Rivière des Envies (, ) is located in Canada, in the province of Quebec, in the Mauricie administrative region, in the Batiscanie. The length of Rivière des Envies is from the outlet of Lac-de-la-Traverse, located in row St-Joseph, Sainte-Thècle. This lake is fed by the outlet of Lake Aylwin, which in turn is fed by the outlet of Lake Jesuit (and lakes of surrounding mountains).
The watershed of the Rivière des Envies is , i.e. the second largest watershed of Batiscanie. The basin is shared by three regional county municipalities:
• MRC of Mékinac (for Sainte-Thècle, Saint-Tite, Hérouxville and Saint-Séverin),
• MRC of Shawinigan (for Lac-à-la-Tortue),
• MRC des Chenaux (for Saint-Stanislas (Les Chenaux)).
Although the territory of the municipality of Saint-Adelphe is in the center of the arc formed by the course of the "River des Envies", this place is excluded from this watershed but a little area at the south-west—at the boundary with Saint-Stanislas (Les Chenaux).
Toponymy The first known mention of the name "Rivière des Envies" (Cravings River) is a document written in 1757 by the Jesuit brother Jean-Joseph Casot (1728-1880), even before the first settlers arrived at the sector of Rivière-des-Envies in Saint-Stanislas. Jean-Joseph Casot (born in Belgium in 1728) came from France in 1757 and was ordained a priest in 1766. In 1760, eleven families of pioneers are reported back stronghold of the manor of Batiscan, either on the sector "Rivière-des-Envies" in the territory of Saint-Stanislas. In 1776, Father Guay was on a mission in Settlers Township Saint-Stanislas-de-Koska-de-la-Rivière des Envies.Janine Trépanier-Massicotte, ouvrage "Saint-Stanislas - Comté de Champlain - Répertoire historique - Vol. 1, chronologie 1760-1937, p. 12
In 1781, the Jesuits control the construction of a flour mill at the mouth of "Rivière des Envies".Janine Trépanier-Massicotte, ouvrage "Saint-Stanislas - Comté de Champlain - Répertoire historique - Vol. 1, chronologie 1760-1937, p. 13, citant A.N.-Rapport Lewis Foy, 10 août 1822 Although the civil registers were opened in 1787, the parish was canonically erected in 1833 under the name Saint-Stanislas-de-la-Rivière des Envies. The "School Corporation of Saint-Stanislas Rivière des Envies" was incorporated under the 1845 Act (8, Victoria, BC 40-18).Janine Trépanier-Massicotte, Saint-Stanislas - County Champlain - Historical Register - Vol. 1 edition of "Biens public" (Annex: Chronology - Developments, p. 2)
The toponym "Rivière des Envies" appeared regularly in correspondence and legal acts of the Lordship of Batiscan since the implementation of the British regime. The term "Rivière des Envies" remained similar over its entire history. Several interpretations of the origin of the name have been set by various sources, but not supported by corroborating evidence. The designation "Rivière des Envies" was formalized December 5, 1968, at the "Commission de toponymie du Québec" (Geographical Names Board of Quebec).
Course The water of the river flows through municipalities of Sainte-Thècle, Saint-Tite, the boundary east of Hérouxville (about 4 km, along Row South, between the road Paquin and the road Lefebvre), Saint-Séverin and Saint-Stanislas (Les Chenaux). The river empties in Batiscan River at the southern edge of the village of Saint-Stanislas (Les Chenaux). The course of the river is especially cravings in agriculture. The river runs through a forest especially between Sainte-Thècle and Saint-Tite; downstream from Saint-Tite, the river passes through a few small areas of forest. The river also passes through the villages of Saint-Tite, Saint-Séverin and Saint-Stanislas (Les Chenaux).
Spring floods generate significant flooding upstream of the railway bridge in the village of Saint-Tite. From the intersection of the road Marchand and road St-Joseph in Sainte-Thècle, up to the village of Saint-Tite, through the area of the large marshes (Grands marais, in French), Rivière des Envies is taking a very winding course. This area was conducive for beavers and moose that probably attracted aboriginals in prehistory.
Photos
Major tributaries The main tributaries of the Rivière des Envies are (from the head):
Left Bank:
• Outlet of Lake-aux-Chicots (in Sainte-Thècle) which receives the waters of the "rivière en coeur" (river in heart) at the site of the former sawmill of Clement Saint-Amand. The head of this small river is the "Lac en coeur" (lake in heart) which flows successively in "Lac des tounnes" and "Lac Croche" (crooked lake).
• Rivière Le Bourdais (Saint-Tite)
• Stream of Fools (ruisseau des fous) (Saint-Tite),
• Second Dick Creek (Saint-Tite).
Right bank:
• Archange Creek (Saint-Tite), taking its source at Lake Archange,
• Eric Creek (Saint-Tite), which flows into the "River des Envies" slightly upstream from the mouth of the North Mékinac River,
• North Mékinac River (Saint-Tite), which flows into the "River des Envies" at about upstream of the town of Saint-Tite. Note: the river South Mékinac River empties into the North Mékinac River, from the mouth of the latter,
• Dessureault creek(Saint-Stanislas (Les Chenaux)),
• Turtle River (ou rivière à la tortue) at (Saint-Stanislas (Les Chenaux)).
The most important tributaries of the "rivière des Envies" (carvings river) are the North Mékinac River and "Rivière à la tortue" (Tortoise river).
Major lakes The main lakes flowing into the tributaries of the river (or directly) are grouped by municipality:
Sainte-Thècle: Lake Jesuit (Lac du Jésuite), Lake de la Traverse, Lake Croche, Lake-aux-Chicots and "Lake-des-Tounes";
Saint-Tite: Lake Archange, lake-à-la-perchaude, lake Trottier, lake Éric and lake Roberge;
Shawinigan (sector Lac-à-la-Tortue): Turtle Lake (Lac-à-la-Tortue, in French).
On the south-west of the village of Saint-Tite, a bulge in the "rivière des envies" created the lake Kapibouska. Likely caused by a series of beaver dams, Lake Kapibouska is now gone. The watershed of the "River des Envies" also includes about half of the space covered by a large wetland located southeast of Lac-à-la-Tortue.
The major floods
Every spring snowmelt in the watershed causes heavy floods, which have a greater impact in the meander upstream of the railway bridge in the village of Saint-Tite. Large floods can also be caused by prolonged heavy rains. Major floods have occurred:
from September 28, 1924, when there were heavy rains for a week. Many of the bridges over the "river-des-Envies" were swept from Sainte-Thècle up to Saint-Stanislas. The village of Saint-Tite and area meander upstream, suffered flood;Interview of historian Gaétan Veillette, with Armand St-Amand and Oscar St-Amand, published in the book "Vos ancêtres Saint-Amand vous parlent - Volume 2, 1986, describing the bridges and the big flood of water, p. 39-40. The newspaper Le Bien Public of Oct. 2, 1924 reports: "The service from Ste-Thècle to Trois-Rivières, via St-Tite was interrupted for a couple of days, and the train service on the Canadian National Railway had to undergo great delays".;Article" The flood cause of damage to Grand'Mère", newspaper Le Bien Public, October 2, 1924, p. 2. In 1936 when the dam of Lake Roberge (Grandes-Piles) was broken. Several bridges have been swept away by the current, the four bridges at Saint-Séverin and several docks bridge filled with stones. Some portion of the city of Saint-Tite was then flooded.Gaétan Veillette, article "Guardians of a lot ancestral occupied by six generations of Veillet/te to Prouxlville (QC) "The Pathiskan newsletter, April 1992, Association of Families Veillet/te inc., p. 9.
Main bridges Note: Bridges listed in order from the mouth.
Saint-Stanislas (Les Chenaux) 1. Road Bridge 352 (situated at the southern boundary of the village of Saint-Stanislas (Les Chenaux), at the mouth of the river.
2. Jesuit mill, near upstream of the existing bridge road 352.
3. Marchand Road Bridge, which connects the south shore to road 159 (on the north side).
4. Bridge of the road 159, about by water from the mouth.
5. Ex-railway bridge, upstream of the bridge near the road 159.
Saint-Séverin (Mékinac) 6. Bridge road of Trefflé Veillette, connecting Road "Rivière des Envies" (south-east), with the "Chemin de la Rivière-des-Envies" (north-east). This bridge is about upstream by water from the bridge of Road 159. Marcel Veillette (Saint-Séverin (Mékinac)) said in 1994: "The wooden bridges that spanned the Rivière des Envies on this road were built by the Veillette owners of the surrounding land. Three times the torrential waters carried them (including 1936). The first bridge in the history of the area was built a little further upstream on the adjacent lot owned (at the time) by Majoric Brière. Today, this lot belongs to my brothers Denis and Marius Veillette."Gaétan Veillette, article «Gardiens d’un lot ancestral occupé par six générations de Veillet/te à Saint-Séverin (Mékinac)),(Qué.)» (Ancestral guardians of a lot occupied by six generations of Veillet/te in Saint-Séverin (Mékinac)), bulletin Le Pathiskan, April 1992, Association des familles Veillet/te inc., p. 9. The concrete bridge was built in 1943. The three previous bridges were made of wood.
7. Mill Bridge, in the village of Saint-Séverin, in the fall, downstream of the existing bridge Blvd. St. Louis.
8. Bridge in the village of Saint-Séverin (Mékinac) (route 159), boul. St. Louis. This bridge is about by water upstream from the bridge Veillette.
9. Bridge connecting the road to the mill (north shore) to the road of Rivière des Envies (South-West). This bridge is about by water, upstream from the bridge in the village of Saint-Séverin (Mékinac). According to the 1861 census, the sawmill of Nicolas Vandal (originally from l'Ancienne-Lorette) was already in operation there. Located in the area of the falls, the mill was demolished in 1970 and its last owner was Albani Vandal. A flour mill Lafrance was built next.
Saint-Tite 10. Bordeleau Bridge (covered bridge, built in wood) on the road Dessureault in Saint-Tite. This road connects Rang Sud (Row South) and Grand Rang (Grand Row) in Saint-Tite at Cossetteville. This covered bridge is about by water upstream from Mill Road Bridge in Saint-Séverin (Mékinac).
11. Railway Bridge "Canadian National", at the southern edge of the village of Saint-Tite. This bridge is about by water upstream of the bridge Bordeleau, or about in a direct line. The railway arrived in Saint-Tite in 1884.
12. Du Moulin Street Bridge (Mill Street Bridge) in the village of Saint-Tite. This bridge is about by water from the railway bridge, due to the sinuosity of the river (or 1.5 kilometres in a direct line). An iron bridge was built on Du Moulin Street in 1923 and replaced in 1984 by the current bridge.
13. Bridge of Le Bourdais Street (Road 153) in Saint-Tite. This bridge is about upstream by water from Du Moulin Street Bridge, due to the sinuosity of the river (or 1 kilometre in a direct line).