Vachon River | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | Canada |
Physical characteristics | |
Source | |
• location | Lac Laflamme (a.k.a. Manarsulik Lake), Nunavik, Quebec |
• elevation | 487.5 m (1,599 ft) |
Mouth | |
• location | Arnaud/Payne River |
• elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
Length | 266 km (165 mi) (measured from north-west end of Lac Laflamme) |
Vachon River (French: Rivière Vachon, Inuktitut: Ikkatujaaq (seemingly shallow) or Qarnatulik (unknown meaning) or Avaluko (unknown meaning)[1]) is a river in the Arctic tundra of Nunavik, Quebec. It originates on Lac Laflamme at 61°21′49″N 73°45′36″W / 61.36361°N 73.76000°W just north of Pingualuit crater and finishes at 60°4′43″N 71°8′59″W / 60.07861°N 71.14972°W where it joins Arnaud/Payne River. It was named after bishop Alexander Vachon (1885–1953), rector of Laval University in 1939 and from 1940 to 1953, archbishop of the diocese of Ottawa, Ontario.[1]
Despite the access and paddling difficulties (long rapids and ledges) and extreme climatic conditions,[2] river is occasionally paddled by canoeists:
River is inhabited by an important Arctic char population harvested for subsistence by the Inuit of Kangirsuk.[7]