Little Mecatina River
river in Quebec, Canada
The Little Mécatina River is a major river in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Canada, with tributaries extending into Labrador. Studies have been made to exploit the hydroelectric potential of the river, which could be around 1,200 MW from three dams. The Little Mécatina River was explored first with kayaks by Rolf Theiß and Fritz Gottensrtöter from Guetersloh, Germany between 13 August and 9 September of 1973.
Location
The Little Mécatina River is about 545 kilometres (339 mi) long, of which about 384 kilometres (239 mi) is in Labrador.
The river has a Strahler number of 7.
It originates to the east of Lake Aticonac near the border between the Atlantic and Saint Lawrence Basins.
This is along the border between Quebec and Newfoundland claimed by Quebec, well north of the border defined in 1927 by the Privy Council.
It flows through the unorganized territories of Lac-Jérôme and Petit-Mécatina.
It winds in a generally south-east direction, then turns south and empties into the Gulf of St. Lawrence a short distance west of Little Mecatina Island.
The public source identifies “Little Mecatina River” as river in Quebec, Canada. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Little, Mecatina and River.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Little Mecatina River”, the useful work is to connect “river in Quebec, Canada” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 10, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q860143. Authority coordinates are 50.657, -59.429. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 2 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1973 and 1927.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Little Mecatina River”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Little Mecatina River primary sources, Little Mecatina River archive and Little research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Little Mecatina River”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Little Mecatina River” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.