Simard Lake (Témiscamingue)

Freshwater lake in Témiscamingue, Quebec, Canada

Lac Simard is a freshwater lake in the municipality of Laforce, in the Regional County Municipality (RCM) of Temiscamingue, in northwestern Quebec, Canada.

In 1928, the "Commission géographique du Québec" (Geographic Board of Quebec) formalized this name that evokes the work of Télesphore Simard. Born in 1863 in Saint Joachim near Quebec City, he graduated as a surveyor in 1887 at Laval University. Working for the Government of Quebec, Simard explored the rivers of the North Coast and Temiscamingue. In 1911, he conducted the survey of villages in the new riding of Abitibi. In 1916, he ran as a Liberal candidate in the provincial election. Elected in Témiscamingue riding, Simard served until his death in 1924 at Ville Marie in his riding. In the early twentieth century, the Algonquin name "Mijicowaja" (meaning a slightly extended lake) designated "Lake Simard". This name will be replaced by the English name "Expanse", probably as a result of the construction, circa 1912, of a dam on rapid of the Fifteen (French: Rapides des Quinze); which would significantly increase the surface area of the lake. In its 1895 report, the explorer John Bignell used the name Winowa to designate the lake. The word that comes close to Algonquin Winneway, meaning "white water" refers to a particular bay and an island in the southeast of Lake Simard. The name Lake Simard was formalized on December 5, 1968, at the "Bank of place names" of the Commission de toponymie du Québec (Quebec Names Board).