Qu'Appelle River
The Qu'Appelle River is a river which flows 430 km east from Lake Diefenbaker in southwestern Saskatchewan to join the Assiniboine River in Manitoba.
In 1787, the Northwest Company established a fur trading post at Fort Espérance on the lower river. After it was abandoned in 1819, the Hudson Bay Company established a post at Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan near the site of the town of the same name.
The Via Rail route follows the river valley at the border between Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
The river's name is said to be based on a legend of a young native who heard his name being called and responded "kab-tep-was" ("Who calls?") in Cree. All he heard back was an echo from the hills bordering the river. When he returned home, he was told that his bride-to-be had died calling his name. The Cree name was later translated into the French "Qu'appelle". E. Pauline Johnson retold the story in "The Legend of QuÂ’Appelle Valley".
The river valley also contains some relatively undisturbed grassland and coulees which provide habitat for native plant and animal species, such as the Loggerhead Shrike.
See also
Categories: Saskatchewan rivers