The French River is one of Canada's most historic waterways, used as a travel corridor by the Huron and Algonquin Nations, and later as the primary trade route for the voyageurs. It emerges from Lake Nipissing to traverse the Canadian Shield and empty into Georgian Bay, following an ancient fault line through the resistant precambrian rock. The unusual topography of the river's stone delta is a challenge to navigators past and present, but a refuge for rare species like the Virginia Chain Fern and Eastern Massassauga Rattlesnake.