Lake Nipissing

Lake Nipissing is a lake in Ontario.

In Anishinabek News

• April 2013: Residents across this watershed knew Gord Restoule Sr. as a traditional weatherman. The lake is part of the same regional ecosystem as Dokis First Nation and the French River.
• August 2013: The Okikendawt Hydroelectric Project is located at an outflow from this lake into the French River. Water levels on the lake are expected to remain unchanged by the operation of the new hydro facility.
• December 2013: A story from this lake involving the Manitou Islands tells a tale of loss that inspires strength and courage. Faith Juma described being forever held by the waters of this lake.
• November 2014: Water levels in the lake are managed using control structures located on the French River.
• May 2015: The Silver Lamprey is a native species to this lake and does not pose an invasive threat to its ecosystem. Fisheries researchers used drift nets in the South River of this lake to assess larval Lake Sturgeon populations in 2015.
• July 2015: The lake's walleye fishery has been a primary concern for local leadership, leading to new fishing regulations and netting restrictions. A stewardship agreement was signed by community leaders to protect the lake's ecological health. Concerns exist that an Energy East pipeline spill could contaminate the lake's waters.
• September 2015: The lake's Walleye population became threatened following the arrival of Europeans. In 2015, the commercial fishing season on the lake was closed early to support the recovery of the natural fish biomass. Local leadership noted that the lake is too large for a simple put-and-take fishery model to be sustainable.
• September 2015: Fish stocks in the lake have been seriously depleted following the implementation of the 2012 omnibus bills. The community has faced significant issues with enforcement regarding the fishery in this area.
• October 2015: The lake's fishery is described as being seriously depleted. Nipissing First Nation seeks to enforce its own local laws to manage the lake's resources.
• December 2015: The Okikendawt Hydroelectric Project is located near a dam that controls the outflow from this lake.
• February 2016: The lake is mentioned as a site of fishing disputes that share similarities with the events at Burnt Church.
• March 2016: The Nbisiing Secondary School is situated on the shore of this lake. The lake provides the backdrop for the annual Nipissing First Nation Artist Gathering and Art Show.
• March 2016: The lake's fishery resource, particularly walleye, faced depletion and threatened stocks, prompting new management measures in 2015. Commercial fishing seasons on the lake were adjusted to coincide with the opening of the sports fishery in May 2016. The Nipissing First Nation and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry are working together to manage the lake's fishery.
• April 2016: The lake is the subject of a resource management agreement between Nipissing First Nation and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. The walleye population in the lake required recovery efforts after harvest levels exceeded safe limits in 2015.
• June 2016: The Nipissing First Nation flag was raised to a height providing a view of the lake during a ceremony in North Bay. Former Chief Marianna Couchie worked with various municipal leaders situated around the lake to improve regional relations.
• September 2016: As of September 2016, the lake's walleye population is stressed by factors including climate change, pollution, and invasive species. Data indicates that only three percent of the walleye in the lake are larger than the 46cm slot size. The lake has been a source of sustenance and culture for the people of Nipissing First Nation for over 9,000 years.
• September 2016: The lake's fish stock is entering a period of recovery due to intervention by Nipissing First Nation. Fishers on this lake are subject to community-led sustainability laws to ensure the resource remains available.
• September 2016: A confrontation occurred on the lake in September 2016 involving fishermen and resource enforcement officers near Garden Village. Scott McLeod expressed concern that the lake's fish populations must be protected to ensure the continued exercise of Treaty rights.
• October 2016: A group of water protectors marched to a band shell at the lake as part of a support rally for the Standing Rock Sioux Nation.
• December 2016: The lake's walleye population was identified as being at risk during environmental discussions in 2016. Patrick Madahbee noted that a moratorium on fishing in certain bays resulted in significant revenue losses.
• December 2016: The lake's walleye fishery has faced significant population declines, leading to the closure of the commercial season in August 2016. An external scientific review was conducted to determine if current harvest levels on the lake are sustainable for the walleye population. Scott McLeod argued that larger, older fish are missing from the lake's ecosystem as of December 2016.
• January 2017: The lake is the site of fishing activities and related tensions regarding the Treaty rights of Nipissing First Nation. Jurisdiction over the lake falls under the province and the Ministry of Natural Resources rather than the city of North Bay.
• January 2017: The lake is the site of a dispute involving ice fishing hut rentals and the exclusion of Indigenous customers. A local business owner demanded an end to commercial netting on the lake following a controversy over discriminatory advertisements.
• February 2017: The lake has been the site of disputes regarding the fishing rights of First Nations citizens. As of February 2017, an ice-hut rental operator on the lake announced on social media that he would not do business with Indigenous fishers. The community led by the Chief of Duchesnay is located on the lake.
• May 2017: Sid Bobb noted that there was once an abundance of fish inhabiting these waters.
• October 2017: Les Couchie frequently photographs sunsets over this lake to share with his social media followers. The lake's resources and commercial fishing activities are topics of discussion for Nipissing First Nation members.
• February 2018: The 2018 Anishinabek News Lands and Resources Forum took place at a location situated across the street from this lake.
• February 2018: The lake serves as the site for the Ice Follies art festival. It is the subject of tensions between Nipissing First Nation and non-Indigenous fishers regarding conservation.
• March 2018: The walleye population in the lake had plummeted to near collapse by 2012 due to forty years of sport and commercial fishing. As of March 2018, assessments indicate an improvement in fish health and an increase in the abundance of adult walleye. The lake has been fished by the Anishinabek since time immemorial.
• March 2018: The lake is the subject of a sustainable management agreement between Nipissing First Nation and Ontario. Efforts on the lake include conducting joint patrols and fisheries assessments to support the recovery of walleye populations.
• May 2018: Research explored how different community members, including fishers and Elders, maintain relationships with the water. The fishery faced challenges during the study period, including the discovery of ghost nets and increased regulations.
• June 2018: The lake generates approximately $100 million annually, though Nipissing First Nation only recently began to benefit economically from it. As of June 2018, surveys indicate that larger, mature fish are returning to spawning shoals after a period of overharvesting young fish. The fishery was reportedly facing a disaster similar to the Atlantic cod collapse before new conservation measures were introduced.
• September 2018: The lake contains 44 fish species and is a site for both commercial and sport fishing for Bass, Yellow Perch, Northern Pike and Walleye. Commercial harvest levels for walleye in the lake were approaching a limit of 20,000 kilograms during the 2018 season. A spring moratorium on gillnetting was observed on the lake from April 1 to May 19, 2018.
• May 2019: High winds and heavy rain caused three to four metre waves to crash onto the north shoreline on May 9, 2019. Water levels reached heights comparable to those seen 17 and 30 years prior, flooding yards and threatening the main road at Jocko Point.
• June 2019: Nipissing First Nation has utilized its own laws to manage and improve the fishery on the lake over a five-year period. The management of the lake's resources serves as an example for the community's assertion of jurisdiction over cannabis.
• September 2019: The Above the Belt, Below the Bush exhibition was housed in a loft overlooking this lake in North Bay.
• November 2019: The Royal Proclamation of 1763 used this lake as a marker for the boundary of Indian Territory.
• February 2020: First Nations assert that water rights on the lake have never been surrendered.
• March 2020: The lake served as the venue for the Ice Follies 2020 festival and the performance of Mkomiiwi. The natural pressure cracks in the lake's ice inspired the choreography and narrative of the Aanmitaagzi production.
• August 2020: Community members from Dokis First Nation traveled across the lake to reach doctors before roads were built. The lake is a geographic feature in the stories being preserved by the Taking Care of Our Stories project.
• October 2020: The lake is the central geographic feature in the film Nbisiing, which explores its history and the islands within it. Filmmaker Cole Forrest emphasized the importance of protecting the lake and advocating for its significance to the Nipissing First Nation community.
• December 2020: The lake was described in 1615 as containing numerous pleasant islands and being surrounded by woods rich with game. It was the home of a numerous people, estimated at seven to eight hundred souls, who lived near its shores. The northern side of the lake featured meadows for the grazing of cattle and many small streams discharging into the lake.
• May 2021: The Dokis First Nation reserve is located approximately 16 kilometres southwest of this lake.
• June 2021: A new broadband project was designed to address the needs of residents living along a section of the north shore of the lake.
• July 2021: A five-metre replica of the lake and its tributaries is being animated with glass beads. The lake's grid was divided into 446 squares for individual artists to complete as part of a community project.
• August 2021: The Arrowhead Gas Bar on Nipissing First Nation offers a view of the lake. The lake is a central geographic feature for the Nipissing First Nation community.
• August 2021: The shores of the lake served as the location for cultural mindfulness training for future doctors in August 2021.
• August 2021: The Duchesnay Creek Bridge spans a waterway that flows directly into this lake.
• May 2022: The lake was utilized by the Nipissing Peoples for millennia. The Great Blue Heron, a significant clan symbol, has a major presence on this lake.
• June 2022: The lake has supported the Nbisiing people for more than 10,000 years. It faced a fishery crisis by 2015 due to overfishing and pickerel failing to reach sexual maturity. The lake is the subject of a 2015 Memorandum of Understanding between Nipissing First Nation and Ontario.
• July 2022: Nipissing First Nation is located on this lake.
• September 2022: The lake and its surrounding tributaries are the subject of a five-metre collaborative beading installation. Participants in the Lake Nipissing Beading Project shared personal stories and connections to the lake while creating their beaded sections.
• January 2023: Photographs of birds found between the Golden Harvest Cannabis Co. property and the lake are displayed in the foyer.
• November 2023: A photograph of the sunset over this lake's waterfront serves as the background for a digital art piece featuring a blue heron.
• April 2024: The lake serves as the inspiration for a popular candle scent created by Cedar Canoe Candles. Local artists and residents of Nipissing First Nation frequent its beaches and bays for inspiration.
• August 2024: The On the Edge Fringe Festival performance took place outdoors as the sun set over the water. The lake provides the backdrop for the Oak Street venue in North Bay.
• March 2025: Fish samples from the lake are being tested for PFAS to determine if the chemicals have bioaccumulated in the tissue and livers of local species. The lake may be receiving PFAS contamination from the North Bay wastewater treatment plant and various local tributaries.
• May 2025: Dams on the French River control the water levels of the lake. Dokis First Nation utilized sonar technology to map the historical shoreline on the lake side of their territory.
• July 2025: The new Elders' lodge in Duchesnay is situated across the road from the lake.
• September 2026: The lake is the setting for traditional stories involving serpents near the Manitou Islands.