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Churchill River (Atlantic)

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The Churchill River is a very long river in Canada. It sits in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Churchill River (near Happy Valley-Goose Bay)
Churchill River (near Happy Valley-Goose Bay)

This river is the longest in Atlantic Canada. It flows east from the Smallwood Reservoir. The water travels through Lake Melville before it reaches the Atlantic Ocean. It is a huge part of the land in this region.

The river follows a curved path through the land. It starts by flowing north from Ashuanipi Lake. The water moves across the Labrador Plateau, which is shaped like a saucer.

A.P. Low Hamilton River Picnic 1894
A.P. Low Hamilton River Picnic 1894

Next, it flows east through many different lakes. Some of these lakes were flooded to make the Smallwood Reservoir. The river then moves through a rocky canyon. This canyon is hundreds of feet deep.

The Canon a Quarter of a Mile below the Grand Falls
The Canon a Quarter of a Mile below the Grand Falls

Many different groups have names for this river. The Labrador Innu call it the Grand River. The Central Innu call it the Churchill Falls River. Other groups, like the NunatuKavummiut and Nunatsiavummiut, call it the Big River. In 1821, Captain William Martin gave it a new name. He named it after Charles Hamilton. Later, in 1965, Joey Smallwood renamed it the Churchill River. He chose this name to honor Winston Churchill.

The river is very important for making electricity. This is done through a big hydroelectric project at Churchill Falls. Most of the water that used to fall over the falls is now moved underground. This water goes through a giant power plant. This plant can make 5,428 MW of power. More plants might be built to reach over 9,200 MW. This project has caused some disagreements between the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec.

People have long been interested in this river. In 1894, people even had picnics on the water.

A.P. Low Hamilton River Picnic 1894
A.P. Low Hamilton River Picnic 1894

In 2012, divers used special tools to look deep underwater. They thought they found a sunken U-boat near Muskrat Falls. This was a local legend, but records make it seem unlikely. Today, some people want to change the name back to Grand River or an Innu name. The river remains a very important place for nature and power.

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🖼️ Images & Media (3)
File:Churchill River (near Happy Valley-Goose Bay).jpg
Churchill River (near Happy Valley-Goose Bay).jpg
File:The Canon a Quarter of a Mile below the Grand Falls.png
The Canon a Quarter of a Mile below the...
File:A.P. Low Hamilton River Picnic 1894.jpg
A.P. Low Hamilton River Picnic 1894.jpg
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