CANOE RIVER.

Canoe River flows through Fort George Division
to 22 miles above its junction with the Columbia
at Big Bend. The river rises in a chain of moun-
tains at the south-west border of the division and
flows north-east to about 8 miles south of Cran-
berry Lake, where it rounds the base of Canoe
Mountain and turns south-east to the Columbia,
winding, and blocked by several log-jams, one very
extensive. The valley varies from one-quarter to
1% miles in width and holds many muskegs and
low and swampy meadows caused by beaver-dams,
the largest, north-east of Canoe Mountain, extend-
ing 314 miles. The mountains, rising abruptly on
either side, include peaks exceeding 8,000 feet.
General altitude of the valley 2,700 feet. A large
portion is forested and much has been overrun by
fire.

A number of settlers have located in the valley,
some having good farms. A trail connects with the
Canadian National Railway. Soil is sandy loam,
producing good crops of oats, barley, cabbages,
potatoes, etc. Hot springs are situated at the edge
of a small lake at the base of mountains opposite
the big log-jam, about 20 miles by trail from the
railway, the waters being famed locally for reputed
medicinal properties. The river, 100 to 400 feet
wide, generally swift, dangerous to other than
expert boatmen, has banks 5 to 16 feet high to
Grew’s Rapids, about 22 miles from the mouth.
From there it is 400 to 1,000 feet wide. It is not
navigable for steamers. Surveyors estimate there
are 10,000 acres fit for settlement between Cran-
berry Lake and Grew’s Rapids, about 83 miles, this
point marking the dividing line between the wet
belt of the Columbia and the drier area to the
north, and 9,000 acres between there and Goat
River. Clearing in bottom lands, where poplar and
willow grow, costs about $20 an acre, and $380 to
$80 an acre where spruce and pine is encountered.
The side-hills and high benches are stony, but afford
pasture in places to limited extent. From Pack-
saddle Creek for the first few miles down the valley
a great part is muskeg and swampy land, especially
on the west, where there is a stretch in one place
of muskeg covering 2,000 acres. The area is a
mass of beaver-dams. Most of the swamps can be
drained. In few instances fairly dry meadows are
found. One, a few miles below Ptarmigan Creek,
covers 70 acres. Another meadow below Ptarmigan
Creek covers 120 acres, but this is generally under
a foot of water from branches of the creek. There
are one or two other large meadows around the

edges, on which red-top grows wild to 5 or 6 feet.