Cabinet card photograph by B. Charron of Mattawa, Ontario, showing a large birch bark canoe carrying at least a dozen men across calm waters, framed by a backdrop of wooded hills. The vessel is paddled by men in broad-brimmed hats and western attire, while a Union Jack flag rises prominently at the stern. The long, elegant form of the canoe and the rhythmic arrangement of the paddlers create a striking silhouette against the serene northern landscape.

Mattawa, situated at the meeting of the Ottawa and Mattawa Rivers, was historically a key hub for the fur trade and a point of passage for voyageurs, traders, and Indigenous communities. The image likely depicts a blend of Native and Euro-Canadian participants, emblematic of the cultural and commercial exchange that defined the region in the late 19th century.

The photograph is mounted on a maroon-bordered card with Charron’s imprint in gilt on both the front and reverse. B. Charron was an active regional photographer whose work documents daily life, transportation, and the people of Ontario’s northern waterways during a period when canoe travel remained essential to commerce and communication. This scene is a visually compelling record of the enduring role of traditional watercraft in the Canadian frontier.