June 2018

160 161 P etawawa is a town of 17,200, located in the eastern portion of southern Ontario, in the Ottawa Valley. It is the largest community between Ottawa and NorthBay. The earliest settlers in the Pet- awawa area were the Algon- quin First Nation, and the name, Petawawa, originates from a local Algonquin lan- guage word, “biidaawewe,” meaning “where one hears a noise like this,” referring to the sound of the nearby riv- er rapids. During those early times, the location was ideal for access throughout the region on the Ottawa and Petawawa Rivers for both the gathering of social as- semblies and for the trans- portation of trade goods. PETAWAWA, ONTARIO DYNAMIC BY NATURE AT A GLANCE PETAWAWA, ONTARIO WHAT: A town of 17,200 WHERE: Renfrew County, in the Ottawa Valley WEBSITE: www.petawawa.ca PETAWAWA, ONTARIO