mouth of Lake Massawippi, this river flows over, with a drop of according to the following segments:
The confluence of the river with the Saint-François River was called “petite fourche” by the Abenakis, French missionaries and the first settlers, before being known under the name of Lennoxville.

Tourism

An old railway track transformed into a bike path runs along the Massawippi River. The bike path is part of the Route Verte.