Mattawa Our Home
It is a town situated in north-eastern Ontario, Canada, at the confluence of the Mattawa and Ottawa Rivers in Nipissing District. The word ‘Mattawa’ means ‘Meeting of the Waters’ in Ojibwa. In 1615 Etienne Brulé and Samuel de Champlain were the first Europeans to pass through this area.
In the past, Mattawa was an important place, due to its location along the voyageur’s canoe route from Montreal to the Great Lakes. You’ll find here small shops along the Main Street offer unique creations from local artists and craftsmen.
Tourist Attraction
In 2007, Mattawa and the townships of Bonfield, Papineau-Cameron, Mattawan and Calvin cooperated to create a newly-branded Mattawa Voyageur Country tourist region in order to promote the area.
Mattawa is the home of many wooden statues depicting historical figures from the Mattawa area, such as Champlain, Pierre-Esprit Radisson, Médard des Groseilliers, and others. The Mattawa District Museum is host to a 17 ft. wooden statue of Big Joe Mufferaw, a local folk hero. These statues are scattered throughout the town of Mattawa and in two locations outside the town on nearby Highway 17.