Archemedes River

Archemedes River (Traditional Chinese: 萬錦河; French: Rivière d'Archimède), sometimes written as Archimedes River, is a river in east-central parts of the Regional Municipality of Gravenhurst in the Imaginary Lands of Nicholas. The river is named after the City of Archemedes, of which it flows past.

Originally known as the Man Kam River, the English and French names are changed to "Archemedes" (Archimède) in honour of the Greek mathematician Archimedes of Syracuse, upon the colonization and European Discovery of the Imaginary Lands of Nicholas. The Chinese name has remained nonetheless.

Course
The river has its source in the Lethbridge Highlands, inside Guelph Greenbelt Regional Park. Its tributaries, including Brant River, joins the river inside the park in the Township of Guelph. The river then flows south into the City of Archemedes via its northern suburbs. It flows alongside of River Parkway in the city, and the main urban area of the city is the west of the river. The river then enlarges into a whirlpool, or locally known as Cherryshill Lake, before flowing south into a series of rapids, and turns to an easterly direction just east of Parkthorn Heights. The river continues to flow in an east-west direction, and north of the Niagara Escarpment, until it meets with the escarpment. It turns abruptly northwards, with its water discharging past the Hydrogen Falls. Under the falls, the river continues to flow northwards for another 1.3 km before emptying into Lake Haldimond.

Economic role
Historically, the river served as a major shipping and transportation corridor to and from the City of Archemedes. The numerous rapids and small-scale falls along the river has prompted the construction of the Waterway Canal in the 1950s, to bypass the river and to allow shipping. The function of the canal eventually superseded by the newly constructed Lisi Seaport.

Fisheries also played an important role in Gravenhurst Region's initial development. It was known that the river, along with the whirlpool (Cherryshill Lake), has an abundant resource in fishery. Salmon who return from Lake Haldimond yearly for reproduction was particularly popular, as they climb up the rapids and small falls along the river. The booming fishing industry gave an initial boost to the local economy and attracted more people to settle in the modern Archemedes area.