Wanderlust World Wanderlust World The Hudson Bay drainage basin—Canada's largest at 3.8 million km²—collects water from the Shield, the Prairies, and the Subarctic. Dozens of rivers feed this inland sea.
| River | Province/Territory | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Nelson River | Manitoba | Largest by discharge (2,370 m³/s). Hydroelectric backbone (Kettle, Long Spruce, Limestone dams). Flows from Lake Winnipeg. |
| Hayes River | Manitoba | Historic York Factory route. Free-flowing, wilderness canoeing. |
| Severn River | Ontario | Longest in Ontario. Polar bear habitat. Flows through muskeg. |
| Albany River | Ontario | Long, meandering. Key fur trade route. Sturgeon, walleye. |
| Attawapiskat River | Ontario | De Beers diamond mine. Cree communities. Wetland-rich. |
| Winisk River | Ontario | Polar Bear Provincial Park. Wild, remote. |
| Moose River | Ontario | Formed by Mattagami + Missinaibi. Moosonee railhead (Polar Bear Express). |
| Nottaway River | Quebec | Hydro development (Eastmain-1-A). Cree territory. |
| Rupert River | Quebec | Diverted for Eastmain-1-A. Historic Cree route. |
| Broadback River | Quebec | Pristine, proposed protected area. |
| Clearwater River | Saskatchewan/Alberta | Oil sands region. Athabasca tributary. |
| Kazan River | Nunavut | Barrenlands. Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary. Arctic char. |
Permafrost thaw, altered flow regimes, reduced ice cover, and industrial development threaten this globally significant watershed.
These rivers are not just lines on a map—they are the circulatory system of northern Canada.