PISHKANOGAMI?!
Pishkanogami (now called Ivanhoe) is a beautiful freshwater
lake just outside Foleyet. The word "Pishkanogami" means "further
still."
In the 1800s, there was a Hudson's Bay post called "Pishkanogami
Post." It was located on the lake across from the present park on the
old channel of the river. The post was in conjunction with Flying Post on
Kukatush (Groundhog) Lake. It was closed in the 1880s due to the decline
in the fur trade.
Many Ojibwa and Cree natives moved to the area around Pishkanogami,
the Flying Post on Groundhog Lake and to the Mattagami River. There is an
old burial ground located at Ivanhoe Lake. Some students groomed the area
in the 1970s, but it has long since grown in.
In the early 1900s, many people had traps or claims surrounding
Pishkanogami. The trappers would walk to Pishkanogami from Foleyet to check
their traps daily!
In 1917, a dam was built at the east end of the river.
The dam resulted in creating a new river by joining Midway Creek and Muskego
Rivers. The dam broke in 1918. This caused the lake to drop another 18-25
feet and flooded Foleyet as well.
In the 1960s, the park officials decided to change the
name of the lake from "Pishkanogami" to "Ivanhoe." However,
there is still a flying post, located somewhere on the lake, called Pishkanogami.