Pika River


The Rivière Pika is a freshwater tributary of the Pikauba River, flowing in the administrative region of Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, in the province of Quebec, in Canada. This watercourse successively crosses the regional county municipalities of:
The upper part of the Pika River valley is accessible by route 169 ; other secondary forest roads have been developed in the sector for forestry and recreational tourism activities.
Forestry is the primary economic activity in the sector; recreational tourism, second.
The surface of the Pika River is usually frozen from late November to early April, however safe circulation on the ice is generally from mid-December to late March.

Geography

Draining small lakes in the northern part of the Laurentides wildlife reserve, the Pika river, a small tributary of the left bank of the Pikauba river, flows over approximately 16.37 km from Little Pika lake and Pika Lake.
The main watersheds neighboring the Pika River are:
The Pika River rises at the mouth of Pika Lake. The mouth which is on the north shore of this head lake is located at:
  • west of Hocquart Lake ;
  • north-west of Lac du Panache ;
  • southeast of Lac Morin;
  • north-west of the confluence of rivière aux Canots and Rivière aux Canots Est;
  • south-west of route 169;
  • south of the confluence of the Pika and Pikauba rivers;
  • east of rivière aux Écorces.
From the mouth of Pika Lake, the course of the Pika River flows over entirely in the forest zone, with a drop of, according to the following segments :
  • first towards the east, bending towards the northeast crossing Hocquart Lake to the dike at its mouth;
  • towards the north, first by forming a loop towards the west, then a hook of towards the northeast, up to a stream ;
  • towards the north by forming a small hook towards the west at the end of the segment, up to the south shore of lac Custeau;
  • towards the north crossing Lake Custeau over its full length and bending towards the east in the bay north of the lake, to its mouth. Note: Lac Custeau receives on the north side the outlet from Lac Scott, Lac de la Niche, Lac Clarence-Gagnon and Lac du Merle;
  • eastward, bending northwards around a mountain whose summit reaches, up to route 169;
  • towards the north by collecting the Savard stream to the outlet of Lac Janvry;
  • towards the north by forming a hook towards the east, then towards the north, until its mouth.

    Toponymy

The course of the Pika River crosses route 169 a little south of the Gîte-du-Berger. By the end of the 19th century, this forest road was already used, well before the construction of the current road; it was then dotted with relays for travelers traveling on foot on a route called "Chemin du Gouvernement". In 1869, a camp known as Abri Pika was established there.
The name "Pika" is of Innu origin and to which the word "Apica" is attached. This appellation appears on a map of the Laurentides Park in 1942. "Pik" has the meaning of "small", "menu", "delicate" which is well suited to the size of the river.
The toponym "Rivière Pika" was formalized on December 5, 1968, at the Place Names Bank of the Commission de toponymie du Québec.